# Nihilumbra vs Monument Valley

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nihilumbra at none against Monument Valley's 1. Nihilumbra also leads on price ($2.99 vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 15.0). Monument Valley's advantage is ratings volume (18K vs 108) and chart position (#11 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Nihilumbra costs $2.99 and Monument Valley $3.99 up front. Monument Valley sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Nihilumbra asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Nihilumbra against 4.8 for Monument Valley. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monument Valley has 18K ratings behind it against 108, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Nihilumbra's written reviews are positive against 81% of Monument Valley's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nihilumbra | Monument Valley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (108 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihilumbra/id500161349/reviews) | **[4.8 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monument-valley/id728293409/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 108 | **18K** |
| Positive reviews | **87.7% of reviews** | 80.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#11** |
| Size | 665 MB | 324 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.1.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BEAUTIFUN GAMES SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/498443765) | [ustwo games](https://appshunter.io/developer/297468910) |

## What reviewers say

### Nihilumbra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihilumbra/id500161349)

Embark on an adventure to discover a beautiful world and escape an inevitable curse. Learn to use colors to gain abilities and transform your surroundings while being pursued by an ancient force. This game offers over 10 hours of gameplay with a unique story and challenging mechanics.

**Highlights:** Over 10 hours of gameplay, Classic gameplay redesigned for touch devices, Change ground physics with five colors, Transform five unique worlds, Two control schemes: buttons or tilt, Original soundtrack, Unlockable surprise and replayability

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Beautiful game
- 👍 Engaging story
- 👍 Innovative gameplay
- 👍 Challenging puzzles
- 👍 Atmospheric music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🐛 Controls issues
- 🐛 Lack of iPhone 5/X support
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on certain levels
- Unresponsive controls in intense moments
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Update with more levels and content
- Sequel or additional games from the developer
- Improved controls and customization options


### Monument Valley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monument-valley/id728293409)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Puzzle, #17 Top Paid · Adventure, #93 Top Paid · Games, #143 Top Paid (US App Store)

Explore a world of impossible architecture and optical illusions. Guide a silent princess through stunningly beautiful, hand-crafted monuments by manipulating the environment. Uncover hidden paths and solve puzzles in this surreal exploration game.

**Highlights:** Impossible architecture manipulation, Optical illusion puzzles, Surreal exploration, Hand-crafted worlds, Intuitive twist and drag controls, Reactive soundscape

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Forgotten Shores | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Stunning visuals and graphics
- 🎶 Soothing and atmospheric audio
- 🧠 Clever and mind-bending puzzles
- 🕰️ Relaxing and calming gameplay
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕹️ Puzzles can be too easy at times
- ⏱️ Game is relatively short in length
- 💰 Expensive for the amount of content
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes reported

**Reported bugs**

- Levels not loading or freezing on certain devices
- Inability to purchase or access DLC/expansion content
- Compatibility issues with recent iOS updates

**Requested features**

- More levels and chapters to extend the gameplay
- Increased difficulty and challenge in later puzzles
- Ability to save progress and resume levels
- Support for newer device screen sizes and resolutions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nihilumbra free?

Nihilumbra costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Monument Valley free?

Monument Valley costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nihilumbra or Monument Valley?

Monument Valley is rated higher. Nihilumbra averages 4.7 out of 5 from 108 ratings, while Monument Valley averages 4.8 from 18K ratings.

### Do Nihilumbra or Monument Valley have ads?

Neither Nihilumbra nor Monument Valley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nihilumbra or Monument Valley?

Nihilumbra ships an update every 2 months, and Monument Valley every 2 months. Most recently, Nihilumbra was updated on November 6, 2026 and Monument Valley on November 8, 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.*