# Papers, Please vs Pocket City 2

The clearest difference is monetization model: Pocket City 2 at free against Papers, Please's paid. Papers, Please's advantage is chart position (#7 vs #44) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Papers, Please costs $4.99 and Pocket City 2 $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Papers, Please against 4.6 for Pocket City 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 806 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 80% and 80% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papers, Please | Pocket City 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-please/id935216956/reviews)** | [4.6 (806 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-city-2/id1533709428/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 806 |
| Positive reviews | 79.6% of reviews | **79.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | #44 |
| Size | 62 MB | 304 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [3909](https://appshunter.io/developer/541419307) | [Codebrew Games Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1330451887) |

## What reviewers say

### Papers, Please

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-please/id935216956)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Paid · Role Playing, #17 Top Paid · Simulation, #45 Top Paid · Games, #79 Top Paid (US App Store)

Step into the shoes of a border inspector in a dystopian communist state. Examine documents, interrogate travelers, and decide who is allowed to enter. Your choices impact your family's survival and the fate of the nation.

**Highlights:** Dystopian border inspector simulation, Document examination and verification, Interrogation and decision-making, Multiple endings based on choices, Unlockable multitouch support, Game Center achievements and leaderboards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pocket City 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-city-2/id1533709428)

**Currently charting:** #44 Top Paid · Strategy, #45 Top Paid · Simulation, #127 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Construct and explore a vibrant 3D metropolis, managing zones, landmarks, and special buildings. Live the life of a mayor, from building your own house to surviving disasters and hosting events. Enjoy a dynamic world with seasons, a day-night cycle, and engaging minigames.

**Highlights:** Build unique cities with zones and special buildings, Explore your city as an avatar, Dynamic environment with seasons and day/night cycle, Play minigames like street racing and plane flying, Survive disasters and host fun events, Customize avatar and become a homeowner, Collaborate on cities in real-time

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Exceptional city builder
- 👍 Immersive free roam mode
- 🔒 No ads or microtransactions
- 💡 Ability to explore and interact with city
- 👍 Smooth gameplay and great graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Graphical issues and performance problems
- 🐛 Repetitive city design
- 🐛 Minigames can be frustrating
- 🐛 Difficulty balancing and progression issues

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when entering certain buildings
- Graphical glitches and disappearing elements
- Freezing and performance issues with larger cities
- Bugs with regional city and money transfer features
- Issues with road building and placement

**Requested features**

- More building styles and architectural variety
- Improved traffic management and transportation options
- Expanded regional city functionality
- Mayor customization and more interactive features
- Better save/load and cross-device syncing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Papers, Please free?

Papers, Please costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pocket City 2 free?

Pocket City 2 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Papers, Please or Pocket City 2?

Papers, Please is rated higher. Papers, Please averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Pocket City 2 averages 4.6 from 806 ratings.

### Do Papers, Please or Pocket City 2 have ads?

Neither Papers, Please nor Pocket City 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Papers, Please or Pocket City 2?

Papers, Please ships an update weekly, and Pocket City 2 weekly. Most recently, Papers, Please was updated on October 29, 2026 and Pocket City 2 on October 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Papers, Please or Pocket City 2?

Papers, Please currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and Pocket City 2 at #44. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*