Comparison

Mountain vs Dad's Monster House

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

Head to head
About

Mountain

Experience a unique and relaxing nature simulation where you embody a mountain. Generate your own mountain, observe its life cycle, and find a space for reflection and introspection. This game offers an existential journey through the natural world.

Highlights
  • Existential nature simulation
  • Generate a unique mountain
  • Observe growth and decay
  • Time moves forward
  • Nature expresses itself
  • No DLC
Features
Read full description

Experience life as a Mountain in this relaxing nature simulation game. Generate a unique Mountain and visit it any time to reflect, collect your thoughts or let your mind wander. Features - no DLC - time moves forward - things grow and things die - nature expresses itself #1 bestselling RPG in 33 countries. Mountain automatically syncs with Apple TV. "Mountain breaks the mold of video games." - Ian Bogost, The Atlantic "Nothing You Do Matters in This Game, But You’ll Still Obsess Over It." - Bo Moore, WIRED "At the beginning of the game, I find the idea cute. By the end, I am hypnotized." - Carolina A. Miranda, LA Times "Welcome to an existential nightmare." - Patrick Klepek, Giant Bomb "The time I spend with Mountain feels slightly more real to me than anything else inside my computer." - Leigh Alexander, Gamasutra "Mountain upends expectations, refusing to fit into preexisting categories." - Justin Cone, Motionographer "I don’t like to talk emotions but this game genuinely is so uplifting." - Alice O'Connor, Rock Paper Shotgun "The only experience that has ever made me feel sad about a geological phenomenon." - Andrew Webster, The Verge

About

Dad's Monster House

Embark on a narrative-driven adventure to uncover a father's secret. Solve intricate puzzles, encounter unique monsters, and navigate a story exploring themes of love, ambition, and redemption. The black-and-white art style and immersive sound design enhance the emotional journey.

Highlights
  • Narrative-driven story
  • Puzzle solving
  • Item collection
  • Black-and-white art style
  • Immersive sound design
  • Emotional themes
Features
Read full description

Dad's Monster House tells the story of Carlos' journey after he receives a distress call from his father, pleading for him to return to his old home and rescue his dad. As he continues exploring the house, Carlos encounters many terrifying yet 'cute' monsters. As he solves the puzzles before him, he draws ever closer to the truth... Freud once said: "Love and work, work and love...that's all there is." But what of the pain, the struggles that arise when we're forced to choose between our ambitions and love? In dealing with such conundrums, we’ve all likely hurt those we hold dearest to us. For it's often in the darkness that we feel most safe. With Dad's Monster House, I wish to provide those kinds of heartrending memories a chance at redemption. I dedicate it to scientists, to my childhood dreams; to those I love, and to faded memories. I hope that within you'll find the greatest of answers, be they for your love, for science, or dreams. [Gameplay] A sudden call in the deep of night has you return to a house you haven't visited for many a year. You must unravel one puzzle after another: to from within scenes intertwined with memories find clues and get to the bottom of your father's secret. The choice of whether to redeem or ultimately end this sad story lies in your hands. [Features] Instead of going for bright and vivid colors, I have opted for a black-and-white art style. The fragmented narration, plentiful puzzles, and delicate sound designs create an immersive experience where you as the player get to truly feel the ups and downs of the protagonist's emotions. Continue to unravel the story as you collect more items...

Screenshots

Mountain4 screens
Dad's Monster House4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dad's Monster House at Free against Mountain's $0.99. Dad's Monster House also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (84% vs 47%). Mountain's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Dad's Monster House is free to download; Mountain costs $0.99 up front. Dad's Monster House sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mountain asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dad's Monster House holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 113 and 156 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Mountain's written reviews are positive against 84% of Dad's Monster House's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mountain ships an update every 3 months, Dad's Monster House every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Mountain versus Dad's Monster House: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMountainDad's Monster House
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (113 ratings)4.7 (156 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.6% of reviews83.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings113156 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac
Requires iOS11.0 — better16
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB2.3 GB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperDavid O'ReillyCOTTONGAME Network Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Mountain

All ratings113 ratings
Positive58.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative39.8%
Written reviews309 reviews
Positive46.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative46.9%

Dad's Monster House

All ratings155 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews117 reviews
Positive83.8%
Neutral4.3%
Negative12.0%

User reviews

Mountain

From 113 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌄 Relaxing and calming experience
  • 🎨 Beautiful and atmospheric visuals
  • 🎹 Enjoyable piano interaction
  • 🤔 Thought-provoking and philosophical

Room to improve

  • 🕹️ Lack of interactivity and gameplay
  • 🔋 Battery draining issues
  • 🚫 Not compatible with notched devices
  • 🤷‍♀️ Unclear purpose and direction

Dad's Monster House

From 156 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful art/graphics
  • 🤔 Challenging puzzles
  • 📖 Engaging story
  • 💡 Creative/clever puzzles
  • ✨ Atmospheric/immersive

Room to improve

  • 🚶 Tedious backtracking/walking
  • ❓ Puzzles can be obscure/frustrating
  • 🤔 Lack of hints
  • 🐌 Slow screen transitions
  • 🖱️ Difficult to use stylus/finger for notes

Bugs and requests

Mountain

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Mountain randomly resets, losing collected items
  • Graphical glitches and performance issues on some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more dynamic events and changes to the mountain
  • Introduce animals, seasons, and other living elements
  • Improve keyboard functionality and integration
  • Provide more guidance and explanation for users

Dad's Monster House

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Buttons on signs not working
  • Game won't reopen after closing
  • Game crashes on iPad
  • Game crashes when entering elevator
  • Game crashes after clicking 'new game'
Show 2 more
  • Unable to cook fish or dig treasure
  • Screen cuts off on iPhone 12

Requested features

9 requests
  • Progress sharing between Apple devices
  • Add Thai language support
  • Teleportation feature on the map
  • Interactive map with clickable locations
  • In-game hints
Show 4 more
  • Ability to skip between scenes
  • Optional music and sounds
  • Camera function for clues
  • More character interaction/side quests

In-app purchases

None

Mountain

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dad's Monster House

One-time1
  • Purchase game$1.99

Questions

Is Mountain free?
Mountain costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dad's Monster House free?
Dad's Monster House is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mountain or Dad's Monster House?
Dad's Monster House is rated higher. Mountain averages 3.4 out of 5 from 113 ratings, while Dad's Monster House averages 4.7 from 156 ratings.
Do Mountain or Dad's Monster House have ads?
Neither Mountain nor Dad's Monster House shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mountain or Dad's Monster House?
Mountain ships an update every 3 months, and Dad's Monster House every 2 months. Most recently, Mountain was updated on October 26, 2026 and Dad's Monster House on October 21, 2026.

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