Comparison

Timecrest vs Read Reality

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

Read Reality

Features
Read full description

With the app, you will be able to bring our books to life, visualize them, and travel through the digital world. AR technology will allow you to see the elements of the book in the camera, play games, collect points, and buy prizes from points. good luck!

Screenshots

Timecrest4 screens
Read Reality3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Read Reality at none against Timecrest's 12. Read Reality also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.2). Timecrest's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price 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. Read Reality asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Timecrest ships an update monthly, Read Reality every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Timecrest versus Read Reality: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimecrestRead Reality
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (857 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings857 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.212.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size308 MB174 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperSneaky Crab, Inc.SkangoGames LLC

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

Read Reality

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Read Reality

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Timecrest free?
Timecrest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Read Reality free?
Read Reality is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Timecrest or Read Reality have ads?
Read Reality shows ads; Timecrest does not.
Which is updated more often, Timecrest or Read Reality?
Timecrest ships an update monthly, and Read Reality every 3 months. Most recently, Timecrest was updated on October 12, 2026 and Read Reality on October 3, 2026.

Other comparisons