Comparison

Criminal Case vs Homicide Squad

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Criminal Case

Engage in a captivating detective adventure by investigating crime scenes, gathering clues, and interrogating suspects. Analyze evidence to uncover the truth and bring murderers to justice in a grim city. Prove your detective prowess in this immersive hidden object game.

Highlights
  • Investigate crime scenes
  • Examine and analyze clues
  • Interrogate witnesses and suspects
  • Solve murder cases
  • Play with friends
  • Analyze evidence
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

A murder has been reported in Grimsborough, Detective. Grab your badge — the Chief is waiting. Criminal Case is the original hidden object detective game: the award-winning phenomenon that has turned more than 100 million players into detectives since 2012. Search crime scenes for clues, examine the evidence, interrogate the suspects — and when the proof is solid, arrest the killer yourself. INVESTIGATE CRIME SCENES Every case starts at the scene of the crime. Search gorgeous hand-drawn locations for hidden objects and vital clues, race the clock for the best score, and earn the stars that move your investigation forward. RUN THE LAB Take your findings to the forensics team. Analyze samples, decode messages, reconstruct torn documents and match fingerprints. In Grimsborough, every detail talks — if you know how to listen. INTERROGATE THE SUSPECTS Bring witnesses and suspects in for questioning. Compare their statements with the facts, catch them lying, and profile your killer trait by trait until only one name is left. ARREST THE KILLER Most mystery games end when you find the last object. Criminal Case is where it gets serious: match the evidence to your suspects and put the right one behind bars. Get it wrong, and a killer walks free. ONE CITY. 56 CASES. ONE CONSPIRACY. From the smokestacks of the Industrial Area to the runways of the Airport, the six districts of Grimsborough hide 56 murder cases — and the deeper you dig, the clearer it becomes that they are all connected. THE ORIGINAL, SINCE 2012 Facebook Game of the Year 2013. More than 100 million detectives worldwide. The classic that defined crime investigation games on mobile — still updated, still free, still one of a kind. Played back in the day? Welcome back, partner. Jones kept your desk exactly as you left it. BETTER WITH FRIENDS Connect with your friends to team up on investigations, compare your detective skills on the leaderboards, and send each other energy and gifts. THE FIRST OF 8 SEASONS Grimsborough is where the saga begins. Once you have cleaned up this city, seven more seasons of Criminal Case are waiting for you — from Pacific Bay all the way to Paris. Criminal Case is free to play, with optional in-app purchases (you can disable these in your device settings). The optional Pizza subscription raises your energy bar to 170 and removes ads: 2.99 USD/week (or local equivalent) after a 3-day free trial, auto-renewing unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Terms of Service: https://prettysimplegames.com/legal/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://www.prettysimplegames.com/legal/privacy-policy The killer thinks they got away with it, Detective. Prove them wrong.

About

Homicide Squad

Step into the shoes of a detective in this thrilling hidden object and match-3 game. Investigate crime scenes, interrogate suspects, and solve perplexing murder mysteries to restore order to the city. Engage in immersive gameplay with captivating storylines and intriguing characters.

Highlights
  • Hidden object gameplay
  • Match-3 puzzle mode
  • Interrogate suspects
  • Analyze clues
  • Solve murder mysteries
  • Interactive storylines
Features
Read full description

The BEST crime-solving game is calling players for duty! Are you ready to prove your detective skills and step into a riveting world of danger, betrayal … and murder? Homicide Squad® is a heart-pounding hidden object and match-3 game filled with rousing gameplay and perplexing murder mysteries! Download this captivating crime game now and embark on a highly interactive hidden object journey. Play alongside the wisecracking Detectives Turino and Lamonte as they purge New York City of criminals and restore law and order. As cases stack up on your desk, you’ll visit unique locations and examine troubling murder scenes. Enjoy immersive gameplay and engaging storylines as you investigate haunting cases, interact with intriguing characters and catch twisted killers. Do you have what it takes to find important objects and solve a baffling crime? There’s only one way to find out! Grab your magnifying glass and put on your detective’s hat because this is one criminal thrill ride you won’t want to miss! A string of horrifying homicides has been reported across the city in this gripping murder mystery game. To bring the perpetrators to justice and reinstate peace of mind for residents, you’ll have to: CHOOSE your favorite gameplay mode for any scene • FIND hidden objects and use them or • MATCH gems in a row, • INTERROGATE cagey suspects, • ANALYZE strange clues, and • SOLVE mind-blowing crimes! Plus more criminal cases and quests are coming in regular updates that are absolutely FREE! While this game is absolutely free to play, you have the ability to unlock optional bonuses via in-app purchases from within the game. You may disable in-app purchases in your device settings. If you like making in-app purchases in this game, Homicide Squad: Hidden Crimes also offers three optional, auto-renewable subscriptions that provide substantial benefits compared to individual in-app purchases. 1. Bonus Tokens: Get three bonus tokens every time you successfully search an ordinary scene or complete laboratory research! The monthly subscription is only $9.99. 2. Energy Freeze: Play for 30 minutes every day without having to spend any energy! The monthly subscription is only $19.99. 3. Double Energy: Double how fast your energy restores itself! The monthly subscription is only $14.99. A one-time, seven-day trial is available for both the Bonus Tokens and Energy Freeze subscriptions. At the end of the trial period, each subscription will be automatically renewed unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the trial period. Payment for the renewal will be automatically debited from your account. Payments for the monthly subscriptions to Bonus Tokens, Energy Freeze and Double Energy will be charged to your Apple ID account with the confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions or turn off auto-renewal by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Should you choose to subscribe, please note that the current payment period cannot be canceled or prorated. ____________________________ Game available in: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Traditional Chinese ____________________________ Sign up now for a weekly round-up of the best from G5 Games! www.g5.com/e-mail ____________________________ G5 Games - World of Adventures™! Collect them all! Search for "g5" on the App Store! ____________________________ Visit us: www.g5.com Watch us: www.youtube.com/g5enter Find us: www.facebook.com/HomicideSquadNYC/ Join us: www.instagram.com/homicidesquadnyc/ Follow us: www.twitter.com/g5games

