# Cityscapes vs Stardew Valley+

The clearest difference is monetization model: Cityscapes at free against Stardew Valley+'s paid. Cityscapes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (12K vs 2.3K). Stardew Valley+'s advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cityscapes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cityscapes has 12K ratings behind it against 2.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of Cityscapes's written reviews are positive against 60% of Stardew Valley+'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Cityscapes ships an update monthly, Stardew Valley+ every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cityscapes | Stardew Valley+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cityscapes-sim-builder/id1631153096/reviews)** | [4.2 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stardew-valley-plus/id6449264810/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 2.3K |
| Positive reviews | 52.8% of reviews | **60.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 588 MB | 447 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Playstack Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133080356) | [ConcernedApe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620477446) |

## What reviewers say

### Cityscapes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cityscapes-sim-builder/id1631153096)

Become a celebrated mayor in this sustainable city-building simulation. Make meaningful decisions to ensure citizen happiness and health by managing housing, jobs, utilities, and services. Strategize for environmental and social sustainability to develop a thriving metropolis.

**Highlights:** Sustainable city planning, Citizen needs management, Utility and service provision, Environmental impact strategy, Unlockable cities and landmarks, 3D architecture and vistas

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Game Controller support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Charming graphics
- 💡 Challenging city management
- 🚀 No in-app purchases
- 👍 Reminiscent of classic city builders

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Unclear mechanics and instructions
- 🔍 Inconsistent building demands
- 🔍 Difficulty balancing city needs
- 🔍 Restrictive map layout

**Reported bugs**

- Buildings not recognizing nearby resources
- Timed challenges not registering completion
- Inconsistent save data across devices
- Overlapping UI elements and controls
- Persistent fire/pollution issues in cities

**Requested features**

- Sandbox mode for free-form building
- Improved zoom and camera controls
- Clearer feedback on building effects
- Ability to delete or move roads
- Streamlined UI for managing city services


### Stardew Valley+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stardew-valley-plus/id6449264810)

Cultivate a new life in this open-ended farming RPG. Build your dream farm, raise animals, grow crops, and explore mysterious caves. Customize your farmer, start a family, and become part of a vibrant community.

**Highlights:** Build and customize your farm, Raise animals and grow crops, Explore caves and fight monsters, Customize farmer and home, Settle down and start a family, Engage in community events, Mobile-specific controls and auto-save

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Charming art style
- 🚀 Relaxing and immersive experience
- 👍 Enjoyable farming and exploration
- 🚀 Excellent value for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Compatibility issues on newer devices
- 🐛 Fishing controls are too sensitive
- 🐛 Persistent audio glitches
- 🐛 Progress loss due to crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when processing geodes
- Inability to access certain shops
- Stuck fishing reel sound
- Freezing during combat encounters
- Inability to start a new game

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer support
- Ability to save progress manually
- Improved UI optimization for notched devices
- Controller support
- Faster updates to match PC version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cityscapes free?

Cityscapes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Stardew Valley+ free?

Stardew Valley+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cityscapes or Stardew Valley+?

Cityscapes is rated higher. Cityscapes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Stardew Valley+ averages 4.2 from 2.3K ratings.

### Do Cityscapes or Stardew Valley+ have ads?

Neither Cityscapes nor Stardew Valley+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cityscapes or Stardew Valley+?

Cityscapes ships an update monthly, and Stardew Valley+ every 2 weeks. Most recently, Cityscapes was updated on November 12, 2026 and Stardew Valley+ on November 7, 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.*