Book vs Mahjong by Microsoft
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Book
Navigate challenging mazes, collect letters, and spell words to win. Outsmart enemies with spells and uncover hidden bonuses. Compete in daily challenges to maintain streaks and earn high scores in this classic arcade-style word game.
- Navigate mazes
- Collect letters
- Spell words to win
- Avoid enemies (Blots)
- Cast Slow-Down spells
- Find hidden letters and bonuses
- Daily Challenges
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Help Book-Man navigate mysterious mazes to collect letters while avoiding the diabolical Blots! Spell the word to win each level while racking up points and grabbing helpful bonuses. Outsmart the Blots by casting Slow-Down spells and uncovering hidden letters! Keep your streak going and earn extra points with Daily Challenges. Get the word game that’s packed with classic arcade action! Get Book-Man! From the creators of TheFreeDictionary.com, the massively popular online dictionary.
Mahjong by Microsoft
Engage in hundreds of strategic tile-matching puzzles with beautiful backgrounds and relaxing sounds. Earn points, complete daily challenges, and unlock new content. Customize your game and train your brain with this classic experience.
- Hundreds of Mahjong puzzles
- Daily challenges
- Earn points and collect achievements
- Unlock new tile sets and backgrounds
- Customize game board
- Bookmark favorite puzzles
- Brain training
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Escape in the tranquil beauty of Mahjong by Microsoft where hundreds of tile matching puzzles are ready to solve in the popular game of strategy, memory, and skill. Play among gorgeous backgrounds, relaxing sounds, and unique themes to match any mood. Relax as you earn points by completing mahjong puzzles at your own pace. Use HINTS or SHUFFLE tiles for ease of play. Earn extra points when you solve puzzles without HELP, or match the same suit of mahjong tiles in a row to create a chain bonus. Choose a higher LEVEL of DIFFICULTY to earn even more points! Unlock NEW mahjong tile sets & backgrounds as you level up. Customize your board or bookmark your FAVORITES to play again and again. Five (5) DAILY CHALLENGES available for you to complete each day. Achieve Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, or a Perfect Badge for completing ALL challenges EVERY DAY of the month! Choose from Classic Challenges, Golden Tiles, Lightning Tiles, Match Attack, or Score Attack. For even MORE excitement, turn on the timer to challenge your speed, or find Quick Play matches. No matter how you play, enjoy a peaceful journey in Mahjong by Microsoft. • Hundreds of Puzzles to Solve • 5 Unique Daily Challenges Every Day • Earn Points & Collect Achievements • Enjoy ENDLESS FUN! • New Tile Sets & Backgrounds • Bookmark Favorite Puzzles to Play Again • Customize Your Game Board • Train Your Brain with Tile-Matching Fun • Relax among Tranquil Scenes & Soothing Sounds Sign-in with a Microsoft Account to save your progress, collect achievements, and play across multiple mobile devices. Upgrade to Premium on iPhone and iPad. You can purchase the Microsoft Mahjong Premium Subscription for $1.99 per Month or $9.99 per Year. Benefits that come with a Premium Subscription include: • Removing advertisements from your game • Play Daily Challenges from previous months NOTE: Premium Subscription grants premium experience on mobile only. It is non-transferrable to other platforms. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account on confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews monthly or annually depending on the subscription type purchased. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period ($1.99 monthly, or $9.99 annually, depending on the subscription type purchased). You can turn off your auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. If auto-renewal is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period, you will not be charged for the next period. All cancellations will take effect at the end of the current period. For more information visit: https://aka.ms/MicrosoftMahjong_support © Microsoft 2025. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Microsoft Casual Games, the product logos and Mahjong, and the Mahjong logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Acceptance of Microsoft Services Agreement and Privacy Statement are required to play. (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/privacystatement) Microsoft account registration required for cross-platform play. Game offers in-app purchases. Persistent internet connection required. Features, online services and system requirements may vary by country and are subject to change or retirement over time.
Screenshots
Verdict
Book and Mahjong by Microsoft both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Book's written reviews are positive against 47% of Mahjong by Microsoft's. Mahjong by Microsoft's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 272). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Book sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Mahjong by Microsoft sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Book against 4.5 for Mahjong by Microsoft. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong by Microsoft has 2.5K ratings behind it against 272, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Book's written reviews are positive against 47% of Mahjong by Microsoft's.
Book ships an update every 2 months, Mahjong by Microsoft every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Book | Mahjong by Microsoft |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (272 ratings) | 4.5 (2.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.8% of reviews — better | 46.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 272 | 2.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 129 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Farlex, Inc. | Microsoft Corporation |
Customer experience
Book
Mahjong by Microsoft
User reviews
Book
From 272 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🧠 Stimulates the brain and vocabulary
- 🎮 Addictive and enjoyable
- 👨👩👧👦 Suitable for all ages
- 📚 Educational and informative
Room to improve
- 🐛 Control issues with 'Book-Man'
- 🧱 Character gets stuck
- ❓ Lack of clear instructions
- 📈 Difficulty in progression (keys)
- 💸 In-app purchases can be frustrating
Mahjong by Microsoft
From 2.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Variety of puzzles and boards
- ⭐ Great visual design
- 💡 Challenging but rewarding
- 🕹️ Relaxing and enjoyable
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 📢 Intrusive and excessive ads
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Connectivity issues with daily challenges
- 🚫 Progress not syncing across devices
Bugs and requests
Book
Reported bugs
8 issues- Book-Man doesn't follow directional movements
- Book-Man goes through walls
- Game crashes to home page
- Book-Man freezes during play
- Cannot unlock next level with a key
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Login fails
- Protagonist gets stuck at end of row/column
- Android bugs
Requested features
8 requests- More levels or zones
- More languages
- Different game styles
- More 'Book-Man' heroes
- Ability to earn keys without purchase
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- Hyperdrive or speed-up option for 'Book-Man'
- New themes
- More directions/tutorials
Mahjong by Microsoft
Reported bugs
3 issues- Tiles getting stuck and unable to complete puzzles
- Wrong puzzles loading when selected
- Daily challenges not downloading properly
Requested features
5 requests- Landscape mode support
- Option to disable animations
- More puzzle packs and content updates
- Sync progress with Xbox account
- Premium version without ads
In-app purchases
Book
- 15 coins$0.99
- 40 coins$1.99
- 65 coins$2.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- 100 coins$3.99
- 200 coins$6.99
- 300 coins$9.99
- 1000 coins$29.99
Mahjong by Microsoft
- Premium Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
- Yearly Premium Subscription$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Book free?
Is Mahjong by Microsoft free?
Which has better reviews, Book or Mahjong by Microsoft?
Do Book or Mahjong by Microsoft have ads?
Which is updated more often, Book or Mahjong by Microsoft?
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