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Treasure of the Forbidden City vs its rivals

Side-by-side comparison against Treasure of the Forbidden City's closest competitors — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel.

Treasure of the Forbidden City
This App
Crunchyroll: Lost Words
Peer
Bounce Ball 4 - Red Ball Hero
Peer
Alice and the Magical Islands
Peer
Island of 16 sisters Part 1
Peer
Wilderlands: Survival Realms
New Kid
Core Identity
DeveloperHosted GamesCrunchyroll, LLCHaroon MuhammadBispiral, s.r.o.Bispiral, s.r.o.Maxim Grachev
CategoryGamesGamesGamesGamesGamesGames
PlatformAndroid, iOSiOS, AndroidiOSiOS, AndroidiOSiOS, Android
Store Metrics
Rating4.1 / 54.4 / 54.0 / 54.5 / 53.9 / 50.0 / 5
Ratings Count72561090
PriceFreeFreeFree$1.99FreeFree
Release DateApr 29, 2017Dec 16, 2024Apr 3, 2021Jan 11, 2018Jul 15, 2017Aug 7, 2025
Last UpdatedJan 8, 2026Dec 17, 2024Oct 24, 2025Jan 11, 2018Aug 10, 2017Aug 7, 2025
Sentiment & Reviews
Sentiment-mixedterrible-mixedmixed
Score-55/10010/100-60/10050/100
Praises-
  • Narrative depth and emotional storytelling resonate deeply with players seeking meaningful interactive experiences
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  • High satisfaction with the core application experience reported by long-term users
Complaints-
  • Mandatory subscription requirements create significant friction for users expecting a free-to-play experience
  • Geometry collision errors on specific levels prevent players from completing the current stage
--
  • Installation loop prevents new users from accessing the application on Android devices
Requests------
Strategic Intel
Strengths
  • ChoiceScript engine enables rapid production of complex branching narratives
  • 26 unique conclusions drive high replay value for core fans
  • Watercolor aesthetic creates high-fidelity visual differentiation
  • Rhianna Pratchett-led narrative provides a prestige-tier story hook
  • 50-level campaign structure sustains ad-impression inventory per active user
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  • Focused narrative-driven adventure experience [Target Audience segment]
  • Low barrier to entry via free-to-play model [Pricing Strategy]
  • Proprietary voxel engine reduces third-party dependency
  • Community-exclusive streaming enables private group collaboration
  • Survival-crafting loop reinforces daily world-shaping habits
Weaknesses
  • 2.33 rating on Android indicates significant technical or usability friction
  • Lack of visual or audio assets limits appeal to casual mobile gamers
  • Touch control bugs render core mechanics unplayable
  • Mandatory subscription gate causes high-friction conversion
  • Geometry collision errors on specific levels prevent basic gameplay completion
-
  • Static prerendered graphics [User reviews]
  • Lack of live-ops or community content [Retention metric]
  • Linear structure limits replayability [Gameplay design]
  • Installation loop on Android blocks new user acquisition
  • Lack of IAP or ad-supported revenue gates
  • Zero rating count on iOS platform
Pricingfreemiumsubscriptionfreepaidfreefree
MomentumMaintenanceMaintenanceZombie--Maintenance
Update Cadence2 versions, 2 majors/6mo, ~3d avg2 versions, ~416d avg1 versions--2 versions, ~202d avg

Compare Treasure of the Forbidden City head-to-head

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Treasure of the Forbidden City, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

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