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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Merge Cooking® vs Gossip Harbor®

Merge Cooking® 4.7★ · Free + IAP 60
Winner Gossip Harbor®
Gossip Harbor® 4.6★ · Free + IAP 65

Gossip Harbor® has a slight edge over Merge Cooking® due to its more engaging storyline and fewer explicit complaints about aggressive monetization, despite both suffering from misleading advertising.

Full reviews: Merge Cooking® · Gossip Harbor®

Both Merge Cooking® and Gossip Harbor® are free-to-play merge games plagued by false advertising and energy systems that limit gameplay. Gossip Harbor® offers a more developed storyline, while Merge Cooking® struggles with frequent crashes and less satisfying progression.

Head to head

Features and Gameplay tieR1R2R17R21
Merge Cooking® Merge Cooking® offers enjoyable merge mechanics and a variety of items to create, with some users finding it relaxing and good for the brain R17. However, many players report that the game's advertised features, such as cake merging puzzles, are not present in the actual game R1R27R31R34. The game also includes side mini-games that some find unwinnable and frustrating R21.
Gossip Harbor® Gossip Harbor® features typical merge mechanics, which some users find fun and addicting . It also includes a storyline with drama, which some players enjoy . However, like Merge Cooking®, Gossip Harbor® is heavily criticized for its false advertising, with many users downloading it expecting a different game entirely R67. Some find the storyline insufferable and the main character uninteresting .
Ease of Use and Progression tieR3R4R5R6
Merge Cooking® Players find Merge Cooking® easy to learn and generally not overstimulating R5. However, progression is severely hampered by a restrictive energy system; energy runs out quickly, taking up to 3 hours to refill, leading to significant downtime R3R4R6. Generators also run out quickly, requiring diamonds to speed up R3R10R45.
Gossip Harbor® Gossip Harbor® is described as easy to get into and progress . However, its energy system is also a major point of frustration, with 100 energy depleting in about 40 seconds, making it impossible to complete challenges without purchases . Some users also report items taking forever to make due to the game not providing necessary components .
Reliability and Performance edge: Gossip Harbor®R19R22R28R43
Merge Cooking® Merge Cooking® users report frequent app crashes, leading to loss of energy and progress R19R43. Some players also experience issues with generators not working correctly or items not blending as expected R22. There are also reports of lost progress after making purchases or logging into new devices R28.
Gossip Harbor® Gossip Harbor® has some reports of bugs, such as inventory space not working even after paying for extra slots . One user also mentioned issues with rewards not appearing . While not as many explicit crash reports as Merge Cooking®, the game's performance is not without its issues.
Price and Value (Free vs. Paid) tieR4R10R24R25
Merge Cooking® Merge Cooking® is free to play but heavily monetized. Players feel forced to spend money to progress due to rapid energy depletion and slow generator regeneration R4R10R24R25. Some users report that after making a purchase, options to watch ads for rewards disappear, making the game even more pay-to-win R58. Pop-up ads for purchases are also a frequent complaint R42R45R46.
Gossip Harbor® Gossip Harbor® is also free with in-app purchases. Many users feel it's impossible to complete challenges or progress without spending money R67. Similar to Merge Cooking®, some users report that after making a purchase, options to watch ads for free energy or boosters disappear . The VIP pass, costing £7.99, is only valid for a season (roughly 30 days) and not a permanent upgrade, disappointing some users .
Support and Communication tieR57R117
Merge Cooking® There is limited information regarding Merge Cooking®'s support, but one user mentioned that customer service was not very helpful regarding lost prizes from side games R57.
Gossip Harbor® Gossip Harbor® also has limited direct feedback on support, but one user expressed a desire for more information about updates and events R117.
Pick Merge Cooking® if

you prefer a more straightforward merge game with a cooking theme and can tolerate frequent waiting periods or are willing to spend money to bypass them R5.

Pick Gossip Harbor® if

you enjoy merge games with a narrative element, even if the storyline is sometimes criticized, and appreciate a game that some users find less aggressive with ads before making a purchase .

