# Monument Valley vs The Past Within

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Past Within at none against Monument Valley's 1. The Past Within also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (89% vs 81%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Monument Valley costs $3.99 and The Past Within $2.99 up front. Monument Valley sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Past Within asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Monument Valley against 4.9 for The Past Within. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18K and 7.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Monument Valley's written reviews are positive against 89% of The Past Within's.

Monument Valley ships an update every 2 months, The Past Within every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 8, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monument Valley | The Past Within |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.8 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monument-valley/id728293409/reviews) | **[4.9 (7.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-past-within/id1642601792/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 7.4K |
| Positive reviews | 80.5% of reviews | **88.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #11 | **#5** |
| Size | 324 MB | 379 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [ustwo games](https://appshunter.io/developer/297468910) | [Rusty Lake](https://appshunter.io/developer/979777164) |

## What reviewers say

### Monument Valley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monument-valley/id728293409)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Puzzle, #16 Top Paid · Adventure, #90 Top Paid · Games, #138 Top Paid (US App Store)

Explore a world of impossible architecture and optical illusions. Guide a silent princess through stunningly beautiful, hand-crafted monuments by manipulating the environment. Uncover hidden paths and solve puzzles in this surreal exploration game.

**Highlights:** Impossible architecture manipulation, Optical illusion puzzles, Surreal exploration, Hand-crafted worlds, Intuitive twist and drag controls, Reactive soundscape

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Forgotten Shores | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Stunning visuals and graphics
- 🎶 Soothing and atmospheric audio
- 🧠 Clever and mind-bending puzzles
- 🕰️ Relaxing and calming gameplay
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕹️ Puzzles can be too easy at times
- ⏱️ Game is relatively short in length
- 💰 Expensive for the amount of content
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes reported

**Reported bugs**

- Levels not loading or freezing on certain devices
- Inability to purchase or access DLC/expansion content
- Compatibility issues with recent iOS updates

**Requested features**

- More levels and chapters to extend the gameplay
- Increased difficulty and challenge in later puzzles
- Ability to save progress and resume levels
- Support for newer device screen sizes and resolutions


### The Past Within

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-past-within/id1642601792)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Paid · Puzzle, #7 Top Paid · Adventure, #36 Top Paid · Games, #55 Top Paid (US App Store)

Embark on a cooperative point-and-click adventure where players explore different time periods and dimensions. Work with a friend, communicating what you see to solve intricate puzzles and uncover mysteries. This unique experience requires both players to own the game and communicate externally.

**Highlights:** Co-op only gameplay, Explore past and future, Solve puzzles together, Two distinct perspectives (2D/3D), Cross-platform play, Replayable with new solutions

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun co-op experience
- 🤝 Excellent for bonding with friends/family
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and art style
- 🕹️ Clever and challenging puzzles
- 🔗 Ties in well with Rusty Lake universe

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Game is too short
- 💬 Requires communication with another player
- 🐛 Some technical issues like no sound or crashes
- 🤔 Puzzles can be one-sided for one player

**Reported bugs**

- No sound in the game
- Crashes after Chapter 1 title screen
- Downloading issues on some devices

**Requested features**

- More chapters/levels
- Single-player mode option
- Ability to switch roles/perspectives
- Online/remote co-op functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monument Valley free?

Monument Valley costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is The Past Within free?

The Past Within costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Monument Valley or The Past Within?

The Past Within is rated higher. Monument Valley averages 4.8 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while The Past Within averages 4.9 from 7.4K ratings.

### Do Monument Valley or The Past Within have ads?

Neither Monument Valley nor The Past Within shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monument Valley or The Past Within?

Monument Valley ships an update every 2 months, and The Past Within every 2 weeks. Most recently, Monument Valley was updated on November 8, 2026 and The Past Within on November 8, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Monument Valley or The Past Within?

Monument Valley currently peaks at #11 in the App Store charts, and The Past Within at #5. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*