# Vactics vs Close Cities

The clearest difference is rating: Close Cities at 4.8 against Vactics's 4.0. Close Cities also leads on ratings volume (365 vs 56). Vactics's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vactics sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 3 months and Close Cities sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Close Cities holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Close Cities has 365 ratings behind it against 56, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Vactics's written reviews are positive against 69% of Close Cities's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Vactics ships an update every 3 weeks, Close Cities monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vactics | Close Cities |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vactics/id1561887778/reviews) | **[4.8 (365 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 56 | **365** |
| Positive reviews | **70.9% of reviews** | 69.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 309 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gerard Delaney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476170004) | [Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo](https://appshunter.io/developer/391953849) |

## What reviewers say

### Vactics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vactics/id1561887778)

Engage in tactical, chess-like combat by building powerful mechs to battle robotic enemies. Face randomly generated challenges and fight for a better future in this strategic warfare game.

**Highlights:** Mech building, Tactical chess-like combat, Randomly generated challenges, Mech and tech upgrades, Extended campaign, Leaderboard competition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscribe to Vactics Pro | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Vactics Pro | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Innovative gameplay mechanics
- 👍 Deep tactical gameplay
- 🎨 Gorgeous art style
- 🎶 Excellent synthwave score
- ✨ Well-balanced gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 High price for pro version
- 💸 Expensive subscription options
- 😩 Frustrating paywall
- ❓ Lacking tutorial explanations
- 🐌 Slow restart function

**Reported bugs**

- Combo attack bonus cancelled by heavy landing
- "Restore purchases" not working after update
- Cannot equip more than one ability
- Inconsistent combat: adjacent Vactic not hitting
- Cannot mount one tech in Chassis and one in Engine

**Requested features**

- Add more upgrades
- Add more game modes
- Add online co-op
- Add infinite wave competition
- Add diverging paths on map like FTL


### Close Cities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084)

Build beautiful cities on diverse worlds by solving unique puzzles. This relaxing game guides you through 160 levels with a simple tap or drag interface, requiring no architectural knowledge. Conquer each world's challenges and travel through time with its calming soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Build cities on empty maps, Solve 160 unique puzzle levels, Intuitive tap and drag controls, No architectural knowledge needed, Travel through different worlds, Relaxing music and pace

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hints - Small Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Medium Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads + Hints | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Big Pack | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vactics free?

Vactics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Close Cities free?

Close Cities is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Vactics or Close Cities?

Close Cities is rated higher. Vactics averages 4.0 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while Close Cities averages 4.8 from 365 ratings.

### Do Vactics or Close Cities have ads?

Close Cities shows ads; Vactics does not.

### Which is updated more often, Vactics or Close Cities?

Vactics ships an update every 3 weeks, and Close Cities monthly. Most recently, Vactics was updated on November 3, 2026 and Close Cities on November 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*