Comparison

Desert Golfing vs Simple Match 3

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

Head to head
About

Desert Golfing

Experience an endless desert golf course with unique challenges. Navigate sandy landscapes and discover new holes with every play. This game offers a relaxing yet engaging golfing adventure.

Highlights
  • Infinite procedurally generated courses
  • Unique desert environments
  • Relaxing gameplay
  • Simple controls
  • Score tracking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

To see a world in a bunker of sand And a heaven in a wild cactus, Hold infinity in the pocket of your shorts, And eternity in Desert Golfing.

About

Simple Match 3

This is a relaxing puzzle game where you swap tiles to make matches of three. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles, customize your game's appearance, and enjoy satisfying effects. It offers a peaceful experience without ads or excessive story elements.

Highlights
  • No ads or subscriptions
  • Hundreds of unique tiles
  • Customizable appearance
  • Daily levels with leaderboards
  • Zen Mode for relaxation
  • Satisfying visual effects
  • Achievements and boosters
Features
Read full description

Simple Match 3 is a relaxing and challenging puzzle game with absolutely no ads. Swap tiles and make matches of 3 to clear levels. Unlock hundreds of unique tiles and customize to fit your style. Discover a variety of different elements and mechanics as you progress through the game. Use satisfying boosters and power ups. Unlike most match-3 games, Simple Match 3 was created to give players a relaxing and satisfying experience, without annoying ads, obnoxious effects, or time wasting story elements. FEATURES: No ads: Absolutely no ads or subscription purchases. The base price includes 350 levels, a unique daily level with leaderboard, and zen mode. 1 small in-app purchase unlocks even more. Customization: Customize to your heart’s content with hundreds of different tiles and lots of different background colors. You can even choose the color of the user interface buttons to match your theme! Daily Level: Play a unique level every single day. Try to make it to the top of the online leaderboard! Zen Mode: Relax and make matches with no move limits, no goals, and limited obstacles in Zen Mode. Satisfying experience: Enjoy super satisfying effects as you clear tiles, smash through crates, destroy glass, and more! The effects were created to be satisfying, without being too obnoxious or overwhelming. Achievements: Complete a variety of achievements to unlock more tiles. Boosters: Spin the prize wheel every day to gain boosters. You can also get even more boosters by completing the daily goal. Handcrafted levels: Play through 350 handcrafted levels and try to earn 3 stars. Some levels are simple, others are more challenging. Discover a variety of unique elements as you progress. If you want more, 1 small in app purchase unlocks 350 more levels. Created with love and care: Developed by a single person with care. Levels are designed to be fun, challenging, and satisfying without the need to purchase endless boosters. Download Simple Match 3 today and see what makes it so special!

Screenshots

Desert Golfing4 screens
Simple Match 34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Desert Golfing at none against Simple Match 3's 1. Desert Golfing also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). Simple Match 3's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (90% vs 82%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Desert Golfing costs $1.99 and Simple Match 3 $1.99 up front. Simple Match 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Desert Golfing asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Match 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 649 and 247 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Desert Golfing's written reviews are positive against 90% of Simple Match 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Desert Golfing ships an update every 2 weeks, Simple Match 3 weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Desert Golfing versus Simple Match 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDesert GolfingSimple Match 3
Price$1.99$1.99
Rating4.6 (649 ratings)4.8 (247 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews90.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings649 — better247
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#98#50 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB463 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCaptain Games Inc.Mulberry Tree Games, LLC

Customer experience

Desert Golfing

All ratings649 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews329 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral4.0%
Negative14.3%

Simple Match 3

All ratings247 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews191 reviews
Positive90.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative3.7%

User reviews

Desert Golfing

From 649 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Delightfully simple
  • 🚀 Relaxing, soothing gameplay
  • 🚀 Addictive and endlessly playable
  • 👍 Perfect for passing time
  • 👍 Minimalist design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Impossible holes due to level design
  • 🐛 Lack of reset/restart option
  • 🐛 Inconsistent ball behavior
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 👎 Repetitive and monotonous after a while

Simple Match 3

From 247 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best Match 3 Game
  • 👍 Calming and Engaging
  • 🔒 No Ads or IAPs
  • 👍 Customizable Tiles
  • 👍 Relaxing Music and Sound Effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs in Higher Levels
  • 🐛 Impossible Levels Due to Missing Obstacles
  • 🐛 Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • 🐛 Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • 🐛 Inconsistent Star Rating System

Bugs and requests

Desert Golfing

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Certain holes are physically impossible to complete
  • Ball behavior can be inconsistent and unpredictable
  • Game freezes or crashes on some devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add a reset/restart option
  • Introduce more varied obstacles and hazards
  • Provide statistics and progress tracking
  • Add support for syncing progress across devices
  • Implement a night mode or color customization

Simple Match 3

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Levels with Missing Obstacles
  • Reward Box Tapping Issue
  • Inconsistent Star Rating System
  • Soft Locks with Rainbow Tiles
  • Crashes on Opening

Requested features

6 requests
  • Level Editor
  • Endless/Survival Mode
  • Improved Power-Up Interactions
  • Hints or Shuffle Option
  • Landscape Support for iPad
Show 1 more
  • iCloud Sync Across Devices

In-app purchases

None

Desert Golfing

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Match 3

One-time1
  • Simple Match 3 Gold$1.99

Questions

Is Desert Golfing free?
Desert Golfing costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Match 3 free?
Simple Match 3 costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Desert Golfing or Simple Match 3?
Simple Match 3 is rated higher. Desert Golfing averages 4.6 out of 5 from 649 ratings, while Simple Match 3 averages 4.8 from 247 ratings.
Do Desert Golfing or Simple Match 3 have ads?
Neither Desert Golfing nor Simple Match 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Desert Golfing or Simple Match 3?
Desert Golfing ships an update every 2 weeks, and Simple Match 3 weekly. Most recently, Desert Golfing was updated on September 25, 2026 and Simple Match 3 on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Desert Golfing or Simple Match 3?
Desert Golfing currently peaks at #98 in the App Store charts, and Simple Match 3 at #50. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons