The Night Archive vs PhonePlot
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Night Archive
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Before midnight, put the truth on record. The Night Archive is an AI-driven interactive mystery game. Become a night investigator, reopen sealed case files, examine clues, question testimonies, and make critical choices that shape the course of each story. A clerk vanishes from a border town on a rainy night. A lighthouse suddenly goes dark inside a fogbound harbor. An unnumbered carriage arrives at a storm-struck station. An ancient bell swings in silence at a snow-covered temple. Twelve standalone cases await, each hiding a different truth. Every investigation consumes precious time, and every decision can change the situation. Question the people involved, inspect traces left behind, uncover contradictions between testimony and physical evidence, and assemble scattered discoveries into a complete chain of evidence. Who can you trust? Which clues are carefully planted distractions? Can you uncover the real answer before midnight? Features: • Twelve standalone mystery stories unlocked through your progress • AI-assisted narration that responds to your actions with coherent, atmospheric results • Constantly advancing time that gives every choice weight • Collect and cross-check clues to expose contradictions • Multiple investigative paths and different endings • Original music for each story, creating an immersive mystery atmosphere • A complete investigation log for reviewing your actions and discoveries • Game Center achievements and leaderboards The truth will not reveal itself. Open the archive, step into the night, and finish your investigation before the final bell.
PhonePlot
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A journalist is missing. Her sister hands you the only thing left: a clone of her phone. PhonePlot is one of those detective games where nothing is handed to you. No hidden object scenes, no timers. Just a phone that feels real, and a truth somebody tried to delete. WHAT YOU GET TO OPEN Explore messages, photos, audio and personal records in a phone that feels lived in. Each case has its own mix of apps and records. Inspect photos and metadata, replay recordings and follow clues to password-protected records. Audio is in English and Russian, with localized transcripts in all 15 supported languages. HOW THE CASE WORKS Connect clues across apps, compare dates and follow the evidence. Give short answers, choose options, put events in order and select supporting records. Each investigation ends with an update on what happened next. STUCK IS FINE Every question carries three clues that unlock as you go, from a nudge to a straight answer. An optional video or PhonePlot+ unlocks a clue. These are mystery games, not patience tests. Start playing for free. A weekly PhonePlot+ subscription unlocks all cases, removes ads and provides unlimited hints. You can also make a one-time purchase to unlock an individual case permanently. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled in your Apple Account settings. No registration is required. Stories work offline; ads and purchases require an internet connection. FOR PLAYERS WHO LIKE Crime stories told through screens, cold case podcasts, mystery games and puzzle games built on deduction rather than reflexes, and long evenings spent proving somebody wrong. Ten complete cases with 163 questions. Available in English, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Arabic. PhonePlot is fiction. Every character, company, message and photograph in it was invented for this game. Terms of Use: https://games.lebedushka.com/phoneplot/terms Privacy Policy: https://games.lebedushka.com/phoneplot/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Night Archive at none against PhonePlot's 3. The Night Archive also leads on ads (none vs shown). PhonePlot's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and device support 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
Both are free to download. PhonePlot sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. The Night Archive asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Night Archive | PhonePlot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 911 MB | 180 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | 婷 刘 | LEBEDUSHKA, MCHJ XK |
In-app purchases
The Night Archive
No in-app purchases
PhonePlot
- PhonePlot+$7.997 Days
- PhonePlot+$0.99
- One case key$1.99









