Comparison

Dear Reader vs Crossword Jam+

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

Crossword Jam+

Engage your mind with a word search and crossword-style puzzle game. Connect letters to form words, discover new vocabulary, and enjoy beautiful scenic backgrounds. Daily challenges and progressive difficulty keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.

Highlights
  • Crossword-style word puzzles
  • Daily word challenges
  • Vocabulary improvement
  • Stunning background scenery
  • Offline play
  • Sync game progress
Features
Read full description

Crossword Jam+ is the king of crossword-style word games, taking word puzzles to the next level. Are you up for the challenge? With stunning backgrounds that are sure to put your mind at ease, word games have never been this fun! Crossword Jam+ is a word search game like no other. With fresh daily word challenges that make you think hard, you won't be able to stop! Simply swipe and connect the letters to find the words and boost your vocabulary! The breath-taking natural sceneries on each level make Crossword Jam+ the perfect pastime to kill boredom and stress. Solve puzzles and go on an epic word journey that will take you to the most beautiful countries across the world. Easy to start with, the puzzles slowly get harder to match your growing word skills! Try your luck with the spinner and win fantastic gifts that will help your word game! WHY CROSSWORD JAM+? ► EASY TO LEARN, HARD TO MASTER – Starts off easy but gets trickier as you progress ► CHALLENGING PUZZLES – Free anagram puzzles range from 2 letters to 7 letters ► IMPROVE YOUR VOCABULARY – Hone your spelling skills while also improving your vocabulary by discovering new words ► PLAY ANYWHERE ANYTIME – No internet or Wi-Fi needed to play this game ► SYNC YOUR GAME PROGRESS – You can log in using Game Center to sync your game progress across various devices So, why wait? Download Crossword Jam+ and get your wonderful word game journey started right now!

Screenshots

Dear Reader4 screens
Crossword Jam+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Crossword Jam+ at 4.8 against Dear Reader's 4.5. Crossword Jam+ also leads on ratings volume (18K vs 572) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). Dear Reader's advantage is review sentiment (68% vs 59%). 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

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

Crossword Jam+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword Jam+ has 18K ratings behind it against 572, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Dear Reader's written reviews are positive against 59% of Crossword Jam+'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dear Reader ships an update every 3 months, Crossword Jam+ every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Dear Reader versus Crossword Jam+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDear ReaderCrossword Jam+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (572 ratings)4.8 (18K ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.4% of reviews — better58.7% of reviews
Number of ratings57218K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size387 MB218 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLocal No. 12PlaySimple Games Pte Ltd

Customer experience

Dear Reader

All ratings572 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral5.1%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews171 reviews
Positive68.4%
Neutral11.7%
Negative19.9%

Crossword Jam+

All ratings17,524 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews803 reviews
Positive58.7%
Neutral17.8%
Negative23.5%

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

Crossword Jam+

From 18K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive gameplay
  • 👍 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 📚 Educational and improves vocabulary
  • 🕹️ Fun way to pass time

Room to improve

  • 🔁 Repetitive word choices
  • 🤔 Inconsistent dictionary
  • 🤯 Frustrating daily challenges
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches in recent updates

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

Crossword Jam+

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Spinner/wheel feature not working
  • Dictionary lookup not functioning
  • Daily challenge progress not saving
  • Audio issues when opening the app

Requested features

4 requests
  • Difficulty settings to increase challenge
  • Ability to report missing words
  • Improved sync across devices
  • Option to listen to own music while playing

In-app purchases

None

Dear Reader

No in-app purchases

None

Crossword Jam+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dear Reader free?
Dear Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Crossword Jam+ free?
Crossword Jam+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dear Reader or Crossword Jam+?
Crossword Jam+ is rated higher. Dear Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 572 ratings, while Crossword Jam+ averages 4.8 from 18K ratings.
Do Dear Reader or Crossword Jam+ have ads?
Neither Dear Reader nor Crossword Jam+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dear Reader or Crossword Jam+?
Dear Reader ships an update every 3 months, and Crossword Jam+ every 5 weeks. Most recently, Dear Reader was updated on September 17, 2026 and Crossword Jam+ on September 25, 2026.

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