Criminal Case vs Fireboy & Watergirl
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Investigate crime scenes
- Examine and analyze clues
- Interrogate witnesses and suspects
- Solve murder cases
- Play with friends
- Analyze evidence
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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.
Fireboy & Watergirl
Guide Fireboy and Watergirl through challenging Elemental Temples. Solve intricate puzzles, race against the clock, and collect all the diamonds. Enjoy this adventure solo or team up with a friend.
- Elemental Temple exploration
- Cooperative puzzle solving
- Time-based challenges
- Diamond collection
- Single-player and multiplayer modes
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Fireboy and Watergirl need help to explore the Elemental Temples. Solve the puzzles, beat the times and collect all the diamonds! Play alone or with a friend to join Fireboy and Watergirl in this new adventure!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Criminal Case at 4.7 against Fireboy & Watergirl's 3.4. Criminal Case also leads on ratings volume (36K vs 257) and review sentiment (60% vs 39%). Fireboy & Watergirl's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Criminal Case sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Fireboy & Watergirl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Criminal Case holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Criminal Case has 36K ratings behind it against 257, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Criminal Case's written reviews are positive against 39% of Fireboy & Watergirl's.
| Parameter | Criminal Case | Fireboy & Watergirl |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (36K ratings) — better | 3.4 (257 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 59.9% of reviews — better | 39.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 36K — better | 257 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | — |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #140 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 132 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pretty Simple | Oslo Albet |
Customer experience
Criminal Case
Fireboy & Watergirl
User reviews
Criminal Case
From 36K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Fireboy & Watergirl
From 257 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Nostalgic and fun gameplay
- 🚀 Great concept and mechanics
- 💡 Multiplayer support
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 📺 Excessive and disruptive ads
- 🔍 Camera issues and zooming problems
- 🎮 Confusing and unresponsive controls
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
Fireboy & Watergirl
Reported bugs
4 issues- Screen zooming in and out during gameplay
- Levels becoming unplayable due to camera issues
- Freezing and crashing on certain devices
- Inability to switch between Fireboy and Watergirl
Requested features
4 requests- Separate jump and movement buttons
- Keyboard support for tablets
- Reduced ad frequency or paid ad-free option
- More levels and content from the original game
In-app purchases
Criminal Case
- Pizza3 Days trial$2.997 Days
- Instant Analysis$0.99
- Ham$0.99
- Instant Access$0.99
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- 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
Fireboy & Watergirl
- Unlock all levels$0.99
Questions
Is Criminal Case free?
Is Fireboy & Watergirl free?
Which has better reviews, Criminal Case or Fireboy & Watergirl?
Do Criminal Case or Fireboy & Watergirl have ads?
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