SpellTower vs Sparrows
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SpellTower
This word game challenges players to find words as tiles rise from the bottom. Strategize to clear columns before they reach the top. Features multiple game modes, bonus tiles, and detailed statistics.
- Rising tile mechanic
- Multiple game modes
- Bonus tiles
- Detailed statistics
- Game Center leaderboards
- iCloud Backup
Read full descriptionHide full description
The original best-selling mobile word game, reimagined! Pick your words wisely! As you play, more tiles rise from the bottom of the screen! It'll take all of your lexicological wits, and tactical know-how to keep your columns down. If any letters make it to the top row, it's game over. Classic modes Daily Tower, Tower, Puzzle, Rush and Zen are all back and packed with brand new BONUS TILES that double (or more!) word values. Joining them is the brand new Search mode, plus ExPuzzle, Double Puzzle, Bubble Puzzle, and Blitz mode! That’s eleven modes in all! Plus iCloud Backup, Highscores reported for games even while in-progress, detailed statistics for every mode, Game Center leaderboards, and achievements. ————————— It’s pretty wild to be revisiting my first hit game, SpellTower. I can't believe it's almost 10 years since it released. The first iPhones it ran on had a 3.5 inch screen and 320 x 480 resolution! I literally did a double-take at that resolution when I looked it up. A funny part about having a hit game is people talk to you about it. With SpellTower I heard about grandparents playing the game every morning to keep their minds sharp, parents playing it with their kids, expectant mothers playing it to get through morning sickness, and countless sightings of strangers playing it on subways, planes — even elevators. I got into games because I wanted to connect with people in a positive way. I wanted to help people think critically and come away with more than they arrived with. Games felt like a way to do this on a huge scale, but the stories I heard from SpellTower players taught me that games do so much more for people than I ever expected. I’m deeply grateful that SpellTower has been able to be something special for so many people, and I think that’s why so many people have shared it with friends, loved ones, and strangers on elevators. Even though SpellTower is a game I made, it’s really barely mine anymore. The experiences and love I had for the game has been outstripped by its audiences a thousandfold. I thought a lot about all the experiences that people have had with the game when I was designing this new version. I hope it gives everyone who’s loved the game a reason to pick it back up again and share it amongst their friends and family. -zach
Sparrows
Engage in a word-spelling puzzle game that combines elements of Mahjong and Scrabble. Earn points by forming words from letter tiles, strategically using score multipliers, and advancing through challenging levels. Multiple game modes offer varied gameplay experiences.
- Level progression with star ratings
- Multiple game modes (Timed, Moves, Puzzle)
- Score multipliers on letter/word tiles
- Power-ups for score boosts
- Daily goals and objectives
Read full descriptionHide full description
Sparrows – mahjong tiles meet wordplay! Spell words from letter tiles, earn score multipliers, and conquer challenging puzzles. Advance through levels, earn 1–3 stars, and master increasingly tricky boards. Multiple game modes – Timed, Moves, and Puzzle – keep gameplay fresh and engaging. Key Features: • Level Progression & Star Ratings: Tackle boards and earn 1–3 stars for top performance. • Game Modes: Timed, Moves, and Puzzle for varied challenges. • Score Multipliers: Double and triple letter/word tiles reward strategic play. • Power-Ups: Boost your score and overcome tough boards. • Daily Goals: Complete new objectives each day to stay challenged. • Relaxing, no timer needed – play at your own pace in Puzzle mode. • Plays great on iPhone and iPad. Relax or Compete: Whether you want a calm puzzle session or a fast-paced challenge, Sparrows offers a rewarding word game experience for every player. Download Sparrows Now! Start your wordplay journey, master each board, and enjoy endless mahjong-meets-wordplay fun!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sparrows at 4.6 against SpellTower's 3.7. Sparrows also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 37%). SpellTower's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.2). 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. SpellTower sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sparrows sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Sparrows holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 629 and 777 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of SpellTower's written reviews are positive against 58% of Sparrows's.
SpellTower ships an update every 2 days, Sparrows every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SpellTower | Sparrows |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (629 ratings) | 4.6 (777 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 37.2% of reviews | 58.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 629 | 777 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 138 MB | 506 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zach Gage | Fluffy Dog Studio |
Customer experience
SpellTower
Sparrows
User reviews
SpellTower
From 629 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Challenging and fun
- 🧠 Great brain exercise
- 🎨 Elegant and well-designed
- 🕰️ Relaxing gameplay
- 👍 Addictive and enjoyable
Room to improve
- 🔍 Dictionary needs updating
- 🤖 Words not recognized despite being valid
- 💰 Ads too frequent and intrusive
- 🔒 Paid version doesn't remove all ads
- 🤯 Frustrating when game ends unexpectedly
Sparrows
From 777 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Loads of fun
- 🧠 Challenging and engaging
- 🎨 Lovely design and aesthetics
- 🕰️ Great for short play sessions
- 🧠 Stimulates the mind
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🤔 Inconsistent word recognition
- 🤯 Frustrating when game ends unexpectedly
- 🤖 Questionable dictionary choices
- 🤷♀️ Confusing UI elements
Bugs and requests
SpellTower
Reported bugs
4 issues- Game freezes or crashes
- Tutorial gets stuck and can't be skipped
- Scoring and progress issues
- Compatibility problems on certain devices
Requested features
5 requests- Undo/Redo functionality
- Adjustable difficulty levels
- Sync progress across devices
- Offline gameplay mode
- More game modes and customization options
Sparrows
Reported bugs
5 issues- Game crashes on launch for some users
- Word search mode has incorrect timer display
- Inability to exit certain game modes
- Shuffling feature sometimes malfunctions
- Newly unlocked words not recognized
Requested features
5 requests- Add option to retry/reset word search puzzles
- Implement a way to contact developers for missing words
- Introduce a multiplayer mode to compete with friends
- Provide more customization options for the UI
- Improve the algorithm for letter distribution
In-app purchases
SpellTower
- Full Game Unlock$4.99
Sparrows
- 2,500 Feathers$0.99
- 15,000 points$1.99
- 5,000 points$1.99
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- Unlock Endless Mode$1.99
- 5,000 Feathers$1.99
- Unlock Full Game$2.99
- No Ads (30 Days)$2.99
- 10,000 Feathers$3.49
- Getting Started$3.99
- 50,000 points$4.99
- 150,000 points$6.99
- Now we're talking!$7.99
- 25,000 Feathers$7.99
- 100,000 Feathers$23.99








