# Ancient Mystery vs The Guides Compendium

The clearest difference is price: Ancient Mystery at Free against The Guides Compendium's $0.99. The Guides Compendium's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 2.0) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Ancient Mystery is free to download; The Guides Compendium costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Guides Compendium holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Ancient Mystery's written reviews are positive against 70% of The Guides Compendium's.

Ancient Mystery ships an update every 15 months, The Guides Compendium every 25 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ancient Mystery | The Guides Compendium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [2.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ancient-mystery/id560879791/reviews) | **[4.2 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-guides-compendium/id1003979151/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | 38.9% of reviews | **70.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 15 months** | Every 25 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#104** |
| Size | 54 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [111   (LLC)](https://appshunter.io/developer/507380930) | [2 Fountains LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1730752274) |

## What reviewers say

### Ancient Mystery

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ancient-mystery/id560879791)

Embark on a quest to uncover hidden wisdom by solving riddles and brain teasers. This educational game blends philosophy, mythology, and history, challenging your intellect and knowledge to reveal a great hidden truth.

**Highlights:** Solve riddles and brain teasers, Explore philosophy and mythology, Uncover hidden truths and codes, Discover historical and intellectual connections, Utilize hints for difficult challenges, Access in-depth explanations of game elements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Guides Compendium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-guides-compendium/id1003979151)

**Currently charting:** #104 Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

This illustrated and photographic novel offers supplementary details and clues for the primary game, The Guides. While not essential for progression, it provides inspiration for solving puzzles and continuing your cryptic journey.

**Highlights:** Illustrated and photographic novel, Supplementary game details, Provides clues, Inspiration for puzzle-solving, Cryptic journey assistance

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ancient Mystery free?

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

### Is The Guides Compendium free?

The Guides Compendium costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ancient Mystery or The Guides Compendium?

The Guides Compendium is rated higher. Ancient Mystery averages 2.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while The Guides Compendium averages 4.2 from 18 ratings.

### Do Ancient Mystery or The Guides Compendium have ads?

Ancient Mystery shows ads; The Guides Compendium does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ancient Mystery or The Guides Compendium?

Ancient Mystery ships an update every 15 months, and The Guides Compendium every 25 months. Most recently, Ancient Mystery was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Guides Compendium on November 6, 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.*