Timecrest vs Lure
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Timecrest
Embark on an epic fantasy adventure where your choices shape the narrative. As a young mage, you'll explore a magical world, uncover plot twists, and make decisions that determine the fate of a realm threatened by destruction. Experience a rich story with an emotional soundtrack.
- Interactive chat story
- Branching narrative choices
- Fantasy adventure
- Explore a magical world
- Emotional custom soundtrack
- Unlockable music tracks
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*** Best Game & Developer of the Year, AppleVis Golden Apples *** *** Featured in Apple's App Store Best Of *** “An interesting story... Simple fun.” - The New York Times Timecrest is a young adult fantasy where you are the main character. A young mage named Ash contacts you frantically through a pocket watch connecting to your iPhone asking for your help. Ash’s world, Alyncia, is about to be destroyed by falling meteors, but you demonstrate the ability to save Ash’s world by turning back time. There isn’t long to celebrate as Ash is suddenly being hunted by someone who informs you that you’ve done the impossible–your use of time magic has broken the rules of magic. Whether you save the world or do something else, your journey will take you through wondrous places where you’ll meet people that will either become your friends or your enemies. The decision to experience this game is yours, but if you do adventure in Alyncia, it will be the journey of a lifetime. - MAKE YOUR CHOICE. Timecrest is a story where no path is the wrong one. Walk your own road and experience a satisfying story no matter what. - EXPLORE A MAGICAL WORLD. Timecrest pulls no punches with big emotional moments and plot twists across over 640,000 words. - EXPERIENCE FANTASY AND WONDER. Timecrest features an emotional custom soundtrack with 34 musical tracks to unlock. What people are saying about Timecrest: “The characters really do draw you in.” - Jamie Pauls “It's not just a survival, yes/no–binary choice thing. It's like you're watching actual characters, actual people, living actual lives.” - Alex Hall “Timecrest stands out.” - AFB, AccessWorld Magazine “Worth a look–even if you’re not a fan of interactive fiction–as this is the best one so far.” - RNIB Connect Radio
Lure
Experience engaging stories told through interactive text message conversations. Choose your path and watch as suspenseful, romantic, or horror narratives unfold in a unique, bite-sized format. Perfect for quick reads on the go.
- Text message story format
- Interactive choices
- Bite-sized episodes
- Multiple genres (romance, horror)
- Daily new titles
- Fast-paced storytelling
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Lure is an addictive interactive chat stories app filled with bite-sized romance, steamy text message stories, suspenseful horror, and choices that let you decide what happens next. Read stories told through text message conversations, like you’re watching someone else’s private messenger app unfold in real time. Tap to reveal each new message, follow every twist, and get pulled into episodes packed with romance, drama, suspense, secrets, and shocking reveals. Choose your next obsession: * Fall for a billionaire boss * Give in to a forbidden romance * Get tangled up with bad boys * Enter a werewolf love story * Unlock secret messages and hidden twists * Read spooky horror stories when you want something darker * Tap through quick episodes anytime, anywhere Whether you love steamy romance stories, interactive stories, text stories, chat fiction, or quick bite-sized episodes, Lure makes reading fast, fun, and addictive. No long chapters. No boring pages. Just dramatic, suspenseful, romantic stories designed for the way you read now. Tap to reveal the next message. Watch the story unfold. Choose what happens next. New titles and episodes to explore every day. By using Lure, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: https://lureapp.com/terms-conditions.html https://lureapp.com/privacy-policy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Timecrest at 85% against Lure's 28%. Timecrest also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Lure's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (10K vs 855). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Timecrest sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Lure sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Timecrest holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lure has 10K ratings behind it against 855, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Timecrest's written reviews are positive against 28% of Lure's.
Timecrest ships an update monthly, Lure every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Timecrest | Lure |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (855 ratings) — better | 4.5 (10K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.2% of reviews — better | 28.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 855 | 10K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.2 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 308 MB | 144 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Sneaky Crab, Inc. | RepresentLY Inc |
Customer experience
Timecrest
Lure
User reviews
Timecrest
From 855 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fantastic story and world-building
- 👍 Engaging and immersive gameplay
- 🎨 Beautiful music and soundtrack
- 🎯 Meaningful choices with impact
- 🙌 Excellent accessibility for blind/VI users
Room to improve
- ⏱️ Lengthy wait times between actions
- 🤑 Expensive in-app purchases for time crystals
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and syncing issues
- 🤔 Some predictable story elements
Lure
From 10K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great stories
- 👍 Engaging content
- 💡 Variety of genres
- 🤩 Addictive reading experience
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive gem system
- ⏱️ Long wait times between chapters
- 🤔 Incomplete stories
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🤯 Frustrating in-app purchases
Bugs and requests
Timecrest
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inconsistent save data across devices
- Text overlapping/glitching issues
- Relationship points not tracking properly
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to earn more time crystals in-game
- More control and customization options
- Expanded story and content updates
- Improved save/load functionality
Lure
Reported bugs
3 issues- Gems/diamonds disappearing
- App crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent story formatting
Requested features
5 requests- More affordable gem/diamond system
- Faster gem/diamond earning rate
- Ability to read full stories without paywalls
- Better communication on story updates
- Improved customer support
In-app purchases
Timecrest
- 300 Time Crystals$0.99
- 636 Time Crystals$1.99
- Memory Oracle Starter Pack$2.99
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- 1296 Time Crystals$3.99
- One Time Welcome Pack$5.99
- 2310 Time Crystals$6.99
- 3330 Time Crystals$9.99
- 6,330 Time Crystals$18.99
- 6900 Time Crystals$19.99
- 13,330 Time Crystals$39.99
- 19,997 Time Crystals$59.99
- 34479 Time Crystals$99.99
Lure
- Lure Unlimited3 Days trial$0.997 Days
- Lure Unlimited3 Days trial$2.997 Days
- Lure Unlimited3 Days trial$3.997 Days
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Lure Unlimited7 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Lure Unlimited3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Lure VIP3 Days trial$5.997 Days
- Lure Unlimited$9.991 Month
- Lure VIP3 Days trial$29.996 Months
- Lure VIP7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Extra Small Pack$1.99
- Small Pack$4.99
- Medium Pack$19.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Large Pack$39.99









