# POOLS™ vs Backrooms Union Multiplayer

The clearest difference is ads: POOLS™ at none against Backrooms Union Multiplayer's shown. POOLS™ also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 49%). Backrooms Union Multiplayer's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Backrooms Union Multiplayer sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for POOLS™ against 4.6 for Backrooms Union Multiplayer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 3.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of POOLS™'s written reviews are positive against 49% of Backrooms Union Multiplayer's.

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, Backrooms Union Multiplayer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | POOLS™ | Backrooms Union Multiplayer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews) | **[4.6 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backrooms-union-multiplayer/id6736498895/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | **3.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.4% of reviews** | 49.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 281 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) | [Pedro Crispim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1622822491) |

## What reviewers say

### POOLS™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878)

This app offers a slow, reflective, and immersive experience focused on exploration and atmosphere. It evokes feelings of unease and curiosity through its unique environments, inspired by liminal spaces and internet phenomena. Discover changing worlds and subtle narratives without traditional gameplay mechanics.

**Highlights:** Slow, reflective exploration, Atmospheric and immersive environments, Inspired by liminal spaces, Unfolding narrative through exploration, Six distinct chapters, Unique sound design

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POOLS: Full Game | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive experience
- 🔒 No ads
- 👍 Incredible attention to detail
- 👍 Realistic graphics and sound
- 👍 Eerie and creepy atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Boring after a while
- 🐛 Lack of variety in environments

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to move on iPad Pro
- Glitches reported

**Requested features**

- Expand to different Backrooms-inspired themes
- Add a multiplayer mode
- Introduce more interactive elements (e.g., monsters, items to discover)


### Backrooms Union Multiplayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backrooms-union-multiplayer/id6736498895)

Explore the eerie, maze-like dimensions of the Backrooms with friends or solo. Scavenge for resources, survive lurking horrors, and uncover the mysterious purpose of the Union. Each level offers new challenges, traps, and unpredictable encounters.

**Highlights:** Multiplayer co-op exploration, Scavenge for critical scraps, Survive lurking horrors and monsters, Explore maze-like dimensions, Uncover Union's secrets, Unpredictable challenges and traps

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gold 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gold 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gold 4 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Gold 5 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Gold 6 | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and collaborative gameplay
- 🕹️ Good amount of horror elements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Items phasing through the ground
- 🚫 Unable to use bats to kill monsters
- 🚫 Inability to play with friends on different platforms
- 💢 Too many ads
- 🚫 Multiplayer not working properly

**Reported bugs**

- Items phasing through the ground
- Multiplayer not working
- Ads breaking game audio
- Portal being busy even when closed

**Requested features**

- Add ability to kill monsters with bats
- Improve multiplayer functionality
- Reduce number of ads
- Add more level varieties, entities, and rooms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is POOLS™ free?

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

### Is Backrooms Union Multiplayer free?

Backrooms Union Multiplayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, POOLS™ or Backrooms Union Multiplayer?

Backrooms Union Multiplayer is rated higher. POOLS™ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Backrooms Union Multiplayer averages 4.6 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do POOLS™ or Backrooms Union Multiplayer have ads?

Backrooms Union Multiplayer shows ads; POOLS™ does not.

### Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Backrooms Union Multiplayer?

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, and Backrooms Union Multiplayer every 3 weeks. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on October 17, 2026 and Backrooms Union Multiplayer on October 18, 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.*