# Hex Jewels™ vs Close Cities

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hex Jewels™ at none against Close Cities's 4. Hex Jewels™ also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 69%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Close Cities's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Close Cities sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Hex Jewels™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Hex Jewels™ against 4.8 for Close Cities. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 404 and 365 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Hex Jewels™'s written reviews are positive against 69% of Close Cities's.

Hex Jewels™ ships an update every 5 months, Close Cities monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hex Jewels™ | Close Cities |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (404 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-jewels/id908463295/reviews) | **[4.8 (365 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **404** | 365 |
| Positive reviews | **94.8% of reviews** | 69.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 59 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Boy Howdy Technology LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/293910537) | [Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo](https://appshunter.io/developer/391953849) |

## What reviewers say

### Hex Jewels™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-jewels/id908463295)

This is a free puzzle game where you group five or more identical jewels to clear them from the board. Plan your moves carefully as new jewels grow after each turn. Clear the target number of jewels before the board fills to win.

**Highlights:** Group five or more identical jewels, Clear target number of jewels, Endless levels, No timer for relaxed play, High score leaderboards, Automatic progress saving

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 👍 No time pressure or stress-inducing timers
- 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing graphics
- 🧠 Excellent brain workout and mental challenge
- 🎮 Easy to pick up and play in short sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game resets to level 1 after inactivity
- 💣 Excessive bomb generation at higher levels
- 😤 Extreme difficulty spike at levels 80-90
- 😞 Frustrating difficulty progression becomes stressful
- 🔊 No in-app sound toggle option

**Reported bugs**

- Progress not saved after closing app or inactivity
- Game resets to level 1 unexpectedly
- Point counter fails to credit valid moves
- Bombs trigger too frequently at high levels

**Requested features**

- Sound toggle within app settings
- Hint button for stuck players
- Back button for undoing moves
- Achievement milestones and progression badges
- Ability to clear entire board


### Close Cities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/close-cities/id6475958084)

Build beautiful cities on diverse worlds by solving unique puzzles. This relaxing game guides you through 160 levels with a simple tap or drag interface, requiring no architectural knowledge. Conquer each world's challenges and travel through time with its calming soundtrack.

**Highlights:** Build cities on empty maps, Solve 160 unique puzzle levels, Intuitive tap and drag controls, No architectural knowledge needed, Travel through different worlds, Relaxing music and pace

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hints - Small Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Medium Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads + Hints | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hints - Big Pack | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hex Jewels™ free?

Hex Jewels™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Close Cities free?

Close Cities is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hex Jewels™ or Close Cities?

Close Cities is rated higher. Hex Jewels™ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 404 ratings, while Close Cities averages 4.8 from 365 ratings.

### Do Hex Jewels™ or Close Cities have ads?

Both Hex Jewels™ and Close Cities show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hex Jewels™ or Close Cities?

Hex Jewels™ ships an update every 5 months, and Close Cities monthly. Most recently, Hex Jewels™ was updated on November 1, 2026 and Close Cities on November 4, 2026.

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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.*