# The Beautiful Dream vs Dark Notes

The Beautiful Dream and Dark Notes both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of The Beautiful Dream's written reviews are positive against 43% of Dark Notes's. The Beautiful Dream also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dark Notes sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. The Beautiful Dream asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for The Beautiful Dream against 4.7 for Dark Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Beautiful Dream has 177 ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of The Beautiful Dream's written reviews are positive against 43% of Dark Notes's.

The Beautiful Dream ships an update every 6 days, Dark Notes every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Beautiful Dream | Dark Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (177 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-beautiful-dream/id1011086561/reviews)** | [4.7 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-notes-horror-games/id6480274643/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **177** | 30 |
| Positive reviews | **86.6% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 115 MB | 216 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [NetEase Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/874255382) | [FUNNY GAME CO.,LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1182682106) |

## What reviewers say

### The Beautiful Dream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-beautiful-dream/id1011086561)

Embark on an enchanting puzzle adventure inspired by a classic Chinese poem. Navigate a dreamlike world of shifting seasons and traditional art to reunite with a lost love. Solve intricate color and shape-based puzzles in a visually stunning experience.

**Highlights:** Emotional characters and story, Intricate color and shape puzzles, Traditional Chinese painting art style, Mini-games for replayability, Intuitive tap-and-drag controls

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Stunning and beautiful artwork/graphics
- 🎵 Soothing and atmospheric music
- 💡 Unique and creative puzzle mechanics
- 😌 Relaxing and calming gameplay experience
- 📖 Engaging story with poetic elements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎮 Unintuitive and confusing controls
- ❓ Poor in-game instructions and guidance
- ⏱️ Extremely short gameplay duration
- 🎯 Imprecise tap detection and hit boxes
- 😕 Arbitrary game mechanics without clear logic

**Reported bugs**

- Chapter VI - Moonlight: Colors not applying to portrait in dress painting section
- Black background rendering preventing interaction on older iOS devices
- Scenes missing on older devices (iOS 7)
- Graphics downgrade to 8-bit on older devices
- Imprecise tap detection requiring very specific spot clicking

**Requested features**

- More levels and chapters
- Longer storyline and extended gameplay
- Better tutorial or on-screen instructions
- Sequel or continuation of the story
- Chinese language version


### Dark Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-notes-horror-games/id6480274643)

Explore a dark mystery and puzzle adventure across time and space. Unravel secrets from dual perspectives, solve challenging puzzles, and experience a gripping narrative in a realistic, immersive environment.

**Highlights:** Dual-protagonist perspective, Time and space exploration, Multiple versions of truth, Challenging puzzles, Realistic graphic style, Immersive atmosphere

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 gold coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 30 gold coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 80 gold coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 190 gold coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 380 gold coins | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Beautiful Dream free?

The Beautiful Dream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Dark Notes free?

Dark Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Beautiful Dream or Dark Notes?

The Beautiful Dream is rated higher. The Beautiful Dream averages 4.7 out of 5 from 177 ratings, while Dark Notes averages 4.7 from 30 ratings.

### Do The Beautiful Dream or Dark Notes have ads?

Dark Notes shows ads; The Beautiful Dream does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Beautiful Dream or Dark Notes?

The Beautiful Dream ships an update every 6 days, and Dark Notes every 4 months. Most recently, The Beautiful Dream was updated on November 1, 2026 and Dark Notes on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*