# Alphabear: Words Across Time — user reviews > 327 indexed App Store user reviews of Alphabear by Spry Fox, LLC, rated 4.80/5 from 5,296 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphabear-words-across-time/id1352603023/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphabear-words-across-time/id1352603023.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 4,645 · 4★ 478 · 3★ 69 · 2★ 40 · 1★ 64 ## What do users think of Alphabear? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🐻 Cute and adorable bears - 🧠 Challenging word puzzles - 📚 Helps expand vocabulary - 🎨 Visually appealing graphics - 🕹️ Engaging gameplay - 💰 Fair free-to-play model **Cons** - 🕰️ Slow progression and energy system - 💸 Expensive in-app purchases - 🔍 Unclear mechanics and tutorials - 🤖 Inconsistent word recognition - 📺 Excessive and unskippable ads **Commonly reported bugs** - Game crashes and update issues - Syncing and progress loss problems **Most requested features** - Ability to sort and manage bears - More levels and content updates - Offline play mode - Multiplayer or social features - Customization options for bears ## Newest reviews (18 of 327) ### 2/5 — Annoying now *2026-01-24, version 1.13.9* Starts off as a nice little game with a sense of humour. BUT, after you do a certain amount it becomes really grindy. I eventually finished the story on the hard level. I still have about 11 missing bears. Random dropping of bears out of time warps now means I could play on for infinite time and never finish collecting the bears. If you like completing games, this one isn't for you. ### 4/5 — Please update - love this game *2025-12-26, version 1.13.9* I love this game but it has been broken for a while. I know I used to have ads removed but restore purchases doesn’t work and it needs to be fixed. ### 3/5 — :( *2025-12-13, version 1.13.9* forever wishing this was alphabear: hustle!😭😭😭 ### 4/5 — Guessing words *2025-11-24, version 1.13.9* It’s a fun game, with cute bears, but I feel like I’m trying to guess words that app creator approved of or heard of that is accepted in the game. Many words, legitimate words in dictionary, was apparently not found or unable to proceed. Especially when special words come along, ‘mid’, ‘mis’, etc. ### 4/5 — Entretenido con oportunidad *2025-10-26, version 1.13.9* Es muy entretenido y racional. Lo único es que en cada partida hay un anuncio. ### 3/5 — Bring back Alphabear Classic! *2025-09-29, version 1.13.9* It’s okay, but I miss the original Alphabear. ### 4/5 — some ideas Great Game! *2025-08-12, version 1.13.9* this game is really fun and interesting i love the story and it’s great for kids just starting to learn but here are some ideas First more cloth and add on things should be cheaper or some free items also i think it would be fun to play a certain amount of days and get a gift more bears plz ### 2/5 — Update *2025-08-06, version 1.13.9* I recently just downloaded this game and had lots of fun the puzzles are challenging but not too difficult so far. But after 6 years from the release date it still hasn’t got a major update :( Edit: stuck on chapter 5 very hard to progress all luck based for bears and tiles fix this. ### 4/5 — Love it, but… *2025-07-31, version 1.13.9* This is a great game, but don’t try to buy anything! I purchased No Ads- have received only error messages every time I open the game, still have the ads, and have not heard back at all from Support, despite several emails. Am thankful that a refund can be requested through Apple- thank you to another reviewer who pointed that out! The game itself is a lot of fun and this review would be a 5, if not for the absent support. ### 4/5 — Good Game But Can't Purchase Ad Removal *2025-07-26, version 1.13.9* Played this game when it came out before they had ads. Downloaded it again recently and was so jarred by the constant ads so I happily attempted to purchase ad removal but it would not go through, or now that I'm seeing other reviewers complaining of charges going through but no ads being removed I probably had the same thing happen. Tried reaching out to the help desk but no response or solution. So disappointing :( ### 2/5 — Annoying now *2025-06-14, version 1.13.9* Starts off as a nice little game with a sense of humour. BUT, after you do a certain amount it becomes really grindy. I eventually finished the story on the hard