Cotton Tree vs Wayfinder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cotton Tree
A charming idle game where you grow and evolve cotton plants. Touch to pick cotton, combine it to create new varieties, and embark on adventures with your evolved cotton.
- Pick and combine cotton
- Grow new cotton varieties
- Embark on cotton adventures
- Cute and engaging visuals
- Idle gameplay mechanics
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- Cotton Tree is so cute and may stop your heart!(Watch out your heartbeat) - You could water Cotton Tree!(Waterproof phone is recommended) *How to play Cotton Tree* 1. Touch and pick the cotton 2. Combine two cottons and grow them into another one 3. Go on an adventure with a higher level cotton! You will meet something beyond!
Wayfinder
Embark on a contemplative journey through natural landscapes, uncovering hidden poetic tokens. Interact with the environment to bring flora and fauna to life, and witness words combine into unique verses. This generative art game offers an ever-changing, emergent experience.
- Generative art game
- Contemplative journey
- Poetic tokens
- Procedural visual assets
- AI-generated poetry
- Interactive poem
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WAYFINDER is a generative art game that takes the user on a contemplative cause-and-effect journey with nature. Symbolizing the give-and-take relationship humans have with the natural world, users move a mystical character through forest, grasslands and tundra in search of poetic tokens dotting the landscape. When activated, they reveal words hidden in the wind, breathing new life into the nearby flora and fauna. Flowers grow at the character’s feet, leaves bloom on the bare trees, birds and butterflies emerge. As the user continues on their journey, these uncovered words combine into verse, expressing our eternal need to capture nature’s fleeting moments in poetry. Each experience of WAYFINDER is as unique and ephemeral as the natural world itself. The visual assets are assembled procedurally and delivered in real-time. The lines of poetry are created with a mix of artificial intelligence, machine learning and generative processes, providing thousands of possible combinations. As such, Wayfinder is an ever-changing, emergent artwork with infinite possibilities. Blurring the line between video game, animated short and interactive poem, WAYFINDER is produced by the NFB and the latest project by artist and creative coder Matt DesLauriers. *** Compatibility issues might occur on older iPad devices updated to OS 15.1.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wayfinder at none against Cotton Tree's 6. Wayfinder also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (79% vs 64%). On price, rating, 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. Cotton Tree sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Wayfinder asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Cotton Tree against 4.4 for Wayfinder. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wayfinder has 46 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Cotton Tree's written reviews are positive against 79% of Wayfinder's.
Cotton Tree ships an update every 9 days, Wayfinder every 8 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Cotton Tree | Wayfinder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (7 ratings) | 4.4 (46 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.6% of reviews | 78.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 46 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 112 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jisu Choi | National Film Board of Canada – Office national du film du Canada |
Customer experience
Cotton Tree
Wayfinder
Bugs and requests
Cotton Tree
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Wayfinder
Reported bugs
5 issues- Black screen after intro
- Game doesn't work / won't start
- Screen is black with UI elements
- Game glitch / glitchy
- Cannot mute sound
Requested features
11 requests- Add more interactive elements
- Option for virtual analog stick controls
- Longer game duration / sequel
- More free roam areas
- Add puzzles
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- Add dialogue or character reactions
- Add achievements or checklists
- Option to rewrite poems
- Add more maps/puzzles/stories
- Add an endless mode or meditation mode
- Add more levels/worlds
In-app purchases
Cotton Tree
- Leaf 20EA$0.99
- 44 fresh leaves$1.99
- 120 fresh leaves$4.99
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- 260 fresh leaves$9.99
- 560 fresh leaves$19.99
- 1500 fresh leaves$49.99
Wayfinder
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cotton Tree free?
Is Wayfinder free?
Which has better reviews, Cotton Tree or Wayfinder?
Do Cotton Tree or Wayfinder have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cotton Tree or Wayfinder?
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