DEVICE 6 vs Strange Horticulture
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DEVICE 6
A surreal thriller where text serves as your map and narrator. Immerse yourself in an intriguing mystery of technology and neuroscience by reading, listening, and exploring three-dimensional photographs to solve puzzles and uncover secrets.
- Text-based navigation and narration
- Interactive puzzles
- 3D photographic elements
- Intriguing mystery narrative
- Exploration of technology and neuroscience themes
- Unique blend of game and literature conventions
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** Winner of Apple Design Award 2014 ** A surreal thriller in which the written word is your map, as well as your narrator. DEVICE 6 plays with the conventions of games and literature, entwines story with geography and blends puzzle and novella, to draw players into an intriguing mystery of technology and neuroscience. Anna wakes up in a castle on a remote island, with little recollection of how she got there. All she remembers is an unusually unpleasant doll. Why are there two identical castles on the island? Who is the mysterious man in the bowler hat? And above all, what is the purpose of the tests Anna is put through? Read, listen and peek into three-dimensional photographs to solve the bizarre mysteries of DEVICE 6. "DEVICE 6 is designed to linger in the mind long after the last code has been cracked and the last sentence read. Spy stories - even traditional ones - often haunt their readers' dreams once they've been completed. It's only appropriate, really. Is that a final full-stop or a microdot? Is this the end of the affair or an invitation to go deeper?" Eurogamer - 9/10 "In using its text both as narrative and as geography – and through its impressively restrained use of illustration and sound – it generates an almost unrivalled sense of place. It isn’t embarrassed to allow Device 6 to be a game when it needs to be, and yet it knows precisely when to let the story take over. The result is a sharp, striking mystery that is at once provocative, extraordinarily stylish and altogether essential" EDGE - 9/10 "In turning a text adventure into a world map, Simogo has resurrected a long-dead genre with style and confidence. Great presentation and brilliant puzzles complete a stellar package" Pocketgamer – 9/10 "Ever exceeding expectations, the developer has followed up one of 2013′s highlights with another title that can be classed as such. With a compelling story that keeps you guessing, and a pin-point utilisation of the platform, Device 6 is an accomplishment in games design, mobile or otherwise" God is a Geek - 9/10 "DEVICE 6 not only explores the boundaries of narrative storytelling, it also demonstrates the creative potential of touchscreen gaming" Appspy – 5/5 "Simogo’s doing something few others are doing, and it’s wonderful that someone is both providing great experiences and testing the limits of interactive media" 148apps - 5/5 "An ingenious slice of puzzling adventure that's as imaginative as it is stylish" Modojo - 4.5/5
Strange Horticulture
Manage an occult plant store in a mysterious town. Discover and identify strange plants, using their unique properties to influence an unfolding narrative. Explore the surrounding lands to find new flora and unravel ancient secrets.
- Manage an occult plant store
- Discover and identify strange plants
- Use plant effects to influence story
- Explore surrounding lands
- Unravel dark mysteries
- Pet your cat
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Strange Horticulture is an occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store. Find and identify new plants, pet your cat, speak to a coven, or join a cult. Use your collection of powerful plants to influence the story and unravel Undermere’s dark mysteries. WELCOME TO UNDERMERE Welcome to Undermere, a quaint town surrounded by hag-infested forests and rugged mountains. You are the Horticulturist, owner of local plant store Strange Horticulture. As a cast of colorful customers come by your shop, you are quickly thrust into an occult mystery stretching back hundreds of years. EXPLORE THE LANDS BEYOND Explore the lands beyond your store to find new plants, but be careful! The dark woods and lakes are not always friendly to a simple herbalist. You might discover powers beyond your wildest dreams - or lose your mind completely. Use context clues to determine which places to visit, and which to avoid! AN EVER-GROWING COLLECTION Using your trusty encyclopedia and clues found on your explorations, you learn more about the strange plants you come across. By identifying each plant, you will be able to use their effects to influence the story -- from hypnotic hallucinogens to powerful poisons.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Strange Horticulture at weekly against DEVICE 6's every 21 months. Strange Horticulture also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5). DEVICE 6's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $5.99) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
DEVICE 6 costs $3.99 and Strange Horticulture $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Strange Horticulture holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 884 and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of DEVICE 6's written reviews are positive against 75% of Strange Horticulture's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
DEVICE 6 ships an update every 21 months, Strange Horticulture weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DEVICE 6 | Strange Horticulture |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $5.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (884 ratings) | 4.9 (1.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.4% of reviews — better | 75.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 884 | 1.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #87 | #43 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 760 MB | 522 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Simogo AB | Plug In Digital |
Customer experience
DEVICE 6
Strange Horticulture
User reviews
DEVICE 6
From 884 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Unique and immersive experience
- 🎨 Beautiful visuals and sound design
- 🤯 Clever and challenging puzzles
- 📚 Engaging and mysterious story
- 💡 Innovative use of mobile device features
Room to improve
- 🕰️ Short gameplay length
- 🤔 Confusing or unclear puzzles
- 🙉 Lack of accessibility for hearing-impaired users
- 💰 Expensive for the amount of content
Strange Horticulture
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Cozy and relaxing gameplay
- 🧠 Clever and engaging puzzles
- 🎨 Lovely art style and graphics
- 📚 Interesting and well-written story
- 🕹️ Unique and novel gameplay mechanics
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches (viewing device issues, plant movement problems)
- 🔋 Battery drain and overheating issues
- 📱 Suboptimal mobile experience (small text, lack of Apple Pencil support)
- 🕰️ Short playtime, not much replayability
Bugs and requests
DEVICE 6
Reported bugs
2 issues- Sound not working on some devices
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Longer or more expansive story
- Difficulty settings or hints for puzzles
- Accessibility options like subtitles
- More games or sequels in a similar style
Strange Horticulture
Reported bugs
3 issues- Viewing device bug preventing progress
- Plants getting stuck and unable to be moved
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices
Requested features
3 requests- More content and expanded gameplay
- Shelf/storage option for plants
- Improved mobile optimization (larger text, better controls)
In-app purchases
DEVICE 6
No in-app purchases
Strange Horticulture
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DEVICE 6 free?
Is Strange Horticulture free?
Which has better reviews, DEVICE 6 or Strange Horticulture?
Do DEVICE 6 or Strange Horticulture have ads?
Which is updated more often, DEVICE 6 or Strange Horticulture?
Which is more popular, DEVICE 6 or Strange Horticulture?
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