level. I still have about 11 missing bears. Random dropping of bears out of time warps now means I could play on for infinite time and never finish collecting the bears. ### 2/5 — Don’t buy anything *2025-05-22, version 1.13.9* I would give the game itself 5/5, but support is 0, unfortunately. Definitely don’t waste your time trying to buy anything. Each time I’ve bought something, the items aren’t added to my account & I get an error message saying “purchase was unsuccessful.” When I when I look at my Apple account, I was definitely charged, so then I need to request a refund through Apple. (The only exception to this was the subscription, I did receive those items.) I’ve reached out to support several times via in-game contact form as well as direct email, and I’ve gotten zero response. I’ve played other SpryFox games & the support in those seems to be fine, so I don’t understand why they’ve apparently abandoned this game but kept it on the App Store. They have a new game on Netflix, so I know the company is still out there, and someone’s getting paid for subscriptions & “failed”purchase attempts, so where is support? As an added bonus, since I’ve now attempted & failed to buy items several times, I get the same 5 pop up error messages *every* *single* *time* I open the app, which is a frustrating reminder. Uninstall/reinstall did not clear them. Other than this issue, I love the game. It’s beautifully designed, fun, & challenging. The characters are great, I love their special abilities & costumes. I don’t understand why SpryFox does not provide support for this game, it really is a shame. I feel like I’m emotionally invested in the characters at this point or I would have stopped playing after the first time I emailed support and got no response. :/ ### 2/5 — Broken IAP *2025-05-10, version 1.13.9* While the game is fun, and I want to give money to the developer for the game, the in-app purchases have not worked since January 2025 and the developers are unresponsive. They do not appear to support this game any longer. ### 2/5 — Ads won’t remove *2025-04-28, version 1.13.9* I purchased remove ads but they still come up, and now every time I open the app I get a pop up that says « validation error » over and over again. I love the game and want to be able to play! ### 3/5 — What’s going on? *2025-04-15, version 1.13.9* I used to play this game all the time. It was fun. I opened this game back up recently, and it just shows me a white screen no matter what I do. I have checked for updates constantly, nothing. ### 2/5 — App purchase bug *2025-04-01, version 1.13.9* Please fix ur app purchase bug. ### 4/5 — Great game but bug in purchases *2025-03-21, version 1.13.9* I purchased the no ads package and it never worked ### 3/5 — Idioma *2025-03-17, version 1.13.9* Não tem português ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Love the game, but in-app purchases don’t work. *2025-10-24, version 1.13.9* I have been playing Alohabear for years. From there original version to this. I have played the Android and Apple versions for many years. I love this game, the concept and it keeps my mind engaged. However, now you cannot make any in app purchases. A validation error now pops up. It will take the money but I don’t get the benefit. Thankfully I have requested a refund for the Apple Store, now twice. I have emailed the company twice now with zero response. Either the company has gone under or they no longer care. Either way, until the developer fixes the issue my rating will stay at 1 star ### 1/5 — Would Be 5 Stars If I Could Remove Ads *2025-08-25, version 1.13.9* Broken payment for the ad removal & ultimate package… but you can still purchase the VIP monthly subscription. ### 1/5 — Don’t buy anything *2025-07-20, version 1.13.9* I like many wanted to purchase something to support the game because it’s a cute and fun game! I purchased the ad removal and the payment went through. But then every time I started up the game I got 4 pop up messages that said there was a validation error and the purchase failed. I also was still getting advertisements. I was able to get a refund through filing a claim in the App Store. It’s a shame it seems the devs stopped caring about this game because it’s a good game. ### 1/5 — Can’t buy ultimate bundle *2025-06-08, version 1.13.9* Keeps saying purchase failed with error: validation