# Puzzle Forge 2 vs Hero Emblems II

The clearest difference is price: Puzzle Forge 2 at Free against Hero Emblems II's $6.99. Puzzle Forge 2 also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and iOS requirement (7.1 vs 10.3). Hero Emblems II's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Puzzle Forge 2 is free to download; Hero Emblems II costs $6.99 up front. Puzzle Forge 2 sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Hero Emblems II asks for nothing beyond the download.

Puzzle Forge 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 104 and 156 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Puzzle Forge 2's written reviews are positive against 63% of Hero Emblems II's.

Puzzle Forge 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, Hero Emblems II every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Puzzle Forge 2 | Hero Emblems II |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $6.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (104 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-forge-2/id941581407/reviews)** | [4.3 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-emblems-ii/id1070462618/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 104 | **156** |
| Positive reviews | **70.4% of reviews** | 62.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 160 MB | 544 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.1** | 10.3 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tuesday Quest](https://appshunter.io/developer/698081587) | [HeatPot Games Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/645797561) |

## What reviewers say

### Puzzle Forge 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-forge-2/id941581407)

Become a blacksmith and forge powerful weapons by combining resources on a board. Sell your creations to heroes, earn gold and experience to upgrade your skills, and discover new heroes attracted by your talent.

**Highlights:** Unique weapon creation system, Combine resources to build weapons, Add gems and enchantments, Earn spells and magic items, Increase blacksmith skills, Meet and serve heroes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Wisdom Stone | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Gold | $3.99 | one-time |
| 6 Wisdom Stones | $4.99 | one-time |
| 30 Wisdom Stones | $19.99 | one-time |
| 50 000 Gold! | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🧠 Strategic depth requiring planning ahead
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and charming art style
- 😄 Humorous character dialogue and personality
- 🔄 Unique merge puzzle mechanics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Game-breaking bugs with frozen boards
- 🐛 Data loss and progress not saving
- 🐛 Tutorial is confusing and inadequate
- 🐛 Shop top shelf items unclickable

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes and freezes during gameplay
- Frozen board bug in tournament mode
- Progress not saving after reinstall
- Top shelf shop items not clickable
- Ads reappearing after purchase removal

**Requested features**

- Undo button for accidental moves
- Ability to delete or sell unwanted weapons
- Comprehensive recipe guide for crafting
- Better and more detailed tutorial
- Chinese language localization


### Hero Emblems II

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-emblems-ii/id1070462618)

Embark on an epic adventure combining match-3 puzzles with classic JRPG elements. Lead a team of heroic warriors, unleash powerful skills through strategic emblem matching, and explore a world filled with magic, monsters, and ancient mysteries.

**Highlights:** Match-3 emblem battles, Traditional JRPG exploration, Unique hero skills and backstories, Equipment customization, Food consumption system for buffs, Japanese character voice acting

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Excellent match-3 gameplay mechanics
- 💰 No pay-to-win or microtransactions
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🎵 Great music and character voice acting
- 📖 Engaging story with RPG elements

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚔️ Severe difficulty spikes and boss balancing issues
- ⏳ Excessive grinding required for progression
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and soft crashes
- 🌍 Poor English localization and translation quality
- 📋 Lack of quest journal or quest tracking system

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes during final boss battles
- Soft crashes and emblem dropping errors
- iCloud sync not working properly after reinstall
- Location markers disappearing after quest completion
- Touchscreen input not working on one side of map

**Requested features**

- Enemy level indicators for dungeon difficulty assessment
- Quest journal and quest tracking system
- Endgame endless mode for post-story gameplay
- Easy or casual difficulty mode
- Game+ or New Game+ mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Puzzle Forge 2 free?

Puzzle Forge 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hero Emblems II free?

Hero Emblems II costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Puzzle Forge 2 or Hero Emblems II?

Puzzle Forge 2 is rated higher. Puzzle Forge 2 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 104 ratings, while Hero Emblems II averages 4.3 from 156 ratings.

### Do Puzzle Forge 2 or Hero Emblems II have ads?

Neither Puzzle Forge 2 nor Hero Emblems II shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Puzzle Forge 2 or Hero Emblems II?

Puzzle Forge 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, and Hero Emblems II every 3 weeks. Most recently, Puzzle Forge 2 was updated on October 9, 2026 and Hero Emblems II on October 21, 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.*