# The Bear vs Close Cities

The clearest difference is ads: The Bear at none against Close Cities's shown. The Bear also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 69%) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 356). Close Cities's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Bear sells 4 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.

Close Cities holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 356 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of The Bear's written reviews are positive against 69% of Close Cities's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Bear ships an update every 2 weeks, Close Cities every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Bear | Close Cities |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bear/id6449494088/reviews) | **[4.8 (356 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 356 |
| Positive reviews | **78.1% of reviews** | 69.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.7 GB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mucks Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689395285) | [Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo](https://appshunter.io/developer/391953849) |

## What reviewers say

### The Bear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bear/id6449494088)

Embark on a friendship adventure with a bear and a little one across a magical universe. This interactive bedtime experience features hand-drawn animations and original music, offering a calming story about togetherness and belonging.

**Highlights:** Interactive bedtime experience, Friendship-forming adventure, Hand-drawn animations, Specially composed music, Touching story, Calming experience

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy us a cookie! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all chapters | $1.49 | one-time |
| Buy us a coffee! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Buy us lunch! | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Liked the stars and music
- 👍 Cute, calming, and relaxing
- 🎨 Beautiful art style and animations
- 💡 Meaningful story and themes
- 🤗 Touching and emotional

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Need to pay for additional chapters
- 🐛 Progress not saved properly

**Reported bugs**

- Game resets when leaving the screen
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Make the full game free
- Add a demo or trial version


### Close Cities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hints - Small Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Medium Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads + Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Big Pack | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Bear free?

The Bear 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, The Bear or Close Cities?

Close Cities is rated higher. The Bear averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Close Cities averages 4.8 from 356 ratings.

### Do The Bear or Close Cities have ads?

Close Cities shows ads; The Bear does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Bear or Close Cities?

The Bear ships an update every 2 weeks, and Close Cities every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Bear was updated on October 15, 2026 and Close Cities on October 12, 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.*