# Mystery Files vs Magic City

Mystery Files and Magic City both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 58% of Mystery Files's written reviews are positive against 40% of Magic City's. Mystery Files also leads on ratings volume (6K vs 346) and chart position (#186 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mystery Files sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Magic City sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. 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 4.7 for Magic City. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mystery Files has 6K ratings behind it against 346, 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 40% of Magic City's.

Mystery Files ships an update fortnightly, Magic City every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mystery Files | Magic City |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mystery-files-hidden-objects/id1589094825/reviews) | **[4.7 (346 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-city-hidden-objects-f2p/id6474693296/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6K** | 346 |
| Positive reviews | **58.5% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#186** | — |
| Size | 432 MB | 812 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [DO GAMES LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542346466) | [DO GAMES LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542346466) |

## What reviewers say

### Mystery Files

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

**Currently charting:** #186 Top Grossing · Adventure (US App Store)

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 (10)**

| 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 Pinch of Gems | $3.99 | one-time |
| Handful of useful things | $3.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bandbox of Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bandbox of Gems | $9.99 | 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


### Magic City

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-city-hidden-objects-f2p/id6474693296)

Embark on a thrilling detective adventure across London, Paris, and Rio to solve supernatural crimes. Investigate mysterious disappearances, uncover dark conspiracies, and face magical threats. Solve puzzles and find hidden objects to save the world from chaos.

**Highlights:** Supernatural crime investigations, Hidden object scenes, Detective adventure gameplay, Puzzles and mini-games, Collectible items, Story-rich narrative

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 75 Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Edition | $4.99 | one-time |
| 125 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 200 Coins | $6.99 | one-time |
| 300 Coins | $8.99 | one-time |
| 500 Coins | $12.99 | one-time |
| Endless Hints+Skips for 1 Game | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging hidden object gameplay with variety
- 🎨 Good graphics and visual design
- 📖 Interesting storylines and narratives
- ⏰ No energy system - play as long as you want
- 📺 No ads interrupting gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Excessive bugs preventing progression
- 💰 Aggressive monetization requiring payment for story progression
- 📱 Poor user interface design
- ❌ Intrusive pop-ups covering screen
- 🔊 Audio balance issues - background noise too loud

**Reported bugs**

- Phone number dialing puzzle doesn't register input - numbers disappear
- Piano key cannot be retrieved from drawer - drawer disappears
- Mixture pouring mini-game won't function properly
- Gear/cog puzzles in bonus chapter lock up when one gear turns green
- Items can be collected multiple times from same location

**Requested features**

- Reduce or remove intrusive pop-up notifications for collectibles
- Allow item progression without forcing use of unnecessary items
- Improve game instructions and tutorials
- Better audio mixing and volume controls
- Fix login system to properly access purchased hints and skips


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mystery Files free?

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

### Is Magic City free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mystery Files or Magic City?

Magic City is rated higher. Mystery Files averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while Magic City averages 4.7 from 346 ratings.

### Do Mystery Files or Magic City have ads?

Both Mystery Files and Magic City show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mystery Files or Magic City?

Mystery Files ships an update fortnightly, and Magic City every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mystery Files was updated on November 5, 2026 and Magic City on November 4, 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.*