Comparison

Gears Forever vs Close Cities

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

Head to head
About

Gears Forever

Embark on an enchanting 3D ball-rolling platformer adventure. Explore three distinct worlds filled with imaginative challenges, gather gears, and race against the clock. Enjoy intuitive controls and high-definition steampunk graphics.

Highlights
  • 3D ball-rolling platformer
  • Explore three distinct worlds
  • Gather gears and race against time
  • Intuitive swipe controls
  • High-definition steampunk graphics
Features
Read full description

The spiritual successor to the original ball rolling App Store hit is here! Explore the enchanting realm of Gears Forever, an exquisite 3D ball-rolling platformer brimming with imaginative challenges. Accumulate points with a simple swipe of your finger. Race against the clock while gathering gears across an endless realm spread across three distinct worlds! Key Features: Embark on adventures in three distinct worlds: The Brass Menagerie, Rivers of Magma, and the Cavern of Omens. Navigate an endless realm brimming with obstacles and puzzles. Intuitive controls let you roll the ball with your finger. Enjoy high-definition Steampunk style graphics that bring the game's world to life. Connect with us: Twitter: http://twitter.com/cm_games Facebook: http://facebook.com/crescentmoongames

About

Close Cities

Build beautiful cities on diverse worlds by solving unique puzzles. This relaxing game guides you through 160 levels with a simple tap or drag interface, requiring no architectural knowledge. Conquer each world's challenges and travel through time with its calming soundtrack.

Highlights
  • Build cities on empty maps
  • Solve 160 unique puzzle levels
  • Intuitive tap and drag controls
  • No architectural knowledge needed
  • Travel through different worlds
  • Relaxing music and pace
Features
Read full description

Close Cities is a relaxing puzzle game in which you will have to build cities in different worlds over time. Find a road and start there. Solve all 160 levels and become a Close Cities legend! UNIQUE PUZZLES You will start each level with an empty map that you will have to fill with beautiful cities. Choose the right road, choose the area and tap or drag with your fingers! DOES NOT REQUIRE KNOWLEDGE OF ARCHITECTURE Close Cities offers a fun experience even if you don't know the difference between a square and a bevel. The game's tutorial will show you everything you need to know at a relaxed pace. CONQUER ITS 160 LEVELS Each world has its king and 16 levels that you must solve to build his empire. TRAVEL THROUGH TIME During the course of the game you will discover different worlds over time with relaxed music to let you go.

Screenshots

Gears Forever4 screens
Close Cities4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Close Cities at 4.8 against Gears Forever's 4.4. Close Cities also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 50%) and ratings volume (361 vs 17). Gears Forever's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Gears Forever sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Close Cities sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Close Cities holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Close Cities has 361 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Gears Forever's written reviews are positive against 69% of Close Cities's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gears Forever ships an update every 9 days, Close Cities every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Gears Forever versus Close Cities: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGears ForeverClose Cities
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (17 ratings)4.8 (361 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews69.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings17361 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size209 MB158 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperCrescent Moon GamesJuan Manuel Altamirano Argudo

Customer experience

Gears Forever

All ratings17 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral11.8%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative42.9%

Close Cities

All ratings361 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive69.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative30.6%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Gears Forever

One-time6
  • 500 gears$0.99
  • 5 Extra Lives$0.99
  • 1500 Gears$1.99
Show 3 more
  • Remove ads$2.99
  • Unlock all levels$4.99
  • Unlock all balls$6.99
4 purchases

Close Cities

One-time4
  • Hints - Small Pack$0.99
  • Hints - Medium Pack$2.99
  • Remove Ads + Hints$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Hints - Big Pack$5.99

Questions

Is Gears Forever free?
Gears Forever is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Close Cities free?
Close Cities is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Gears Forever or Close Cities?
Close Cities is rated higher. Gears Forever averages 4.4 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Close Cities averages 4.8 from 361 ratings.
Do Gears Forever or Close Cities have ads?
Both Gears Forever and Close Cities show ads.
Which is updated more often, Gears Forever or Close Cities?
Gears Forever ships an update every 9 days, and Close Cities every 3 weeks. Most recently, Gears Forever was updated on September 30, 2026 and Close Cities on October 19, 2026.

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