Comparison

Story City vs Eighty Thousand Steps

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Story City

Embark on interactive, location-based adventures where you become the hero of your own story. Explore hundreds of unique narratives created by local artists, choosing your path through real-world cities.

Highlights
  • Location-based adventures
  • Choose-your-own-adventure stories
  • User-generated content
  • Explore cities worldwide
  • Spoiler mode for at-home play
  • Become a story creator
Features
Read full description

Why go on a boring old walk when you can be a secret agent? Have you ever read a story and wish you could be in it? Calling the shots, helping the good guys (or bad), choosing your adventure? EXPERIENCE WALKABLE ADVENTURES Story City makes you the hero of your own story, giving you the chance to take part in adventures in cities across the world. Think Pokemon Go, but stories you can literally step into & live! EXPLORE HUNDREDS STORIES BY LOCAL CREATORS Each story only opens when you're in the right location and from the start point can either follow one path or branch off into dozens of different locations around the city (and which ones you visit will depend on the path you pick through the adventure). Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, a musical journey or scavenger hunt, all stories on Story City are made by creators - writers, theatre makers, musicians, game designers, film makers or tours guides - who know their cities best. EXPERIENCES FOR ALL INTERESTS: BE THE HERO OF A CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE, OR TAKE A SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR Will you explore Edmonton while running from a zombie apocalypse? How about cruising the Vancouver streets solving a series of mysterious puzzles? Will you brave a magical café run by fae creatures in Brisbane? Or will you pillage Austin looking for pirate supplies? Perhaps you'll take a musical journey with a First Nations storyteller and drummer in Calgary, learn about your local non-profit in a social issues walk, or walk the Casa Loma district in Toronto with a popular podcaster as your tour guide. It’s your adventure, so it’s up to you! NO STORIES IN YOUR CITY YET? ACCESS STORIES ANYTIME, ANYWHERE USING SPOILER MODE Interested in a story you can't get to because of travel restrictions (or money restrictions!)? Then why not check out our creators' award-winning adventures from the comfort of your home via spoiler mode. OR BECOME A CREATOR And make money creating what you love. It’s as simple as signing up at creator.storycity.app The world is full of adventures. Choose yours. Terms of Use Link https://storycity.app/terms-of-use

About

Eighty Thousand Steps

This interactive audio experience uses your steps to power a captivating story. Uncover a family secret through an immersive, cinematic saga inspired by real-life migration. Enjoy a unique blend of exercise and storytelling.

Highlights
  • Step-powered narrative
  • Immersive surround-sound audio
  • Unlockable clues
  • Offline playback
  • Accessible without walking
  • In-app step counter
Read full description

Ready for an inspiring journey? Here’s the twist. You power this story—with your footsteps. Take a walk in someone else’s shoes. Uncover a long-buried secret. Welcome to a story like no other. Walk the dog, run an errand, stroll the park, take a coffee break around the block. You can even run or jog, hit the treadmill, step machine, or elliptical. Now listen. And be prepared: this will move you in every way. Body, mind, and heart. A cinematic saga for the ears. An intimate personal secret, dipped in folklore and magic. Eighty Thousand Steps is a unique, genre-bending interactive podcast about family and migration, inspired by the true story of journalist Crystal Chan’s search for what really happened to her grandmother as a refugee. Follow the clues beyond the headlines. How do you keep going, no matter where life takes you? From award-winning studios Stitch Media and CBC Arts: a show for those who walk their own path. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. What step will you take today? HAPPY STEPPERS “It’s like a double whammy, getting my exercise in and listening to a story—2 for 1 value.” “Very fun and I enjoyed having something to walk to that added purpose to my movement.” “I have been enjoying the story while I do my daily walk. It’s so immersive and I love the interactive quality.” “This approach to storytelling feels so fresh and real and human.” “Really tugged at my heartstrings.” SPECIAL FEATURES Motivating Step Counter: In-app step counter shows your steps traveled as you uncover the mystery. Immersive Storytelling: Groundbreaking surround-sound audio with hand-illustrated scrolling art. Unlock clues after listening to each of the six episodes. Accessible and Adaptive: Completely free. Available offline. All transcripts available. Walk or run at any speed. Enable Accessibility Mode to enjoy without walking. Secure and Private: Will not save or store your health, motion or fitness data.

Screenshots

Story City4 screens
Eighty Thousand Steps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Story City at 5.0 against Eighty Thousand Steps's 4.4. Eighty Thousand Steps's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Story City sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Eighty Thousand Steps asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Story City holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Eighty Thousand Steps has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Story City versus Eighty Thousand Steps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStory CityEighty Thousand Steps
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.4 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.412.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB305 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperStory CityStitch Media

Customer experience

Story City

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Eighty Thousand Steps

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Story City

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
None

Eighty Thousand Steps

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Story City free?
Story City is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Eighty Thousand Steps free?
Eighty Thousand Steps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Story City or Eighty Thousand Steps?
Story City is rated higher. Story City averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Eighty Thousand Steps averages 4.4 from 5 ratings.
Do Story City or Eighty Thousand Steps have ads?
Neither Story City nor Eighty Thousand Steps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Story City or Eighty Thousand Steps?
Story City ships an update every 3 weeks, and Eighty Thousand Steps every 3 weeks. Most recently, Story City was updated on October 30, 2026 and Eighty Thousand Steps on October 30, 2026.

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