Dear Reader vs Cornsweeper
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Dear Reader | Cornsweeper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (572 ratings) — better | 4.1 (264 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 74.7% of reviews — better | 11.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 572 — better | 264 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 387 MB | 1006 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Local No. 12 | Robert Morrison |
Customer experience
Dear Reader
Cornsweeper
User reviews
Dear Reader
From 572 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
Dear Reader
No in-app purchases
Cornsweeper
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dear Reader free?
Is Cornsweeper free?
Which has better reviews, Dear Reader or Cornsweeper?
Do Dear Reader or Cornsweeper have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dear Reader or Cornsweeper?
Other comparisons















