# Dear Reader — Literary Wordplay > Literary wordplay game transforming classic books into word puzzles. (iPhone/iPad app by Local No. 12, LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-reader/id1470280172 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Local No. 12, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1169662930) - Category: Games, Puzzle - Price: Free - Rating: 4.47/5 from 565 App Store ratings · 171 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 383 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2019-09-19 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-reader/id1470280172/reviews.md ## What is Dear Reader? • Play with more than a hundred classic books • Unlock dozens of ways to Wordplay • Acquire new books from a rotating selection in the Bookstore • Earn Rare Books by completing challenging Reading Goals • Embark on Research missions to unlock special abilities • Puzzle through increasingly difficult Daily Challenges “If I’m not actually reading in my down time then I’m likely playing Dear Reader.” -one of our dear players Dear Reader lets you curl up and play your favorite books, turning classic literature into clever word puzzles. Unscramble passages from famous books, unlock unique puzzles, and add new books to your library. Dear Reader includes over 130 literary classics and dozens of different types of word puzzles, from unscrambling anagrams to swapping lines of text. Dear Reader is the first and only game where you can play with the actual written words of so many tempting books of classic literature! As Game Developer’s Alissa McAloon wrote, Dear Reader is “a game that’s as difficult to put down as a good book.” Best Apple Arcade Games, IGN Top 5 Apple Arcade recommended games, Bustle Magazine 12 Best Apple Arcade games, Gamespot 10 Best Mobile Games of the Year, Paste Magazine Official Finalist, IndieCade Official Selection, Indie Megabooth GDC Showcase Official Selection, Wordplay Festival Best Gameplay Finalist, Games for Change Best Meaningful Play, International Mobile Gaming Awards ## Key features - Play with over 130 classic books - Unlock dozens of wordplay puzzle types - Acquire new books from a rotating selection - Earn Rare Books by completing goals - Embark on Research missions for abilities - Solve daily word challenges ## What do users think of Dear Reader? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Engaging word puzzles - 📚 Variety of classic books - 👍 Relaxing gameplay - 💡 Unique concept of 'playing books' - 🤓 Helps improve reading and language skills - 🎨 Beautiful UI design **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes and bugs - 🔋 High battery consumption - 🤔 Heavily abridged book excerpts - 🙄 Repetitive daily challenges - 💰 Expensive rare books **Commonly reported bugs** - Game progress being deleted - Inability to exit the library - Crashes when trying to purchase rare books **Most requested features** - Add more modern and popular book titles - Option to read full unabridged books - Dark mode - Ability to report typos and errors - More varied and engaging goals/achievements ## Recent user reviews (10 of 171) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-reader/id1470280172/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Masterpiece! *2026-04-30, version 3.12.0* Unique, Insightful, Provocative, Comprehension Exercises, Direct engagement with words, rearranging syntax. A beautiful game, all the millions of readers worldwide, should immediately download and play this gem - they would cherish it! ### 5/5 — Hmmm *2026-04-05, version 3.12.0* I promise just read books. This is not a better experience just because it uses a technology. Reading books is more fun and you can find them on whatever app your local library uses. If you don’t follow my advice I’ll literally get you so ### 5/5 — My favorite game *2026-02-23, version 3.11.0* Dear Reader combines mostly classic literature with contemporary technology in a delightfully entertaining way. The different game types add to the fun of “reading” books that, as a busy adult, I would not have time to sit down and actually read. I enjoy the daily challenges and research quests, and appreciate the ability to change the difficulty. The variety of books is quite substantial and I feel as if I am not wasting as much time as when I play other games. ### 3/5 — I was having fun until… *2026-02-16, version 3.11.0* I’ve been playing this game for a while now. I love it betas someone who has been labeled as dyslexic it’s a fun game. I do have just ONE issue. I’ve come across the daily challenges and there’s just one that’s super annoying. It’s where the words are switched places and you click one and it changes automatically. However for someone who (and to anyone who can do this) can basically “autocorrect” mentally and do not read it as an error it’s really frustrating. I actually skip the daily challenges because of this. ### 5/5 — Awesome *2025-12-14, version 3.11.0* Splendid 💯💯💯💯 ### 5/5 — Great game *2025-12-12, version 3.11.0* Overall an excellent game, although a word definition system would make it incredible. ### 4/5 — Love the game but… *2025-11-22, version 3.10.0* Just wish it could be purchased without an Apple Arcade subscription. If it were, I would keep playing. ### 3/5 — Offensive content *2025-11-16, version 3.10.0* So, I have the daily challenge widget on my Home Screen, yeah? It includes a phrase from the daily chapter, which goes away once you play the challenge. It’s usually fine, but today is different. I open my phone