I started my testing by downloading all of the apps and playing them for a little bit to see how the games worked. I also looked to see how much each app cost to decide whether or not it was worth spending the money or choosing the free app. 

I focused on apps that were mainly about design and less about a story, because I was interested in ones where the object of the game was to focus on the design. Some apps that included both design and story made it on the list. I also paid attention to how user-friendly each app was, and how the design looked. All of the apps on our list are free, but many offer in-app purchases. The free apps made it to the list, because they offered as much quality as any paid app. Any money spent in the apps offers extra fun, but is not necessary for a good experience.

Property Brothers Home Design is free and works the same way as Home Design Makeover, but the visuals feel more realistic. 

In the app, you help The Property Brothers design a home for one of their clients. Each furniture selection gives you different style options rather than one style in different colors like some of the other apps.

Play matching games to get more coins in order to buy the furniture and paint you need. Start with a blueprint that you can revisit while decorating a previously empty room.

For those who are interested in skipping the matching game and designing homes as quickly as possible, there are options to buy gems as well as a piggy bank to keep them in, but by no means do you have to spend any real money to play. The matching game is fun and quick, but sometimes people want to skip to the good part!

This game is super fun and easy to progress closer and closer to the fully finished and decorated room. It's easy to earn coins throughout the process by playing the matching game to get more coins. One weird thing about the app was the coin system. On the bar at the top of the screen that shows users coins, there are also gems and some other kind of coin. These aren't used to buy furniture and aren't earned during matching games, so it's unclear what they're used for and how they are earned during the game. This is no big deal and doesn't change the way the game is played! If users want coins to use on furniture faster, they can buy them. Otherwise, the matching game will get you all the coins you need!

In this app, you select a room to decorate. 

Each one provides a backstory of who the room is for and what their tastes are. Then you work with a blueprint to select the best colors and textiles to use for the client. After you submit your room, other users give you a rating and you get more coins to use and decor items to use in future rooms.

Like Property Brothers, this app does offer optional in-app purchases. These may be worth it for those who want more decor options. In the shopping section of the app, users can buy coins, gold, and cash to use on textiles, art, throws and more in the shop. There are more options in the shop than when you're decorating a room without buying excess items. The app is plenty fun without this, but design lovers may want to splurge!

This app is similar to the Property Brothers app where you work with a blueprint and continue adding to an empty room over time by earning more coins through a matching game. 

Each time you add a new piece of furniture, you get to choose between three colors. This is fun and relaxing as you work toward the ultimate and satisfying goal of completing the room for the client. 

The character dialogue is quirky and funny and can make this app a first choice for people who enjoy banter between game characters. Just like the Property Brothers game, this app offers the option to buy coins and gems so that users can bypass the matching game. This can allow you to design rooms much faster and move on to the next quickly.

This app is a fun app for people looking to pass some time. 

Help a new college grad decorate her apartment, and start her career in the big city. Play matching games in order to get more coins to use on furniture and wallpaper. The app is colorful and has different options to choose from for colors and style. The storyline element of this app can make it more enticing for users than some of the other apps. 

The story opens with the main character newly graduating college for interior design and moving into her first apartment. The landlord tells her the apartment is her canvas and she can decorate it any way she wants. Users get to help her decorate her apartment. Like other apps, users can buy coins and gems instead of playing matching games to get them.

This app was not chosen, because it was not so much a game about home design as it was about makeovers with makeup and fashion. It’s still a fun game if that is what you are looking for, but it wasn't really what we were looking for with this article.

This app was not chosen, because it is not as much about home design as we thought it would be. Its focus is on designing an area for a wedding of two of the characters. Like most of these games, you match colors to get more coins to use. This is still a great game, but it isn’t about designing homes so we didn’t choose it.

Really there were just better home design apps in the mix than this one. This is a story game about someone who quits her job and then inherits a mansion, redecorates it, and brings it back to life. We were more interested in the focus being on designing a home for a client or main character who is choosing to move in rather than a story app about redecorating a family member’s mansion.

Homescapes is a story game about a butler who visits his old childhood home and redecorates it. You play games in order to get more coins to use. This app was not chosen, because we were more interested in apps that focused on interior design rather than story apps about inheriting or revisiting a family mansion.

Matchington is a story game about where you are given a mansion and your interior designer friend helps you decorate it. This one also has a matching game to get more coins. This app was not chosen, because we were more interested in apps that focused one designing homes rather than story apps about inheriting a mansion. 

This app was not chosen, because it was very hard to use. We were not able to figure out how to start designing and it was not user friendly. The app had a free version, but required you to buy the paid version in order to save. If this app was not so hard to use, we likely would have picked since it is a true home design game.