Typeshift vs Hanayomi Crossword
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Typeshift
This word puzzle game challenges you to unscramble letters within stacked words to form new words in the center row. It offers daily challenges with global leaderboards and special clue-based puzzles. Unlock additional content and remove ads with in-app purchases.
- Anagram and word search mechanics
- Shift letter columns to spell words
- Daily challenges with leaderboards
- Special clue puzzles
- Unlockable puzzle packs
- Themes and statistics
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From the creator of SpellTower, comes a new and completely original word game! Anagrams meets Word Search, with a sprinkle of Crosswords. Typeshift is the modern anagram puzzle; re-imagined from the ground up, combining wordplay, modern game design, and a mobile-first approach. In most anagram games, you search for new combinations within a single word, but in Typeshift, you search within three to five words stacked & scrambled up together. Shift columns of letters up and down as you try to spell words in the center row. Play continues until you have used all letters in a puzzle at least once. Special Clue Puzzles combine Crosswords with Anagrams as you match clever clues provided by Typeshift's various puzzle authors. - Daily Word Game Play with Global Leaderboards - Typeshift features a free daily challenge with global leaderboards. The easiest challenge for the week appears on Monday, and progressively more challenging puzzles build throughout the week. Compare your fastest Typeshift daily solving times with players around the globe! ------WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING "Addictive and edifying, like popping a special kind of bubble wrap that expands your vocabulary.” - The Verge "Typeshift is a unmissable entry to the [word] genre." Gold Award. - Pocket Gamer "Typeshift is f*cking awesome" - Giant Bombcast "The Word Puzzle Game You've Been Waiting For" - Waypoint "Well worth your time" - Sixcolors ------WHATS IN THE “BOX”? Typeshift comes with over a hundred free puzzles, with more coming soon, plus new free daily puzzles every day. Additional puzzle packs may be purchased in-app. Purchasing any puzzle pack removes ads, and unlocks themes & detailed statistics. ------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER Typeshift continues my quest to re-imagine classic newspaper games in the digital era. Where SpellTower tackled word search and Really Bad Chess handled chess puzzles, Typeshift re-examines Anagrams and Crosswords. Typeshift has been a joy to develop, and I hope you have as much fun playing it as I had making it. As always, thanks so much for your support! -zach
Hanayomi Crossword
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Hanayomi Crossword turns Japanese vocabulary practice into a calm, beautiful puzzle. Slide glowing glass kana tiles into the grid to spell real Japanese words — each clue paired with an icon or kanji so you learn meaning as you play. Every puzzle is built from graded JLPT vocabulary, rendered as thick beveled glass on a quiet studio surface. • 100 crossword puzzles, graded JLPT N5–N3 • Learn hiragana, katakana and kanji in context • Picture and kanji clues — no rote flashcards • Track your progress and continue any puzzle • 100% offline — no account, no ads, no tracking Whether you're starting hiragana or reviewing JLPT vocab, it's a relaxing few minutes of Japanese, one word at a time. Vocabulary and meanings come from the open JMdict and KANJIDIC dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hanayomi Crossword at none against Typeshift's 10. Hanayomi Crossword also leads on ads (none vs shown). Typeshift's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence 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. Typeshift sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Hanayomi Crossword asks for nothing beyond the download.
Typeshift ships an update every 6 weeks, Hanayomi Crossword every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Typeshift | Hanayomi Crossword |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (499 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 49.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 499 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zach Gage | JP7 Servicos de Informatica Ltda. |
Bugs and requests
Typeshift
Reported bugs
4 issues- Puzzle timer inaccuracies
- Purchased content not restoring properly
- Letters not registering correctly
- Puzzles not displaying properly on some devices
Requested features
5 requests- More clue puzzles and puzzle packs
- Option to reset/replay completed puzzle packs
- Sync progress across devices
- Support for British/Australian English
- Built-in dictionary with better word definitions
Hanayomi Crossword
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Typeshift
- Chocolate Puzzle Pack$0.99
- Peppermint Puzzle Pack$0.99
- Pecan Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
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- Walnut Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
- Parmesan Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
- Umami Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
- Pistachio Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
- Starter Bundle$1.99
- Sophomore Bundle$1.99
- Gumshoe Clue Bundle$3.99
Hanayomi Crossword
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Typeshift free?
Is Hanayomi Crossword free?
Do Typeshift or Hanayomi Crossword have ads?
Which is updated more often, Typeshift or Hanayomi Crossword?
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