Comparison

Square Valley vs Simple Match 3

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

Head to head
About

Square Valley

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
Currently charting
Read full description

A charming tile-laying puzzle game. Make the best valley you can out of the tiles and placements you're given. Puzzles with no randomness can become a bit boring over time. And when it is too random, it can feel unfair. Square Valley sits nicely in the middle where you are challenged for each level, but it still feels fair in the end. Satisfying. Every level is comprised of a fixed set of tiles that come together to form a challenge each step of the way. You're continually cycling through your deck of tiles – always a fresh look. You're also limited to only certain spots on the board where you can place the tiles all in order to reach the highest score you can. A windmill wants the surrounding wheat fields, forests have winding rivers through them, and churches stand firm within the city walls packed with houses. Not to worry, you won't get stuck. There's generous room to succeed at every level. Leaderboards are there too, for those who want to keep challenging themselves. Feel free to push forward, or go back to previous levels and beat your old self. When you complete that last turn, you'll find yourself with a unique little village to be proud of. Features: + Pay once – no ads, no in-app purchases, no account required + 150+ tiles · 45 levels · 3 chapters + A new challenge every day, for everyone + Set your own rules to play with tiles drawn at random + Competitive leaderboards + Works offline

About

Simple Match 3

This is a relaxing puzzle game where you swap tiles to make matches of three. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles, customize your game's appearance, and enjoy satisfying effects. It offers a peaceful experience without ads or excessive story elements.

Highlights
  • No ads or subscriptions
  • Hundreds of unique tiles
  • Customizable appearance
  • Daily levels with leaderboards
  • Zen Mode for relaxation
  • Satisfying visual effects
  • Achievements and boosters
Features
Read full description

Simple Match 3 is a relaxing and challenging puzzle game with absolutely no ads. Swap tiles and make matches of 3 to clear levels. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles and customize to fit your style. Discover a variety of different elements and mechanics as you progress through the game. Use satisfying boosters and power ups. Unlike most match-3 games, Simple Match 3 was created to give players a relaxing and satisfying experience, without annoying ads, obnoxious effects, or time wasting story elements. FEATURES: No ads: Absolutely no ads or subscription purchases. The base price includes 350 levels, a unique daily level with leaderboard, and zen mode. 1 small in-app purchase unlocks even more. Customization: Customize to your heart’s content with hundreds of different tiles and lots of different background colors. You can even choose the color of the user interface buttons to match your theme! Daily Level: Play a unique level every single day. Try to make it to the top of the online leaderboard! Zen Mode: Relax and make matches with no move limits, no goals, and limited obstacles in Zen Mode. Satisfying experience: Enjoy super satisfying effects as you clear tiles, smash through crates, destroy glass, and more! The effects were created to be satisfying, without being too obnoxious or overwhelming. Achievements: Complete a variety of achievements to unlock more tiles. Boosters: Spin the prize wheel every day to gain boosters. You can also get even more boosters by completing the daily goal. Handcrafted levels: Play through 350 handcrafted levels and try to earn 3 stars. Some levels are simple, others are more challenging. Discover a variety of unique elements as you progress. If you want more, 1 small in app purchase unlocks 350 more levels. Created with love and care: Developed by a single person with care. Levels are designed to be fun, challenging, and satisfying without the need to purchase endless boosters. Download Simple Match 3 today and see what makes it so special!

Screenshots

Square Valley4 screens
Simple Match 34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Square Valley at none against Simple Match 3's 1. Simple Match 3's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $2.99). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

Square Valley costs $2.99 and Simple Match 3 $1.99 up front. Simple Match 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Square Valley asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Square Valley against 4.8 for Simple Match 3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 93 and 247 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Square Valley's written reviews are positive against 90% of Simple Match 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Square Valley ships an update every 2 weeks, Simple Match 3 weekly. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Square Valley versus Simple Match 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSquare ValleySimple Match 3
Price$2.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.8 (93 ratings)4.8 (247 ratings)
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews90.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings93247 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#153#69 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB463 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRyan BecijosMulberry Tree Games, LLC

Customer experience

Square Valley

All ratings93 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral5.1%
Negative10.3%

Simple Match 3

All ratings247 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews193 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral6.2%
Negative3.6%

User reviews

Square Valley

From 93 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 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

Room to improve

  • ❓ 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)

Simple Match 3

From 247 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best Match 3 Game
  • 👍 Calming and Engaging
  • 🔒 No Ads or IAPs
  • 👍 Customizable Tiles
  • 👍 Relaxing Music and Sound Effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs in Higher Levels
  • 🐛 Impossible Levels Due to Missing Obstacles
  • 🐛 Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • 🐛 Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • 🐛 Inconsistent Star Rating System

Bugs and requests

Square Valley

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • 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
Show 3 more
  • Inconsistent tile placement rules not documented
  • Protected Copper Beech scoring issues
  • Random tile placement can create impossible scenarios

Requested features

14 requests
  • 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
Show 9 more
  • Personal stats and score history per level
  • Customizable sandbox mode with more options
  • Music volume slider (separate from sound effects)
  • Global leaderboards with player names
  • Board game physical version
  • Expansion packs with new tile sets
  • Undo and skip buttons (mentioned as implemented in recent update)
  • Additional language translations
  • Split-screen multiplayer mode

Simple Match 3

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Levels with Missing Obstacles
  • Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • Inconsistent Star Rating System
  • Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • Crashes on Opening

Requested features

6 requests
  • Level Editor
  • Endless/Survival Mode
  • Improved Power-Up Interactions
  • Hints or Shuffle Option
  • Landscape Support for iPad
Show 1 more
  • iCloud Sync Across Devices

In-app purchases

None

Square Valley

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Match 3

One-time1
  • Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99

Questions

Is Square Valley free?
Square Valley costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Match 3 free?
Simple Match 3 costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Square Valley or Simple Match 3?
Square Valley and Simple Match 3 are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 93 and 247 ratings respectively.
Do Square Valley or Simple Match 3 have ads?
Neither Square Valley nor Simple Match 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Square Valley or Simple Match 3?
Square Valley ships an update every 2 weeks, and Simple Match 3 weekly. Most recently, Square Valley was updated on October 17, 2026 and Simple Match 3 on October 17, 2026.
Which is more popular, Square Valley or Simple Match 3?
Square Valley currently peaks at #153 in the App Store charts, and Simple Match 3 at #69. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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