Screenshots

Criminal Case4 screens
Homicide Squad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Homicide Squad at 82% against Criminal Case's 60%. Homicide Squad also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Criminal Case's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and chart position (#143 vs unranked). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Criminal Case sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Homicide Squad sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Criminal Case holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36K and 57K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Criminal Case's written reviews are positive against 82% of Homicide Squad's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Criminal Case ships an update every 3 months, Homicide Squad monthly. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Criminal Case versus Homicide Squad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCriminal CaseHomicide Squad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (36K ratings) — better4.5 (57K ratings)
Positive reviews59.9% of reviews81.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings36K57K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#143 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size132 MB259 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperPretty SimpleG5 Entertainment AB

Customer experience

Criminal Case

All ratings35,824 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.0%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews1,015 reviews
Positive59.9%
Neutral10.1%
Negative30.0%

Homicide Squad

All ratings57,423 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral8.7%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews663 reviews
Positive81.7%
Neutral8.0%
Negative10.3%

User reviews

Criminal Case

From 36K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Fun and intriguing game
  • 🕵️‍♀️ Interesting crime stories and puzzles
  • 🧠 Challenging and mentally stimulating
  • 🎨 Great graphics and visuals

Room to improve

  • 💰 Excessive ads and in-app purchases
  • ⌚ Slow energy recharge and long wait times
  • 🤖 Poor customer support and lack of response
  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay and tedious tasks
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and technical issues

Homicide Squad

From 57K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Fun game
  • 🕵️‍♀️ Interesting story and characters
  • 🔍 Challenging hidden object scenes
  • 📚 Immersive gameplay
  • 🕰️ Long playtime without running out of energy

Room to improve

  • 🕸️ Difficult to find some objects
  • 🕰️ Energy takes too long to recharge
  • 💰 In-app purchases feel required to progress
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🌃 Night vision mode is too dark

Bugs and requests

Criminal Case

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to connect to Facebook and sync progress
  • Disappearing energy and in-game items
  • Freezing and crashing during gameplay

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to save energy and progress across sessions
  • More efficient energy system and reduced wait times
  • Improved customer support and communication
  • Reduced reliance on ads and in-app purchases

Homicide Squad

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Assemblers not appearing in scenes
  • Inventory items not syncing across devices
  • Rewards not properly credited after completing levels

Requested features

4 requests
  • More frequent updates with new cases
  • Ability to replay old cases
  • Better tutorial for game mechanics
  • Option to disable special event mini-games

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Criminal Case

Subscriptions1
  • Pizza3 Days trial$2.997 Days
One-time9
  • Instant Analysis$0.99
  • Ham$0.99
  • Instant Access$0.99
Show 6 more
  • Instant Analysis$1.99
  • Instant Analysis$2.99
  • Pizza$2.99
  • 1 Complete Meal$3.99
  • 1 Burger$4.99
  • 2 Burgers + 1 Free Orange Juice$9.99
10 purchases

Homicide Squad

One-time10
  • Special Offer$0.99
  • Superior Deal$0.99
  • Cluster of Crystals$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Tray of Crystals$4.99
  • Super Deal$4.99
  • Platter of Crystals$9.99
  • Hyper Deal$9.99
  • Trunk of Crystals$19.99
  • Special Deal$19.99
  • Case of Crystals$49.99

Questions

Is Criminal Case free?
Criminal Case is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Homicide Squad free?
Homicide Squad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Criminal Case or Homicide Squad?
Criminal Case is rated higher. Criminal Case averages 4.7 out of 5 from 36K ratings, while Homicide Squad averages 4.5 from 57K ratings.
Do Criminal Case or Homicide Squad have ads?
Both Criminal Case and Homicide Squad show ads.
Which is updated more often, Criminal Case or Homicide Squad?
Criminal Case ships an update every 3 months, and Homicide Squad monthly. Most recently, Criminal Case was updated on September 28, 2026 and Homicide Squad on September 28, 2026.

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