Gleam vs Paint Dropper
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Gleam
A physics-based puzzle game where you use reflective gems to guide sunlight to the last plant in a post-apocalyptic world. Solve challenging levels with minimal moves to earn a three-star rating and keep hope alive.
- Physics-based puzzle gameplay
- Reflective gem mechanics
- 40+ levels across 5 environments
- Atmospheric music and visuals
- Three-star rating system
- Casual and hardcore puzzle blend
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Gleam is a physics-based puzzle game in which players use reflective gems to bring sunlight to the last living plant in a post-apocalyptic world. Use as few moves as possible to achieve a three-star rating. Up for a real challenge? Gleam features tons of very clever, beautifully-designed levels that will keep you entertained for hours at a time. In the twilight of a dying world, can you keep hope alive? Key Features: 1. Experience a nutrient-rich blend of casual and hardcore puzzle gameplay. 2. Solve mind-bending puzzles with gems and gravity. 3. Explore 40+ levels within 5 different environments. 4. Travel through a post-apocalyptic world -- brought to life with intense, atmospheric music. 5. Strive to achieve a perfect 3-star score.
Paint Dropper
A simple yet challenging puzzle game where players swap colors using a dropper to solve beautiful painting puzzles. Exercise your brain with engaging and visually appealing challenges.
- Color swapping mechanic
- Dropper tool
- Beautiful painting puzzles
- Challenging gameplay
- Brain teaser
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Simple yet challenging puzzle ! Solve the puzzle by swapping the colors using a dropper! Many beautiful painting puzzles !
Screenshots
Verdict
Gleam and Paint Dropper both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Gleam's written reviews are positive against 33% of Paint Dropper's. Gleam also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). Paint Dropper's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (36K vs 3). On price, rating 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. Gleam sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Paint Dropper asks for nothing beyond the download.
Paint Dropper holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paint Dropper has 36K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Gleam's written reviews are positive against 33% of Paint Dropper's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Gleam ships an update every 6 days, Paint Dropper fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Gleam | Paint Dropper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (3 ratings) | 4.5 (36K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better | 32.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 36K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 156 MB | 164 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Hiker Games Joint Stock Company | KAYAC Inc. |
Customer experience
Gleam
Paint Dropper
Bugs and requests
Gleam
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Paint Dropper
Reported bugs
2 issues- Game freezes when transitioning between levels
- Levels sometimes don't load properly
Requested features
3 requests- Increase difficulty and complexity of levels
- Reduce frequency of ads
- Add more variety in level designs
In-app purchases
Gleam
- Small Gift To Gleam$1.99
- Medium Gift To Gleam$2.99
- Big Gift To Gleam$4.99
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- Giant Gift To Gleam$9.99
Paint Dropper
No in-app purchases
