# Square Valley vs The Darkside Detective

The clearest difference is update cadence: Square Valley at every 2 weeks against The Darkside Detective's every 6 weeks. Square Valley also leads on price ($2.99 vs $6.99). The Darkside Detective's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Square Valley costs $2.99 and The Darkside Detective $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Square Valley against 4.9 for The Darkside Detective. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 95 and 48 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Square Valley's written reviews are positive against 77% of The Darkside Detective's.

Square Valley ships an update every 2 weeks, The Darkside Detective every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Square Valley | The Darkside Detective |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $6.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (95 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-valley/id1609779877/reviews) | **[4.9 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-darkside-detective/id6473466126/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **95** | 48 |
| Positive reviews | **84.6% of reviews** | 76.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 125 MB | 992 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ryan Becijos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609779879) | [Akupara Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1221828441) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### The Darkside Detective

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-darkside-detective/id6473466126)

Investigate bizarre and dangerous cases in Twin Lakes City as a paranormal detective. Solve mysteries involving tentacles, zombies, and occult phenomena. This comedic serial adventure features bite-sized cases and witty puzzles.

**Highlights:** 9 paranormal micro cases, Comedic serial adventure, Point-and-click investigation, High definition pixels, Original music score

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Square Valley free?

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

### Is The Darkside Detective free?

The Darkside Detective costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Square Valley or The Darkside Detective?

The Darkside Detective is rated higher. Square Valley averages 4.8 out of 5 from 95 ratings, while The Darkside Detective averages 4.9 from 48 ratings.

### Do Square Valley or The Darkside Detective have ads?

Neither Square Valley nor The Darkside Detective shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Square Valley or The Darkside Detective?

Square Valley ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Darkside Detective every 6 weeks. Most recently, Square Valley was updated on November 7, 2026 and The Darkside Detective 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.*