error. Uninstalled, reinstalled, same issue. ### 1/5 — Horrible customer support *2025-05-20, version 1.13.9* The game is fun but don’t give them any money. The in app purchases aren’t working even though you get charged. I contacted support two weeks ago and still haven’t heard back about getting my refund. ### 1/5 — No support for bugs *2025-04-02, version 1.13.9* I actually love the game itself, but I’ve emailed the developers twice now to resolve an issue and received nothing but automated responses and no answers. I’ve attempted to even purchase the game to support the developers and remove ads, but I get 4 error messages every time I open the app, “purchase failed with error: validation error.” I really hate ads guys. I paid almost $8 to get rid of them and no one has gotten back to me. ### 1/5 — Ad free does not work *2025-03-07, version 1.13.9* Purchases do not load and the support feature does not work either ~ emailed the support team and received no response. Clearly no one is maintaining or responding anymore. ### 1/5 — Don’t buy anything *2025-02-18, version 1.13.9* I paid to remove ads in this game and they took my money and I still have ads, Apple refused to refund, I call that theft. The game is fun, but I don’t like being conned ### 1/5 — Worst Support Ever! *2025-02-13, version 1.13.9* I’ve submitted 6 trouble tickets in the last 2 weeks - No response! Cannot watch ads to earn coins. 3 finger swipe down does not work on my iPad. I’m afraid Spry Fox has gone the way of so many other game developers: Must pay real $ to get anything. Alpha Bear used to be my fav game but no longer. Stay away from Spry Fox - they’ll only give hours of frustration! ### 1/5 — Not as good *2024-12-18, version 1.13.9* Not as good as the first one, very disappointed. Ignorant support. Bad game. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Perfect Chill Game *2025-08-08, version 1.13.9* I vaguely remember playing the first Alphabear. Super cute game. ### 5/5 — Refund Please! *2025-08-04, version 1.13.9* I tried to pay the $5 for the no ads thing and then I tried the other one for $8 when that first didn’t work. Neither of them work! And it’s charging me $13!! And Apple won’t let me request a refund from them >:| ### 5/5 — Fun and Cute *2025-07-09, version 1.13.9* I like the gameplay and the way you can power up your characters. My favorite part though is seeing all the different little bears. ### 5/5 — Fun, cute, funny and challenging! *2025-05-22, version 1.13.9* I am a word nerd and love a challenging word game that is also visually appealing. This is one of the best word games I have come across, it ticks all the boxes. However, there seems to be a glitch … when I try to make an in-game purchase, I keep getting an error message: Purchase failed with error - Validation Error. I have had no problems doing the same in other games, so am a little frustrated, help please! ### 5/5 — Game is beyond lovely! *2025-04-17, version 1.13.9* So fun, has the right ratio of ads to playtime, I never feel like I’ve run out of things to do, perfect game for idle play throughout the day! And the story is so cute and endearing without feeling overbearing (get it overBEARing lol!) ### 5/5 — Far beyond expectations *2025-03-22, version 1.13.9* Wow. It’s a shame Spryfox is a relatively small company because this game is amazing. I first got this game 4 years ago and despite stop playing it time and time again I always come back to it. I especially like the Bear Book at the bottom left and how Legendary bears are so rare - in most games with common, rare etc things the highest rank is just not hard enough to get. Would love it if there was another casual play mode where you could just play previous missions for no honey. But very fun game. ### 5/5 — Love it *2025-03-10, version 1.13.9* The game is fun and I like it. The only minus: the shop to stop the adverts is not functioning: always a message of validation error… sadly ### 5/5 — bear is good *2025-02-24, version 1.13.9* bear love bear ### 5/5 — Been a fan since alphabear 1 *2025-02-01, version 1.13.9* But i got problem with my recent purchase yesterday. Already made my payment but i kept getting “purchase failed with error: validation error”. Please help. ### 5/5 — FUN! *2025-01-19, version 1.13.9* the graphic is good, the game is fun 🫶🏻 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*