Comparison

Parallel Experiment vs Aurora Hills

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

Head to head
About

Parallel Experiment

A cooperative puzzle game where two players, separated with different clues, must communicate to solve escape room-style challenges. Features a noir-inspired comic book art style and over 80 collaborative puzzles.

Highlights
  • Two Player Co-Op
  • Challenging Collaborative Puzzles
  • Retro-Inspired Mini-Games
  • Cooperative Dialogues
  • Comic Book Storytelling
  • In-Game Notebook for Notes
Features
Read full description

IMPORTANT: "Parallel Experiment" is a 2-player cooperative puzzle game with escape room-like elements. Each player must have their own copy on either mobile, tablet, PC or Mac (cross-platform play is supported). In the game players take on the roles of two detectives who are often separated, each with different clues, and must work together to solve puzzles.  Internet connection and voice communication are essential. Need a Player Two? Join our community on Discord! ABOUT THE GAME Parallel Experiment is a noir-inspired adventure with a comic book art style, featuring detectives Ally and Old Dog. While following the trail of the dangerous Cryptic Killer, they suddenly become his targets and are now unwilling participants in his twisted experiment.  This is the second standalone chapter in the “Cryptic Killer” cooperative point-and-click puzzle game series. You can play Unboxing the Cryptic Killer first, if you want to learn more about our detectives and their nemesis, but Parallel Experiment can be enjoyed without prior knowledge. KEY FEATURES - Two Player Co-Op ​In Parallel Experiment, players must rely on their communication skills as they’re separated and must each discover unique clues that are vital for solving puzzles on the other end. Teamwork is essential to crack the Cryptic Killer’s codes. - Challenging Collaborative Puzzles ​There are over 80 puzzles striking the perfect balance between challenging yet fair. But you're not facing them on your own! Communicate with your partner on how to best proceed, solve a puzzle on your end that unlocks the next step for them and discover a wide variety of puzzles from redirecting water flows, finding computer passwords and unlocking intricate locks, to deciphering cryptic ciphers, soldering electronic components, and even waking up a drunk! - Two Can Play That Game ​Looking for a break from the main investigation? Dive into a variety of retro-inspired mini-games designed with a fresh cooperative twist. Challenge each other to darts, Three in a Row, Match Three, Claw Machine, Push and Pull, and more. Think you know these classics? We’ve reinvented them for a whole new co-op experience - Cooperative Dialogues ​Uncover vital clues through collaborative conversations. NPCs respond dynamically to each player, offering new layers of interaction that only teamwork can unravel. Some conversations are puzzles in themselves that you need to solve together! - A story told in panels Our love for comic books shines in Parallel Experiment. Every cutscene is presented as a beautifully crafted comic book page, immersing you in a gripping, noir-inspired narrative. How many pages did we create to tell the story? Almost 100 pages! Even we were surprised by how much it took, but every panel was worth it to deliver a story that keeps you on edge until the very last frame. - Draw on… Everything! ​Every detective needs a notebook. In Parallel Experiment, players can jot down notes, sketch solutions, and interact with the environment in creative ways. But we all know what you're going to draw first… - Annoy Each Other ​This is a key feature? Yes. Yes, it is. ​ ​Each level will have some way for players to annoy their co-op partner: knock on a window to distract them, poke them, make their screens shake. You already know you'll be doing this just by reading it, right? Parallel Experiment has a variety of mind-twisting challenges that push the boundaries of cooperative puzzle design, offering situations never seen before in other games.

About

Aurora Hills

Embark on a chilling point-and-click puzzle adventure as a park ranger investigating disappearances in a remote mountain community. Uncover dark secrets and solve intricate puzzles to find a missing colleague before nightfall.