Evidence note: Both apps suffer from a significant number of reviews complaining about false advertising, where the game in the ad is not the game downloaded. This skews initial user perception negatively for both.

Frequently asked

Are Merge Cooking and Gossip Harbor free to play?
Yes, both Merge Cooking® and Gossip Harbor® are free to download and play, but they both include in-app purchases (IAP) and rely on energy systems that often push users towards spending money to continue playing R4R24R25R67.
Do these games have a lot of ads?
Merge Cooking® has frequent pop-up ads trying to sell in-game items and energy R42R45R46, and some users report that options to watch ads for rewards disappear after making a purchase R58. Gossip Harbor® also has ads for free energy and boosters, but these options may also disappear after a purchase . Some users claim Gossip Harbor® has no ads at all, which contradicts other reviews .
Is the gameplay in Merge Cooking and Gossip Harbor like their advertisements?
No, a significant number of users for both Merge Cooking® and Gossip Harbor® report that the actual gameplay is nothing like what is shown in their advertisements, leading to disappointment and frustration R1R27R31R34.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Merge Cooking® 1/5 · US bogus bs: not how it’s advertised at all !
  2. [R2] Merge Cooking® 5/5 · US Ghép và nấu: hy vọng game cập nhật phiên bản việt nam
  3. [R17] Merge Cooking® 5/5 · US Good for your brain!: This game is good for your brain. The story line and graphics are A+. I really enjoy playing it on the daily and I recommend this game especially to people who sit home a lot or are disabled and have free time. I am 57 and love this game. It is one of the best match game story I have ever played.
  4. [R21] Merge Cooking® 3/5 · US Addicting..Kinda: GREAT game, just as advertised, little to no greedy micropayments, addicting AF … but THE SIDE MINI GAMES THO!!! Like the races? WORST IDEA and at first it was just annoying … but when I stop playing the whole game for days because of UNWINNABLE side games that you are forced to fail, unless you’re playing all day and all night. Im so irritated with it I had to come make a review
  5. [R3] Merge Cooking® 3/5 · US what are u supposed to do when the generators are loading: the generators only work for a few seconds even after upgrading them. i genuinely close out of the game while i wait like an hour for them to even regenerate to which i only get 10 minutes of gameplay after that. and if you want it to generate faster you have to spend a ridiculous amount of diamonds. like theres genuinely nothing else to t
  6. [R4] Merge Cooking® 2/5 · US The game is fun.. however: The game itself is actually fun, and the merge mechanics are enjoyable, which is why I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1. Unfortunately, it's buried under so many monetization mechanics that it stops being fun after a while. The biggest issue is the energy system. You're capped at 100 energy, it takes 120 seconds to regenerate a single point, and it takes nearly 3 hours t
  7. [R5] Merge Cooking® 4/5 · US Cool game: Fun to play not overstimulating
  8. [R6] Merge Cooking® 3/5 · US Opinion: Excellent game!! I have been playing this nearly since one month🤍I have only a opinion about energy..restoring energy should be get more faster..i takes 3 hours!!
  9. [R19] Merge Cooking® 2/5 · US Why does it keep crashing?: The game keeps crashing and I’m losing my energy, it’s getting really annoying.
  10. [R22] Merge Cooking® 2/5 · US Stuck: I’m stuck on level 61. The item is a bean curd pudding (corn and water add to blender) isn’t working when the generator pushes out what’s used to make it. They are not lighting green and won’t blend to make the bean curd pudding
  11. [R28] Merge Cooking® 2/5 · US Lost Progress & Purchase: The app is decent, but it’s supposed to save progress through multiple devices. When you log into a new device with your same email. After I made a purchase I lost everything.
  12. [R43] Merge Cooking® 1/5 · GB Avoid!: You pay ( up to the user!) to complete faster and they make the levels harder… so you’re just throwing money down the drain. Also app crashes a fair amount
  13. [R10] Merge Cooking® 1/5 · US Don’t recommend: I’ve been playing for about 2 weeks now & have noticed this game is very greedy. It does not show how much time a producer needs instead you have the option to spend diamonds in order to produce again. At which point it gives you less & less each time you use your diamonds. Making it impossible to complete the orders unless you spend money on it, smh such a shame.
