# MapGame! vs Brainwave

The clearest difference is update cadence: Brainwave at every 2 days against MapGame!'s monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MapGame! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Brainwave sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MapGame! ships an update monthly, Brainwave every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and May 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MapGame! | Brainwave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (418 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapgame/id6468603035/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **418** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Minas Giannekas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541877064) | [Jeremy Rojo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1738119639) |

## What reviewers say

### MapGame!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapgame/id6468603035)

A daily geography challenge where you guess a hidden country on a map. Features multiple game modes, helpful hints, and global leaderboards. Track your progress with detailed statistics and compete with friends worldwide.

**Highlights:** Daily hidden country challenge, Ranked global leaderboards, Unlimited practice mode, Country-specific hints, Detailed performance statistics, Compete with friends

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🧠 Helps improve geography knowledge
- 🌍 Covers a wide range of countries

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Incorrect or misleading clues
- 🔍 Difficulty accurately clicking small countries
- 🔋 Device overheating and battery drain issues

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial screen gets stuck with no exit option
- Scores not properly recorded on leaderboards

**Requested features**

- Add more languages (e.g., Portuguese, Russian)
- Update country data and population information
- Improve leaderboard functionality and tracking


### Brainwave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainwave-trivia/id6480077632)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Play | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MapGame! free?

MapGame! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Brainwave free?

Brainwave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do MapGame! or Brainwave have ads?

Both MapGame! and Brainwave show ads.

### Which is updated more often, MapGame! or Brainwave?

MapGame! ships an update monthly, and Brainwave every 2 days. Most recently, MapGame! was updated on September 19, 2026 and Brainwave on May 15, 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.*