Pocket Run Pool vs Close Cities
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pocket Run Pool
This game combines 8-ball pool with arcade-style high-score chasing. Sink all the balls strategically to earn points, but be careful of misses and scratches. Compete against yourself or others in various thrilling game modes.
- Arcade pool gameplay
- High-score chasing
- Strategic ball sinking
- Multiple game modes
- Global leaderboards
- Risk management challenges
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The return of arcade pool from the creator of Really Bad Chess and Flipflop Solitaire. Pocket-Run Pool combines 8-ball pool with the thrill of a chasing the perfect highscore. In Pocket-Run, your goal is to sink all the balls, but where and when you sink them is what matters most! With each pocketed ball, you're awarded points based on the pocket you sunk. So sink carefully, but watch out, with each miss or scratch you lose a life — run out before you finish the table and it's game over. Compete against yourself, the world, or the bank in a variety of thrilling game modes! Can you make the perfect pocket-run? Arcade pool is back! ------WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING 5/5 - Touch Arcade "Help me, I can't stop playing!" 5/5 - 148Apps "Most certainly the best pool game I've played on a phone" "Like the best arcade games, this creates a “just one more turn” mentality" - The Verge "a perfect little mobile game" - iMore.com ------WHATS IN THE “BOX”? - Play Pocket-Run Pool's Standard, High Stakes, and Insta-Tournament modes for free! - Asynchronously Go for gold against players from around the world in Insta-Tournament mode - Manage your risk against all manner of game conditions (like the devious Cuewall) in High Stakes mode - Unlock Break of The Week, alternate backgrounds, and remove Insta-Tournament buy-ins with a single In-App-Purchase of just $3.99 - Track stats for all four modes - Win alternate pool cues and color schemes in High Stakes mode ------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER I've always loved pool, and when I got my first iPhone years ago, the world of digital pool games opened up to me. There are certainly a lot of options out there, but finding a simple and enjoyable single-player pool game was harder than I expected. I found one that I enjoyed, but after playing it extensively I found it too easy to beat the computer every time. Suddenly the problem with pool hit me — when you play against a computer in a physics simulation, you're literally playing against a god... By which I mean, either the computer is going easy on you (for a reason), or it's playing a perfect game and taking all your money. It dawned on me that if I wanted a good single player pool game, I'd have to make a new kind of pool — a variant that doesn't need a computer opponent, that's built around the notion of scoring and improving, of taking risks, and of presenting unique and interesting challenges. Pocket-Run Pool is the game I came up with, I hope you enjoy it! -zach
Close Cities
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.
- 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
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Close Cities is a relaxing puzzle game in which you will have to build cities in different worlds over time. Find a road and start there. Solve all 160 levels and become a Close Cities legend! UNIQUE PUZZLES You will start each level with an empty map that you will have to fill with beautiful cities. Choose the right road, choose the area and tap or drag with your fingers! DOES NOT REQUIRE KNOWLEDGE OF ARCHITECTURE Close Cities offers a fun experience even if you don't know the difference between a square and a bevel. The game's tutorial will show you everything you need to know at a relaxed pace. CONQUER ITS 160 LEVELS Each world has its king and 16 levels that you must solve to build his empire. TRAVEL THROUGH TIME During the course of the game you will discover different worlds over time with relaxed music to let you go.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Close Cities at 4.8 against Pocket Run Pool's 3.7. Close Cities also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 37%). Pocket Run Pool's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 356). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Pocket Run Pool sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Close Cities sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Close Cities holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 356 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Pocket Run Pool's written reviews are positive against 69% of Close Cities's.
Pocket Run Pool ships an update every 5 days, Close Cities every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pocket Run Pool | Close Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (1.1K ratings) | 4.8 (356 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 37.0% of reviews | 69.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 356 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 169 MB | 158 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zach Gage | Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo |
Customer experience
Pocket Run Pool
Close Cities
Bugs and requests
Pocket Run Pool
Reported bugs
5 issues- Cue stick disappearing
- Inconsistent ball behavior
- Incorrect payouts in high-stakes mode
- App freezing after resuming from pause
- Compatibility issues on newer iPad models
Requested features
5 requests- Add ball spin/English options
- Implement replay/undo functionality
- Expand game modes and challenges
- Improve performance and stability
- Optimize UI for tablet devices
Close Cities
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pocket Run Pool
- 5 Rebuys$0.99
- Unlock Full Version$3.99
- 50 Rebuys$4.99
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- Unlimited Rebuys$19.99
Close Cities
- Hints - Small Pack$0.99
- Hints - Medium Pack$2.99
- Remove Ads + Hints$2.99
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- Hints - Big Pack$5.99









