# POOLS™ vs Castle Gate Guard Simulator

The clearest difference is ads: POOLS™ at none against Castle Gate Guard Simulator's shown. Castle Gate Guard Simulator's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. POOLS™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Castle Gate Guard Simulator sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, Castle Gate Guard Simulator weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | POOLS™ | Castle Gate Guard Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pools/id6670792878/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 79.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 198 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tensori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767614989) | [Naeem Akhtar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893860381) |

## 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)


### Castle Gate Guard Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-gate-guard-simulator/id6770456828)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Royal guard castle | $1.99 | one-time |
| royal gate castle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| unlock all castle | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is POOLS™ free?

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

### Is Castle Gate Guard Simulator free?

Castle Gate Guard Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do POOLS™ or Castle Gate Guard Simulator have ads?

Castle Gate Guard Simulator shows ads; POOLS™ does not.

### Which is updated more often, POOLS™ or Castle Gate Guard Simulator?

POOLS™ ships an update every 2 months, and Castle Gate Guard Simulator weekly. Most recently, POOLS™ was updated on October 17, 2026 and Castle Gate Guard Simulator on October 6, 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.*