# Bandido vs Square Valley

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Square Valley at 86% against Bandido's 50%. Square Valley also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Bandido's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Bandido costs $2.99 and Square Valley $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Square Valley holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Square Valley has 93 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Bandido's written reviews are positive against 86% of Square Valley's.

Bandido ships an update every 5 months, Square Valley every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bandido | Square Valley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bandido/id1590716175/reviews) | **[4.8 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-valley/id1609779877/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **93** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **85.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 131 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Helvetiq SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1851484637) | [Ryan Becijos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609779879) |

## What reviewers say

### Bandido

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bandido/id1590716175)

A cooperative strategy game where players work together to block a prisoner's escape route through tunnels. Easy to learn, it offers quick setup and engaging gameplay for families.

**Highlights:** Cooperative gameplay, Strategy and route building, Family-friendly, Quick to learn rules, Card-based mechanics

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Square Valley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-valley/id1609779877)

Shape unique lands by strategically placing tiles like houses, farms, and natural elements. Connect them with roads and rivers while overcoming placement challenges. Progress through levels to unlock new tiles and face increasingly complex world-building puzzles.

**Highlights:** Tile placement for world creation, Connect tiles with roads and rivers, Strategic planning and puzzle solving, Three chapters with 45 levels, Unlock new tiles and overcome obstacles, Replay levels for higher scores, Sandbox mode for custom experiences

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging tile placement puzzle mechanics
- 🎵 Relaxing and pleasant background music
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist art style and visuals
- 😌 Calming and stress-relieving gameplay
- 💰 No ads or in-app purchases

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Unclear tile descriptions and requirements
- 🎲 High randomness can lead to unwinnable scenarios
- 📊 No real-time score feedback during gameplay
- 🐛 Occasional scoring calculation bugs
- 📱 Portrait-only mode (no landscape on iPad)

**Reported bugs**

- Leaderboard freezes when displaying top 10 scores
- Tile scoring miscalculations (e.g., Cherry Orchard, Fir Grove)
- Tutorial bug where selected tiles change unexpectedly
- Some tiles don't work as described in requirements
- Scoring feedback unclear until level completion

**Requested features**

- More levels and chapters
- Landscape/iPad support with larger maps
- iCloud synchronization across devices
- Real-time score feedback per tile placement
- Glossary with detailed tile explanations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bandido free?

Bandido costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Square Valley free?

Square Valley costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bandido or Square Valley?

Square Valley is rated higher. Bandido averages 4.3 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Square Valley averages 4.8 from 93 ratings.

### Do Bandido or Square Valley have ads?

Neither Bandido nor Square Valley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bandido or Square Valley?

Bandido ships an update every 5 months, and Square Valley every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bandido was updated on September 18, 2026 and Square Valley on September 26, 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.*