Comparison

Dear Reader vs Cornsweeper

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dear Reader

Engage with classic literature through unique word puzzles. Unscramble passages, unlock new books, and complete challenges to discover special abilities. This game transforms beloved stories into interactive wordplay experiences.

Highlights
  • Play with over 130 classic books
  • Unlock dozens of wordplay puzzle types
  • Acquire new books from a rotating selection
  • Earn Rare Books by completing goals
  • Embark on Research missions for abilities
  • Solve daily word challenges
Features
Read full description

• Play with more than a hundred classic books • Unlock dozens of ways to Wordplay • Acquire new books from a rotating selection in the Bookstore • Earn Rare Books by completing challenging Reading Goals • Embark on Research missions to unlock special abilities • Puzzle through increasingly difficult Daily Challenges “If I’m not actually reading in my down time then I’m likely playing Dear Reader.” -one of our dear players Dear Reader lets you curl up and play your favorite books, turning classic literature into clever word puzzles. Unscramble passages from famous books, unlock unique puzzles, and add new books to your library. Dear Reader includes over 130 literary classics and dozens of different types of word puzzles, from unscrambling anagrams to swapping lines of text. Dear Reader is the first and only game where you can play with the actual written words of so many tempting books of classic literature! As Game Developer’s Alissa McAloon wrote, Dear Reader is “a game that’s as difficult to put down as a good book.” Best Apple Arcade Games, IGN Top 5 Apple Arcade recommended games, Bustle Magazine 12 Best Apple Arcade games, Gamespot 10 Best Mobile Games of the Year, Paste Magazine Official Finalist, IndieCade Official Selection, Indie Megabooth GDC Showcase Official Selection, Wordplay Festival Best Gameplay Finalist, Games for Change Best Meaningful Play, International Mobile Gaming Awards

About

Cornsweeper

Pop delicious popcorn kernels while avoiding explosions in this meditative mind-sweep-em-up game. Enjoy a beautifully illustrated aesthetic and a chill, lo-fi soundtrack across 70 handcrafted levels. Discover secrets and unlockable modes for a whimsical gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Beautifully illustrated aesthetic
  • Chill, lo-fi inspired OST
  • 70 Handcrafted levels
  • Unlockable Arcade Mode
  • Collect 28 purchasable items
  • Classic gameplay with unique twists
  • Toy-like sense of discovery
Features
Read full description

Cornsweeper is a chill, whimsical, meditative mind-sweep-em-up; pop delicious popcorn, avoid explosions. #Lofi&popcorn. Key Features • Beautifully illustrated aesthetic • Chill, Lo-fi inspired OST • 70 Handcrafted levels • Unlockable Arcade Mode • Collect all 28 items purchasable from The Stall • Classic gameplay with unique & accessible twists • Use Arcade Mode like a Pomodoro for your daily tasks (after buying item in The Stall) • A Toy-like sense of discovery in every bite • Clues & Secrets

Screenshots

Dear Reader4 screens
Cornsweeper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dear Reader at 75% against Cornsweeper's 12%. Dear Reader also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Cornsweeper's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dear Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 572 and 264 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Dear Reader's written reviews are positive against 12% of Cornsweeper's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dear Reader ships an update every 3 months, Cornsweeper every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Dear Reader versus Cornsweeper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDear ReaderCornsweeper
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (572 ratings) — better4.1 (264 ratings)
Positive reviews74.7% of reviews — better11.8% of reviews
Number of ratings572 — better264
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size387 MB1006 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperLocal No. 12Robert Morrison

Customer experience

Dear Reader

All ratings572 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral5.1%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews277 reviews
Positive74.7%
Neutral9.4%
Negative15.9%

Cornsweeper

All ratings262 ratings
Positive78.2%
Neutral4.2%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews203 reviews
Positive11.8%
Neutral14.8%
Negative73.4%

User reviews

Dear Reader

From 572 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Engaging word puzzles
  • 📚 Variety of classic books
  • 👍 Relaxing gameplay
  • 💡 Unique concept of 'playing books'
  • 🤓 Helps improve reading and language skills

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🤔 Heavily abridged book excerpts
  • 🙄 Repetitive daily challenges
  • 💰 Expensive rare books

Cornsweeper

From 264 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Relaxing gameplay
  • 👍 Visually appealing design
  • 🎨 Unique take on minesweeper
  • 🎶 Good music and sound effects

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🤔 Unclear mechanics and lack of instructions
  • 🕹️ Frustrating controls and input issues
  • 🧠 Overly challenging and relies on guessing
  • 🔍 Confusing and unintuitive user interface

Bugs and requests

Dear Reader

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game progress being deleted
  • Inability to exit the library
  • Crashes when trying to purchase rare books

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more modern and popular book titles
  • Option to read full unabridged books
  • Dark mode
  • Ability to report typos and errors
  • More varied and engaging goals/achievements

Cornsweeper

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes
  • Language randomly changes to Arabic
  • Levels not registering as completed
  • Upgrades not working as expected
  • Inconsistent behavior and visual glitches

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to mark/flag suspected kernels
  • Option to disable certain upgrades/features
  • Randomized levels instead of pre-set puzzles
  • Better onboarding and in-game tutorials
  • Improved performance and stability

In-app purchases

None

Dear Reader

No in-app purchases

None

Cornsweeper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dear Reader free?
Dear Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cornsweeper free?
Cornsweeper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dear Reader or Cornsweeper?
Dear Reader is rated higher. Dear Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 572 ratings, while Cornsweeper averages 4.1 from 264 ratings.
Do Dear Reader or Cornsweeper have ads?
Neither Dear Reader nor Cornsweeper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dear Reader or Cornsweeper?
Dear Reader ships an update every 3 months, and Cornsweeper every 3 weeks. Most recently, Dear Reader was updated on September 29, 2026 and Cornsweeper on October 15, 2026.

Other comparisons