# Hidden City vs Runes

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Hidden City at 95K against Runes's 576. Hidden City also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks) and chart position (#122 vs unranked). Runes's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 72%) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hidden City sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Runes sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Runes holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hidden City has 95K ratings behind it against 576, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Hidden City's written reviews are positive against 83% of Runes's.

Hidden City ships an update every 9 days, Runes every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hidden City | Runes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (95K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hidden-city-object-seekers/id722217471/reviews) | **[4.5 (576 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runes-hidden-objects-games/id1484061991/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **95K** | 576 |
| Positive reviews | 72.3% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#122** | — |
| Size | 320 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [G5 Entertainment AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/305426797) | [Crisp App Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143551614) |

## What reviewers say

### Hidden City

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hidden-city-object-seekers/id722217471)

**Currently charting:** #122 Top Grossing · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on a thrilling detective adventure to rescue a friend from a mysterious phantom city. Solve puzzles, explore dark dungeons, and battle strange creatures as you uncover secrets and confront evil.

**Highlights:** Hidden object scenes, Quests and puzzles, Dungeon exploration, Combat against monsters and cults, Offline play, Friend assistance

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Special Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cluster of Rubies | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tray of Rubies | $4.99 | one-time |
| Super Deal | $4.99 | one-time |
| Platter of Rubies | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hyper Deal | $9.99 | one-time |
| Drawer of Rubies | $19.99 | one-time |
| Special Deal | $19.99 | one-time |
| Trunk of Rubies | $49.99 | one-time |
| Stockpile of Rubies | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Challenging
- 👍 Fun and challenging
- 👍 Great fun
- 👍 Fabulous
- 👍 Never knew I could be such a clever person

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Hidden City: You have a VERY offensive ad in your line up
- 💰 Too costly, not enough bang for your hard earned bucks
- 💰 Game is the most frustrating I have ever played, very little in return for achieving goals
- 💰 Game is getting more and more difficult to play without making in-app purchases
- 🐛 Quite often when visiting friends, the game freezes and I can no longer continue playing

**Reported bugs**

- Can not access the game to sign in after changing password
- Game freezes and crashes frequently
- Losing progress and achievements when switching devices
- Glitches with events and mini-games
- Disappearing items and rewards

**Requested features**

- Give more free rubies, game is too expensive
- Make the game less expensive
- Give more rewards for completing goals
- Make the game less frustrating and more enjoyable
- Fix the glitches and technical issues


### Runes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runes-hidden-objects-games/id1484061991)

Uncover the secrets of a mysterious town by searching intricately illustrated scenes for hidden objects and solving puzzles. Follow a detective through a captivating storyline with unique challenges and unlock magical artifacts as you progress. Play at your own pace with optional hints.

**Highlights:** Search hand-painted scenes for hidden objects, Spot subtle differences, Solve puzzles and brain teasers, Follow a twisting storyline, Collect magical artifacts, Play at your own pace with hints

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Instant Hint | $0.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bag with Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Infinity Energy + No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Сhest with Gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| Master Pack Special | $3.99 | one-time |
| Master Pack: All-included | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great graphics
- 🧠 Exercises the brain
- 🤩 Fun to play
- 🧘‍♀️ Relaxing gameplay
- 🔍 Interesting hidden object puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Energy/ads require purchases
- 🕰️ Too many interruptions
- 🌃 Dark and blurry scenes
- 🤔 Unclear progression/navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Energy recharge issues
- Purchase rejections

**Requested features**

- Restart option
- Clearer level progression


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hidden City free?

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

### Is Runes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hidden City or Runes?

Runes is rated higher. Hidden City averages 4.3 out of 5 from 95K ratings, while Runes averages 4.5 from 576 ratings.

### Do Hidden City or Runes have ads?

Both Hidden City and Runes show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hidden City or Runes?

Hidden City ships an update every 9 days, and Runes every 6 weeks. Most recently, Hidden City was updated on November 5, 2026 and Runes on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*