Dad's Monster House vs Reef Bloom
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dad's Monster House
Embark on a narrative-driven adventure to uncover a father's secret. Solve intricate puzzles, encounter unique monsters, and navigate a story exploring themes of love, ambition, and redemption. The black-and-white art style and immersive sound design enhance the emotional journey.
- Narrative-driven story
- Puzzle solving
- Item collection
- Black-and-white art style
- Immersive sound design
- Emotional themes
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Dad's Monster House tells the story of Carlos' journey after he receives a distress call from his father, pleading for him to return to his old home and rescue his dad. As he continues exploring the house, Carlos encounters many terrifying yet 'cute' monsters. As he solves the puzzles before him, he draws ever closer to the truth... Freud once said: "Love and work, work and love...that's all there is." But what of the pain, the struggles that arise when we're forced to choose between our ambitions and love? In dealing with such conundrums, we’ve all likely hurt those we hold dearest to us. For it's often in the darkness that we feel most safe. With Dad's Monster House, I wish to provide those kinds of heartrending memories a chance at redemption. I dedicate it to scientists, to my childhood dreams; to those I love, and to faded memories. I hope that within you'll find the greatest of answers, be they for your love, for science, or dreams. [Gameplay] A sudden call in the deep of night has you return to a house you haven't visited for many a year. You must unravel one puzzle after another: to from within scenes intertwined with memories find clues and get to the bottom of your father's secret. The choice of whether to redeem or ultimately end this sad story lies in your hands. [Features] Instead of going for bright and vivid colors, I have opted for a black-and-white art style. The fragmented narration, plentiful puzzles, and delicate sound designs create an immersive experience where you as the player get to truly feel the ups and downs of the protagonist's emotions. Continue to unravel the story as you collect more items...
Reef Bloom
Cultivate a vibrant underwater ecosystem by planting coral and nurturing diverse fish species. Explore three distinct biomes, learn about marine life, and enjoy a relaxing, progression-based experience with no failure states or timers.
- Grow and expand coral colonies
- Hatch and observe diverse fish species
- Explore three unique biomes
- Learn about marine life with Ocean Journal
- No failure state or timers
- Day and night cycle with growing reef
- Seasonal events and daily rewards
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Reef Bloom is a calm reef-building game where you grow your own coral reef in 3D. Place coral, hatch fish, and watch an underwater world come alive, day and night, across three biomes. There is no failure state and no timer. You are a steward, not a controller: plant coral, let it grow, and let the fish find their own way. GROW A LIVING REEF - Plant coral and watch it grow from hatchling to full colony - Coral generates Bubble Energy, the currency that powers everything - Fish hatch from eggs at Bubbles' Fish Nest and swim freely through your reef - Skip-7's Pearl Market: a walk-in shop for the rarest specimens, sold exactly as shown THREE BIOMES - Coral Reef: the classic shallows - Seagrass Basin: grazers, rays, and turtles - Deep Twilight: bioluminescent creatures that glow after dark LEARN AS YOU PLAY - 160+ species, each with an Ocean Journal entry: scientific name, real-ocean facts, and habitat - Real species are marked, and so are the Reef Bloom originals. Can you tell which is which? Take the Field ID quiz - Tap any fish to find out what it is PACKS AND PROGRESS - Every level-up earns a free Rarity Pack: riches, a free coral, and a guaranteed fish - Every pack's odds are published in plain numbers. Mythic packs are never sold; they are earned - A free Daily Pack, research surveys, and achievements - Seasonal events all year: quests earn Event Tokens that buy each event's exclusive species - Bioluminescence Night: two winter months when the reef lights itself after dark CALM BY DESIGN - Day and night cycle; harmony rises with diversity - Play for a minute or an hour; your reef keeps growing while you are away - Three save slots - Free, optional account to carry your reefs between devices; no account needed to play Reef Bloom is free to play. Pearls, the premium currency, can be earned in play or purchased.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Reef Bloom at every 6 days against Dad's Monster House's every 2 months. Reef Bloom also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). Dad's Monster House's advantage is ratings volume (156 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Dad's Monster House sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Reef Bloom sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Reef Bloom holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dad's Monster House has 156 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Dad's Monster House's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reef Bloom's.
Dad's Monster House ships an update every 2 months, Reef Bloom every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dad's Monster House | Reef Bloom |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (156 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 156 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2.3 GB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | COTTONGAME Network Technology Co., Ltd. | Defenestration Technologies LLC |
Customer experience
Dad's Monster House
Reef Bloom
Bugs and requests
Dad's Monster House
Reported bugs
7 issues- Buttons on signs not working
- Game won't reopen after closing
- Game crashes on iPad
- Game crashes when entering elevator
- Game crashes after clicking 'new game'
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- Unable to cook fish or dig treasure
- Screen cuts off on iPhone 12
Requested features
9 requests- Progress sharing between Apple devices
- Add Thai language support
- Teleportation feature on the map
- Interactive map with clickable locations
- In-game hints
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- Ability to skip between scenes
- Optional music and sounds
- Camera function for clues
- More character interaction/side quests
Reef Bloom
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Dad's Monster House
- Purchase game$1.99
Reef Bloom
- 10 Pearls$0.99
- 35 Pearls$2.99
- 60 Pearls$4.99
Questions
Is Dad's Monster House free?
Is Reef Bloom free?
Which has better reviews, Dad's Monster House or Reef Bloom?
Do Dad's Monster House or Reef Bloom have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dad's Monster House or Reef Bloom?
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