# TownsFolk vs Circuit Detective

The clearest difference is price: TownsFolk at Free against Circuit Detective's $6.99. TownsFolk also leads on device support (5 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). Circuit Detective's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

TownsFolk is free to download; Circuit Detective costs $6.99 up front. TownsFolk sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Circuit Detective asks for nothing beyond the download.

TownsFolk ships an update every 2 weeks, Circuit Detective every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TownsFolk | Circuit Detective |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $6.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/townsfolk/id6670406987/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 256 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Short Circuit Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681849083) | [SOHEIL RAMEZANI](https://appshunter.io/developer/6794071664) |

## What reviewers say

### TownsFolk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/townsfolk/id6670406987)

Lead settlers to build and expand a thriving colony in a mysterious and dangerous world. Manage resources, make critical decisions, and overcome challenges to ensure your settlement's survival. Explore the unknown, face disasters, and appease a demanding king.

**Highlights:** Build and expand settlements, Explore unknown territories, Survive challenges and disasters, Roguelite strategy gameplay, Skirmish and puzzle modes, Handcrafted pixel art visuals, Weekly challenge mode

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow of Empires bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| TownsFolk: A new world | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun game
- 👍 Solid tutorial
- 👍 Portrait mode
- 👍 Great city sim game
- 👍 Interesting mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and freezes
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 💰 Requires payment after tutorial
- 🔍 Needs better balancing
- 🔍 Needs deeper gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial freezes the game
- Can't build anything and days don't progress
- Save data reverts or gets corrupted

**Requested features**

- Creative/easy mode to keep progress
- Leaderboards and daily challenges


### Circuit Detective

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circuit-detective/id6813993713)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TownsFolk free?

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

### Is Circuit Detective free?

Circuit Detective costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do TownsFolk or Circuit Detective have ads?

Neither TownsFolk nor Circuit Detective shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TownsFolk or Circuit Detective?

TownsFolk ships an update every 2 weeks, and Circuit Detective every 6 days. Most recently, TownsFolk was updated on November 7, 2026 and Circuit Detective on October 31, 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.*