Comparison

It's Killing Time vs Highlands, Deep Waters

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

It's Killing Time

Engage in an ultra-violent, text-based interactive novel where you become a hired assassin. Travel the globe, make critical choices that shape your story, and build your reputation as you navigate a dangerous world of murder-for-hire.

Highlights
  • Text-based interactive novel
  • Choice-driven narrative
  • Become a hired assassin
  • Travel the world
  • Build reputation and wealth
  • Multiple character archetypes
Features
Read full description

Travel the world, meet interesting new people, and assassinate them for money! "It's Killing Time" is an ultra-violent 140,000-word interactive novel by Eric Bonholtzer, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. Earn respect, reputation, and wealth as a hired assassin. You'll be dressed to kill, driving an exotic car with outlandish weapons in the trunk. But in the glamorous, fast-paced world of murder-for-hire, you can never know who to trust and who's gunning to take you out. Who will betray you? Whom will you betray? Will you be a spiritual hitman or hitwoman, a ruthless assassin, a total psychopath, or a righteous killer? The choice is yours.

About

Highlands, Deep Waters

Unravel a dark mystery in a Scottish town, uncovering cultists and abyssal horrors. Your choices shape the narrative of this text-based interactive novel, where you play as a detective, criminal, or scholar.

Highlights
  • Interactive text-based story
  • Choice-driven narrative
  • Deduction system for clues
  • Sanity system
  • Character role selection
  • Hand-drawn maps and lore
Features
Read full description

While investigating a murder in a small Scottish town, you’ll find yourself embroiled in a world of secrets, cultists, and abyssal horror. What are you willing to do to solve the case? And what will you do when you don’t like the answer? "Highlands, Deep Waters" is a 340,000 word interactive horror novel by Fernando B Neves and Lucas Zaper, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. • Play as an insightful Detective, a resourceful Criminal or a mysterious Scholar. • Gather and interpret clues with the Deduction system. Will you solve the case? • Face the hidden truths that derange your mind with the Sanity system. • A carefully crafted town including hand-drawn maps, unique history and peculiar inhabitants. • Play as a male, female, gay or straight. The Abyssal Ones treat everyone just the same.

Screenshots

It's Killing Time4 screens
Highlands, Deep Waters4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: It's Killing Time at 5.0 against Highlands, Deep Waters's 4.6. It's Killing Time also leads on price ($4.99 vs $6.99). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

It's Killing Time costs $4.99 and Highlands, Deep Waters $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

It's Killing Time holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 28 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 91% of It's Killing Time's written reviews are positive against 95% of Highlands, Deep Waters's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
It's Killing Time versus Highlands, Deep Waters: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIt's Killing TimeHighlands, Deep Waters
Price$4.99 — better$6.99
Rating5.0 (15 ratings) — better4.6 (28 ratings)
Positive reviews91.5% of reviews95.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1528 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 13 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB39 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperChoice of Games LLCHosted Games LLC

Customer experience

It's Killing Time

All ratings15 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive91.5%
Neutral2.1%
Negative6.4%

Highlands, Deep Waters

All ratings28 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive95.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.5%

In-app purchases

None

It's Killing Time

No in-app purchases

None

Highlands, Deep Waters

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is It's Killing Time free?
It's Killing Time costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Highlands, Deep Waters free?
Highlands, Deep Waters costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, It's Killing Time or Highlands, Deep Waters?
It's Killing Time is rated higher. It's Killing Time averages 5.0 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Highlands, Deep Waters averages 4.6 from 28 ratings.
Do It's Killing Time or Highlands, Deep Waters have ads?
Both It's Killing Time and Highlands, Deep Waters show ads.
Which is updated more often, It's Killing Time or Highlands, Deep Waters?
It's Killing Time ships an update every 13 months, and Highlands, Deep Waters every 13 months. Most recently, It's Killing Time was updated on October 8, 2026 and Highlands, Deep Waters on October 23, 2026.

Other comparisons