Meridian 157 vs Recursion
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Meridian 157
Embark on the thrilling conclusion of an island mystery. Explore ancient caverns and advanced labs to uncover a sinister project and prevent a global disaster. Solve challenging puzzles and unravel unsettling secrets in this epic adventure.
- Final and longest chapter
- Unique and challenging puzzles
- Immersive graphics
- Custom ambient soundtrack
- Two-tier hint system
- Available in 9 languages
- Color blind mode
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You have ventured this far, now there is no turning back. Uncover the island’s dark history by travelling through crumbling caverns and mysterious laboratories, but be warned, some may not be too welcoming of your presence… The epic conclusion to the Meridian 157 series has arrived! Follow Dr. Zander into the heart of the facility to discover the sinister purpose behind the FLARE project, and to avert the impending disaster brought on by its conception. With the most unique puzzles of the series, Meridian 157: Chapter 3 takes you to the source of the anomaly through a thrilling journey of mind-bending enigmas, perilous exploration and unsettling secrets of the island’s previous inhabitants. Follow Dr. Zander as he is pushed to his wits-end in this final adventure. Features: • The final and longest chapter in the Meridian 157 storyline! • The most unique and challenging puzzles to date • Immersive graphics • Custom ambient soundtrack • A logical two tier hint system • Available in 9 different languages • Color blind mode
Recursion
Embark on a mind-bending puzzle adventure where you're trapped in a repeating time loop. Use your wits and a special device to solve mysteries, find clues, and shut down a machine before the loop resets. This compact mystery game offers challenging puzzles and a unique narrative.
- Time-loop mechanic
- First-person point and click adventure
- Mystery and puzzle solving
- Clue finding
- Hint system
- Immersive soundtrack and sound effects
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Enter a mind-bending first-person puzzle adventure. Explore mysterious rooms, solve glitches, and navigate a time loop to uncover the truth. Something is wrong. All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again. Explore a strange, glitch-filled facility and uncover the secrets hidden within Recursion. Features: • Immersive first-person escape room gameplay • Mind-bending riddles, hidden clues, and layered mysteries • The Glitch Camera — capture details and reveal secrets others miss • Intuitive controls for a smooth, engaging experience • No ads, no interruptions — just pure puzzle adventure Can you escape the glitch? Download Recursion now and dive into a sci-fi puzzle adventure unlike any other! From Glitch Games, a small indie team crafting unique memory puzzles, point-and-click mysteries, and immersive story experiences. Follow us for updates, news, and behind-the-scenes content: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlitchGames/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/glitch.games Newsletter: https://glitch.games/newsletter Twitter: https://x.com/GlitchGames Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglitchgames/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GlitchGames
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Meridian 157 at 4.9 against Recursion's 4.2. Meridian 157 also leads on review sentiment (96% vs 65%) and ratings volume (3.1K vs 67). Recursion's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Meridian 157 costs $3.99 and Recursion $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Meridian 157 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meridian 157 has 3.1K ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Meridian 157's written reviews are positive against 65% of Recursion's.
Meridian 157 ships an update every 4 months, Recursion every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Meridian 157 | Recursion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (3.1K ratings) — better | 4.2 (67 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 96.5% of reviews — better | 64.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3.1K — better | 67 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 755 MB | 550 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | NovaSoft Interactive Ltd | Glitch Games |
Customer experience
Meridian 157
Recursion
User reviews
Meridian 157
From 3.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Immersive, engaging, and on par with or better than Riven
- 👍 Excellent graphics, story, and puzzles
- 👍 Challenging but fair puzzles
- 👍 Helpful hint system
- 👍 Atmospheric and creepy environment
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional bugs or glitches, especially on iOS devices
- 🤔 Some puzzles were too obscure or illogical
- 🤔 Repetitive backtracking through large environments
Recursion
From 67 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Unique and innovative gameplay mechanics
- 😂 Lots of fun and laughter
- 👍 Great twist on game types
- 🧠 Mind-bending puzzles
- 🌟 High-quality games from developer
Room to improve
- 🔁 Repetitive tasks and puzzles
- ⏳ Too much dying and restarting
- 😩 Tedious and frustrating experience
- ⏱️ Time loop/timer causes anxiety
- ⏳ Game feels too short
Bugs and requests
Meridian 157
Reported bugs
2 issues- Stacked boxes puzzle in Chapter 3 unplayable on iOS devices
- Occasional freezing or crashes reported
Requested features
3 requests- Option to turn off the Bunsen burner in the chemistry lab
- More varied puzzles and less repetition
- Ability to change difficulty settings mid-game
Recursion
Reported bugs
4 issues- Lift doors in chapter 3 wouldn't open
- Wireless controller doesn't appear
- Game crashes on start-up
- Stuck in the elevator (potential bug)
Requested features
6 requests- Add a setting to remove the time loop
- Option to disable the timer
- Longer game duration
- Richer story content
- More variety in game environments (less industrial)
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- Sequels to previous games (Veritas, All That Remains)
In-app purchases
Meridian 157
No in-app purchases
Recursion
No in-app purchases