Highlights
  • Point-and-click puzzle gameplay
  • Investigate mysterious disappearances
  • Explore remote national park
  • Solve challenging puzzles
  • Atmospheric soundtrack and sound effects
  • Hint system for difficult riddles
  • Color blind mode
Features
Read full description

The morning of October 6, 1981, began like any other: waking up from a restless sleep, preparing for the day ahead of you and driving to the ranger station where you've worked for the past 11 years. Aurora Hills was once a tranquil community nestled within the mountains of Appalachia, but a series of disappearances have all but shattered the serene atmosphere. Only a feeling of desolation permeates the surrounding as you drive through the now dilapidated small town. Jen wasn't at the ranger station when you arrived that morning. Being the only other park ranger, she likes to get an early start to the day and by the time you arrived, she had driven to one of the many closed off hiking trails to start searching for the missing people. Following her trail of notes, you make your way off the main trail to meet up with her to explore the remote parts of the national park. When you find her camp however, your worst fears are realized: The site's been ransacked, her equipment strewn across the campsite, her tent's been torn up, and Jen is nowhere to be seen. There's no time to turn back now, it's already midday and the sun sets early this time of year. The only thing worse than wandering into the forest alone is braving it at night. You can't abandon Jen now, not when the trail is so fresh. Now you have no choice but to venture deeper into the uncharted parts of the national park, the parts mythologized into local urban legends by frightened townsfolk. You'd better leave soon, you may never get a better chance to uncover the dark history of Aurora Hills... Developed by the creators of Meridian 157, Aurora Hills: Chapter 2 is the second part in a series of point and click puzzle adventure games. Based in the year 1981 in a small West Virginian community, Aurora Hills follows the journey of Ethan Hill, a park ranger tasked with investigating strange disappearances from the region. Explore the rolling hills of West Virginia, find clues of the whereabouts of the missing people and solve intriguing puzzles to solve the mystery of Aurora Hills! Features: • Custom soundtrack and sound effects designed for a creepy in-game atmosphere • Challenging and clever puzzles • A logical hint system for some of the most difficult riddles • Available in 9 languages, including English, French, Russian, German, Chinese (Simplified), Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Japanese! • New colour blind mode available for people who might have trouble with colour based puzzles • Has a hard mode, for those who want to enjoy even more challenging puzzles! Follow us to receive all the latest news! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NovaSoftInteractive/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/novasoftint Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novasoftint/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NovaSoftInteractive

Screenshots

Parallel Experiment4 screens
Aurora Hills4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Aurora Hills at 4.9 against Parallel Experiment's 3.3. Aurora Hills also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 57%) and ratings volume (590 vs 7). On update cadence, 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

Parallel Experiment costs $6.99 and Aurora Hills $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Aurora Hills holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aurora Hills has 590 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Parallel Experiment's written reviews are positive against 94% of Aurora Hills's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Parallel Experiment ships an update every 3 weeks, Aurora Hills every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Parallel Experiment versus Aurora Hills: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterParallel ExperimentAurora Hills
Price$6.99$3.99 — better
Rating3.3 (7 ratings)4.9 (590 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews94.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7590 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#47 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.2 GB837 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperEleven Products Sp. z o.o.NovaSoft Interactive Ltd

Customer experience

Parallel Experiment

All ratings7 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%

Aurora Hills

All ratings590 ratings
Positive99.2%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.3%
Written reviews127 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral3.9%
Negative1.6%

In-app purchases

None

Parallel Experiment

No in-app purchases

None

Aurora Hills

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Parallel Experiment free?
Parallel Experiment costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Aurora Hills free?
Aurora Hills costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Parallel Experiment or Aurora Hills?
Aurora Hills is rated higher. Parallel Experiment averages 3.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Aurora Hills averages 4.9 from 590 ratings.
Do Parallel Experiment or Aurora Hills have ads?
Neither Parallel Experiment nor Aurora Hills shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Parallel Experiment or Aurora Hills?
Parallel Experiment ships an update every 3 weeks, and Aurora Hills every 4 weeks. Most recently, Parallel Experiment was updated on October 10, 2026 and Aurora Hills on October 13, 2026.

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