# Prune vs Square Valley

The clearest difference is rating: Square Valley at 4.8 against Prune's 4.3. Square Valley also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 66%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Prune's advantage is ratings volume (567 vs 95) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position there is nothing between them.

Prune costs $4.99 and Square Valley $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Square Valley holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Prune has 567 ratings behind it against 95, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Prune's written reviews are positive against 85% of Square Valley's.

Prune ships an update every 6 weeks, Square Valley every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prune | Square Valley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.3 (567 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prune/id972319818/reviews) | **[4.8 (95 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-valley/id1609779877/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **567** | 95 |
| Positive reviews | 66.2% of reviews | **84.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#39** | #115 |
| Size | 123 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joel McDonald LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/972319817) | [Ryan Becijos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609779879) |

## What reviewers say

### Prune

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prune/id972319818)

**Currently charting:** #39 Top Paid · Family, #92 Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

Cultivate a digital tree in a hostile world by guiding its growth towards sunlight. Uncover a hidden story and bring life to a forgotten landscape with this meditative and beautiful game.

**Highlights:** Grow and shape trees, Minimalist art and interface, Meditative music and sound, No in-app purchases or monetization, Share tree creations, iCloud progress synchronization

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌳 Beautiful, elegant design
- 🕹️ Relaxing, meditative gameplay
- 🎶 Calming, atmospheric soundtrack
- 🌟 Unique, artistic experience
- 👍 Simple and intuitive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Levels can feel too time-sensitive
- 🤔 Unclear objectives and mechanics
- 🕰️ Game is too short for the price
- 🐛 Performance issues on older devices

**Reported bugs**

- Progress reset after updates
- Unresponsive controls at times

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Zen mode with no time constraints
- Level editor and sharing capabilities
- Improved tutorials and explanations


### Square Valley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-valley/id1609779877)

**Currently charting:** #115 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Shape unique lands by strategically placing tiles like houses, farms, and natural elements. Connect them with roads and rivers while overcoming placement challenges. Progress through levels to unlock new tiles and face increasingly complex world-building puzzles.

**Highlights:** Tile placement for world creation, Connect tiles with roads and rivers, Strategic planning and puzzle solving, Three chapters with 45 levels, Unlock new tiles and overcome obstacles, Replay levels for higher scores, Sandbox mode for custom experiences

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging tile placement puzzle mechanics
- 🎵 Relaxing and pleasant background music
- 🎨 Beautiful minimalist art style and visuals
- 😌 Calming and stress-relieving gameplay
- 💰 No ads or in-app purchases

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Unclear tile descriptions and requirements
- 🎲 High randomness can lead to unwinnable scenarios
- 📊 No real-time score feedback during gameplay
- 🐛 Occasional scoring calculation bugs
- 📱 Portrait-only mode (no landscape on iPad)

**Reported bugs**

- Leaderboard freezes when displaying top 10 scores
- Tile scoring miscalculations (e.g., Cherry Orchard, Fir Grove)
- Tutorial bug where selected tiles change unexpectedly
- Some tiles don't work as described in requirements
- Scoring feedback unclear until level completion

**Requested features**

- More levels and chapters
- Landscape/iPad support with larger maps
- iCloud synchronization across devices
- Real-time score feedback per tile placement
- Glossary with detailed tile explanations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Prune free?

Prune costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Square Valley free?

Square Valley costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Prune or Square Valley?

Square Valley is rated higher. Prune averages 4.3 out of 5 from 567 ratings, while Square Valley averages 4.8 from 95 ratings.

### Do Prune or Square Valley have ads?

Neither Prune nor Square Valley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Prune or Square Valley?

Prune ships an update every 6 weeks, and Square Valley every 2 weeks. Most recently, Prune was updated on November 1, 2026 and Square Valley on November 3, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Prune or Square Valley?

Prune currently peaks at #39 in the App Store charts, and Square Valley at #115. 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.*