today, and you know what I see in the Dear Reader widget? A phrase with the word “N*gro”. That isn’t okay! It’s racist! If that word is in the daily chapter, that’s fine. But I don’t want such language featured on my screen. Please fix this! ### 5/5 — YES, but… *2025-11-14, version 3.10.0* Amazing game, but pleaase take off Apple Arcade, I would buy in a heartbeat, so many others too. Maybe add a few free books for new players to feel it out too. Regardless, amazing concept for a game, helped got me back into reading. ### 2/5 — Books Too Expensive *2025-08-08, version 3.9.0* I haven't tried the others, but I honestly don't like Dear Reader. I started playing it because I like Classical Literature so I thought this would be a cool way to engage in it. But while the game started out fun, it turned bad as it takes way too much ink to buy books and the later achievements to get Rare Book tokens are near impossible. It felt like ones of those micro transactions filled games without the microtransactions, as while I'm thankful it's free it's still wants you to spend too much time on it. One positive note is that it reignited my interest in classical literature and helped recommend some books I've never tried or even heard of before, so that was cool. ## Frequently asked questions about Dear Reader ### What is Dear Reader? Dear Reader is a mobile game that transforms classic literature into engaging word puzzles. You can play with the actual text of over 130 classic books, unscrambling passages and solving various wordplay challenges. ### What kind of puzzles can I expect? The app offers dozens of different word puzzle types, including unscrambling anagrams and swapping lines of text. These puzzles are designed to be clever and challenging, drawing directly from the content of classic books. ### Is Dear Reader free to play? Yes, Dear Reader is a free-to-play application. It does not feature in-app purchases or advertisements, allowing for an uninterrupted gaming experience. ### How do I get more books? You can acquire new books through a rotating selection available in the in-game Bookstore. Additionally, you can earn Rare Books by successfully completing challenging Reading Goals within the game. ### What are Research missions? Research missions are special in-game activities that allow you to unlock special abilities. By embarking on these missions, you can enhance your gameplay experience and discover new ways to interact with the literary puzzles. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.13.0 — 2026-05-22 Dear Readers, presenting another stack of new books: • The Birds, by Aristophanes • The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald • The Railway Children, by Edith Nesbit Plus small fixes and improvements. ### 3.12.0 — 2026-03-11 Dear Readers, here is another batch of new books: • Tales of Bengal, by S. B. Banerjea • The Montessori Method, by Maria Montessori • The Rover Boys in Business; Or, The Search for the Missing Bonds, by Edward Stratemeyer • Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic, by Henri Bergson • Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), by Jerome Jerome Also included: small fixes and adjustments ### 3.11.0 — 2025-12-10 New books, Dear Readers! This update includes: Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell, Histories, by Herodotus, Turkish Fairy Tales, by Ignácz Kúnos! Also in this release: small fixes and adjustments. ### 3.10.0 — 2025-09-10 New stories await, Dear Readers! This update brings you: Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne, How to Grow the Peanut, by George Carver, Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gág, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare! Also in this release: small fixed and adjustments, including an easier Sunday Daily Challenge. ### 3.9.0 — 2025-06-11 Hello Dear Readers, we have another batch of new books for you! They include: Morning Glories, by Josephine Heard, Steam Man of the Prairies, by Edward Ellis, The Republic, by Plato, And The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter! ## Apps similar to Dear Reader | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Word Connect - Word Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-connect-word-games/id1269460400) | 4.7 (16,758) | Free | Games | | [Crossword Jam+](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-jam-plus/id6448909510) | 4.8 (17,524) | Free | Games | | [Crossword Explorer+](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-explorer-plus/id1551764376) | 4.9 (2,320) | Free | Games | | [Monument Valley 2+](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monument-valley-2-plus/id1583222406) | 4.8 (577) | Free | Games | | [Knotwords+](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/knotwords-plus/id6449983614) | 3.8 (121) | Free | Games | | [Words of Wonders: Search+](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/words-of-wonders-search-plus/id6476141662) | 4.9 (9,076) | Free | Games | ## Related topics [ar mind reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ar-mind-reader) · [literature games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/literature-games) · [crossword apple arcade](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/crossword-apple-arcade) · [apple arcade games word](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/apple-arcade-games-word) · [book games read](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/book-games-read) --- *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 2026-08-29.*