Comparison

Timecrest vs Lure

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Interactive chat story
  • Branching narrative choices
  • Fantasy adventure
  • Explore a magical world
  • Emotional custom soundtrack
  • Unlockable music tracks
Features
Read full description

*** 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

About

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.

Highlights
  • Text message story format
  • Interactive choices
  • Bite-sized episodes
  • Multiple genres (romance, horror)
  • Daily new titles
  • Fast-paced storytelling
Features
Read full description

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

Timecrest4 screens
Lure4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Timecrest ships an update monthly, Lure every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Timecrest versus Lure: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimecrestLure
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (855 ratings) — better4.5 (10K ratings)
Positive reviews85.2% of reviews — better28.2% of reviews
Number of ratings85510K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.214.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size308 MB144 MB
Age rating9+17+
DeveloperSneaky Crab, Inc.RepresentLY Inc

Customer experience

Timecrest

All ratings855 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral4.8%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews209 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.1%

Lure

All ratings10,437 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral4.8%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews689 reviews
Positive28.2%
Neutral11.8%
Negative60.1%

User reviews

Timecrest

From 855 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

12 purchases

Timecrest

One-time12
  • 300 Time Crystals$0.99
  • 636 Time Crystals$1.99
  • Memory Oracle Starter Pack$2.99
Show 9 more
  • 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
13 purchases

Lure

Subscriptions9
  • Lure Unlimited3 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Lure Unlimited3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Lure Unlimited3 Days trial$3.997 Days
Show 6 more
  • 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
One-time4
  • Extra Small Pack$1.99
  • Small Pack$4.99
  • Medium Pack$19.99
Show 1 more
  • Large Pack$39.99

Questions

Is Timecrest free?
Timecrest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lure free?
Lure is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Timecrest or Lure?
Timecrest is rated higher. Timecrest averages 4.7 out of 5 from 855 ratings, while Lure averages 4.5 from 10K ratings.
Do Timecrest or Lure have ads?
Lure shows ads; Timecrest does not.
Which is updated more often, Timecrest or Lure?
Timecrest ships an update monthly, and Lure every 10 days. Most recently, Timecrest was updated on September 22, 2026 and Lure on September 26, 2026.

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