# Mystery Files vs Ghost Detective

The clearest difference is ads: Ghost Detective at none against Mystery Files's shown. Mystery Files's advantage is review sentiment (58% vs 37%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mystery Files sells 20 one-off in-app purchases and Ghost Detective sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Mystery Files against 4.6 for Ghost Detective. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mystery Files has 5.8K ratings behind it against 983, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Mystery Files's written reviews are positive against 37% of Ghost Detective's.

Mystery Files ships an update fortnightly, Ghost Detective monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mystery Files | Ghost Detective |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mystery-files-hidden-objects/id1589094825/reviews) | [4.6 (983 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-detective/id6446073149/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.8K** | 983 |
| Positive reviews | **58.1% of reviews** | 36.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 431 MB | 814 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [DO GAMES LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542346466) | [Netflix, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/363590054) |

## What reviewers say

### Mystery Files

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mystery-files-hidden-objects/id1589094825)

Engage in free-to-play detective puzzles and brain teasers. Discover hidden objects in various locations and choose from a library of interactive stories and quests. Earn achievements and collect unique items as you unravel mysteries.

**Highlights:** Hidden object puzzles, Point-and-click adventures, Interactive stories, Brain teasers and mini-games, Achievement system, Collectible items

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A Handful of Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of useful things | $1.99 | one-time |
| A Handful of Crystals | $2.99 | one-time |
| A Pouch of Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| A Pinch of Gems | $3.99 | one-time |
| Handful of useful things | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pack of useful things | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chalice of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Currency box | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| A Handful of Gems | $5.99 | one-time |
| A Pouch of Gems | $6.99 | one-time |
| A Bag of Coins | $7.99 | one-time |
| A Bag of Gems | $7.99 | one-time |
| Bandbox of Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bandbox of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| A Chest of Coins | $11.99 | one-time |
| Handful of useful things | $12.99 | one-time |
| Jewelry Box | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Continuous levels
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Multiple games in one app
- 👍 Challenging puzzles
- 👍 Enjoyable stories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🐛 Unresponsive controls
- 🐛 Broken hint system
- 🔑 Excessive use of keys/coins to progress
- 🔑 Long wait times for keys

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzles not working as intended
- Scenes/items disappearing or becoming uninteractable
- Game progress being reset or lost
- Crashes and freezes when using in-app purchases

**Requested features**

- More ways to earn hints/coins without paying
- Better instructions for mini-games
- Ability to skip difficult puzzles


### Ghost Detective

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-detective/id6446073149)

Play as a ghost detective to solve your own murder. Explore New Orleans, find hidden objects, and solve puzzles to uncover clues and identify your killer. Your choices influence the story in this supernatural crime mystery.

**Highlights:** Solve your own murder mystery, Find hidden objects, Solve puzzles, Explore New Orleans, Investigate clues, Story-driven gameplay

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Netflix Standard Plan | $19.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome game
- 👍 Great story and characters
- 🎨 Brilliant graphics and music
- 💡 Unique gameplay with hidden objects and match-3
- 🎁 No in-app purchases required

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes, freezes, and loading issues
- 🕰️ Repetitive and grindy gameplay
- 🤔 Unclear progression and incomplete story
- 🔍 Obscured or hard-to-find objects
- 💰 Difficult without using paid boosters

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes or crashes on startup
- Progress and save data being lost or reset
- Multipliers and boosters not working as intended
- Certain objects being impossible to find

**Requested features**

- More new cases and story content
- Ability to save progress and sync across devices
- Community features like gifting and sharing
- Difficulty options for more casual or challenging play


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mystery Files free?

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

### Is Ghost Detective free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mystery Files or Ghost Detective?

Mystery Files and Ghost Detective are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5.8K and 983 ratings respectively.

### Do Mystery Files or Ghost Detective have ads?

Mystery Files shows ads; Ghost Detective does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mystery Files or Ghost Detective?

Mystery Files ships an update fortnightly, and Ghost Detective monthly. Most recently, Mystery Files was updated on September 25, 2026 and Ghost Detective on September 24, 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.*