  14. [R24] Merge Cooking® 3/5 · US Fun game: Fun game but sad that you have to make purchases in order to really play it
  15. [R25] Merge Cooking® 1/5 · US Has potential but forces you to spend money: Game started out so fun, but energy quickly depletes and no way of playing game unless you wait for energy to refill. Even then, you usually don’t have enough energy to complete enough to progress in the game. I spent $5 and got over 200 gems that I quickly used up in 15 min thanks to the “cooking” aspect and the fact that you only get 10 items to merg
  16. [R57] Merge Cooking® 3/5 · GB Money pit: You can’t really get anywhere without spending money you run out of turns really quick and have to wait 2+ hours to get back to 100. I also didn’t get a prize for when I won the side games and when I messaged they weren’t very helpful.
  17. [R117] Gossip Harbor® 3/5 · GB You gotta download .: I really like the animation and style of this game but I feel like somethings missing . I really hope you can make a video that has really fun challenge’s . I have played this game for about 2 years it’s super fun ! I would love to know a bit about the updates and events more if I could get in touch I would appreciate it . Thanks guys Download gossip Harbor . Regards popul
  18. [R67] Gossip Harbor® 1/5 · US Not the game Ads promised: Nothing that special. Alot of other games like it. Sure no ads but its literally an endless merge game with that depends on you being too impatient on time locked progress so you feel inclined to pay for unlocks/coins/gems whatever. Not the game the ads promised. Like at all. Will be deleting.
  19. [R42] Merge Cooking® 3/5 · GB Good game, too many pop ups.: This game is constantly trying to get you to pay for energy. I understand the odd pop up, but having to X away 3 or 4 pop ups throughout game play is exceptionally frustrating. I’m also a regular player, but still have never completed a full card collection. It also takes ages to save up your card points to exchange them in and get 0 new ones? Proper joke.
  20. [R45] Merge Cooking® 3/5 · GB Fun but…: I’ve been playing this for quite some time. I did enjoy it but now the amount of time allowed from each generator to produce the things I need seems to be getting shorter. I find watching the ads to get more energy or time won a generator annoying. I have been trying for 3 days to get one thing I need to complete a task! The other pop up ads asking if I want to buy stuff for the game is
  21. [R46] Merge Cooking® 1/5 · GB Could be soooo much better: I love the game. But the fact that you only get 100 energy and if you use your multiplier you can’t progress at all which is so frustrating, also WAY to many add trying to sell you something when you know all you have is maybe 3 minutes game time with your poxy 100 energy. Subsequently can never complete any of the beanstalk missions or others if you don’t pay for extra
  22. [R58] Merge Cooking® 1/5 · GB Don’t make purchases: I’ve played the game for months and really enjoyed it, lots of good opportunities to watch ads to double rewards and gain extra energy. The moment I made a small purchase all those options to gain extra rewards were gone. The developer suggest its the local ad suppliers fault, or that my device type, location, or ad supplies must have changed, but they haven’t. I made a purch
  23. [R27] Merge Cooking® 3/5 · US Fun but a bit of a false advertisement: The game is fun and definitely addicting, but the advertisements are all false. The ads I’ve seen for it are all features or games that don’t actually exist in the app, which is super weird
  24. [R31] Merge Cooking® 1/5 · US Downloaded after seeing an ad: I saw an add while playing a different game and it looked interesting so I downloaded it only for me to find out that the actual game has nothing to do with the playable ad that I like.
  25. [R34] Merge Cooking® 1/5 · US False Marketing: I downloaded this game from their advertisement while playing another game, and this is not the preview I played even remotely. I was advertised a cake merging puzzle and got a way different type of merging game and was greeted with stupid AI voice acting. I’m sure it’s a fun game, but it is NOT what I was advertised. Customers don’t want false marketing.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store