Comparison

Artifact vs POOLS™

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

Head to head
About

Artifact

Assemble fragmented ancient artworks in this unique 3D puzzle game. Explore and reconstruct relics from various cultures with intuitive controls and stunning visuals. Adjust difficulty and enjoy a relaxing, mentally stimulating experience.

Highlights
  • Assemble broken 3D artifacts
  • Puzzles inspired by real masterpieces
  • Explore relics from different cultures
  • Intuitive touch controls
  • Adjustable difficulty levels
  • Stunning 3D graphics and audio
Features
Read full description

Artifact is a unique 3D puzzle game where you assemble broken artworks from fragments. Dive into solving puzzles inspired by real masterpieces, meticulously modeled artifacts from various countries and cultures. Explore and assemble relics of the past, including Greek amphorae, Chinese vases, and Egyptian statues. You can even shatter them apart and start anew. Adjust the difficulty level to your preference. Artifact features stunning 3D graphics and audio that immerse you in the atmosphere of each culture. The game’s intuitive mechanics make it accessible for players of all ages. So relax, have fun, and sharpen your mind while uncovering historical treasures! How to play: - Move pieces by touching them - Rotate the puzzle by interacting with the base or background - Zoom in or out using a two-finger pinch - Shatter objects with a double-tap - Adjust the viewing angle by tilting your device Features: - 64 unique puzzles across 8 different themes - Original game idea with unique mechanics - Simple, intuitive controls - Gorgeous graphics and animations - Hard and easy modes - No annoying ads — just pure puzzle-solving fun!

About

POOLS™

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

Highlights
  • Slow, reflective exploration
  • Atmospheric and immersive environments
  • Inspired by liminal spaces
  • Unfolding narrative through exploration
  • Six distinct chapters
  • Unique sound design
Features
Read full description

Explore, admire and listen. That’s it. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. POOLS isn’t a traditional game. it’s slow, reflective, and intentionally uneventful, perhaps a bit like virtual museum. So take your time. Breathe. POOLS unfolds slowly, rewarding patience and quiet attention. No monsters chasing you or jumping at your screen. Yet it can feel oppressive at times by invoking quiet fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and the strange beauty of liminal space architecture. There's no typical story. But as you explore and advance further, you start to notice that the game's world changes around you, deeper you go… Rooms look and feel… different. Base game features six chapters, each lasting 10-30 minutes. Inspired by the internet phenomena Liminal spaces, Found footage and The Backrooms, especially the Poolrooms concept. One of the original artists behind the Poolrooms concept is Jared Pike.

Screenshots

Artifact4 screens
POOLS™4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Artifact at 4.9 against POOLS™'s 4.5. Artifact also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). POOLS™'s advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 13). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Artifact sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Artifact holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POOLS™ has 1.6K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Artifact's written reviews are positive against 79% of POOLS™'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Artifact ships an update every 5 months, POOLS™ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Artifact versus POOLS™: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArtifactPOOLS™
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (13 ratings) — better4.5 (1.6K ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better79.4% of reviews
Number of ratings131.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size596 MB1.9 GB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperMikhail BakunovichTensori

Customer experience

Artifact

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

POOLS™

All ratings1,616 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral3.1%
Negative9.0%
Written reviews626 reviews
Positive79.4%
Neutral6.4%
Negative14.2%

Bugs and requests

Artifact

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

POOLS™

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Unable to move on iPad Pro
  • Glitches reported

Requested features

3 requests
  • Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
  • Add a multiplayer mode
  • Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Artifact

One-time1
  • Unlock$4.99
1 purchases

POOLS™

One-time1
  • POOLS: Full Game$9.99

Questions

Is Artifact free?
Artifact is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is POOLS™ free?
POOLS™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Artifact or POOLS™?
Artifact is rated higher. Artifact averages 4.9 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while POOLS™ averages 4.5 from 1.6K ratings.
Do Artifact or POOLS™ have ads?
Neither Artifact nor POOLS™ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Artifact or POOLS™?
Artifact ships an update every 5 months, and POOLS™ every 2 months. Most recently, Artifact was updated on October 15, 2026 and POOLS™ on October 19, 2026.

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