Crying Suns vs Avid Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Crying Suns
Command a space fleet in a tactical rogue-lite inspired by classic sci-fi. Explore a procedurally generated universe, engage in strategic ship battles, and uncover a deep storyline across six chapters. Experience a rich narrative and atmospheric gameplay designed for mobile.
- Procedurally-generated space exploration
- Tactical battleship and squadron fleet combat
- Over 300 story events
- Deep, 6-chapter storyline
- Mobile-optimized interface
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When FTL meets Foundation and Dune: Crying Suns is a tactical rogue-lite that puts you in the role of a space fleet commander as you explore a mysteriously fallen empire. In this story rich experience inspired by Dune and Foundation, each successful run will uncover the truth about the Empire... and yourself as well. Main Features: - Space exploration in a procedurally-generated universe - Tactical fights between battleships and their squadron fleets - More than 300 possible story events - A deep and dramatic storyline structured in 6 chapters - A dark and disturbing atmosphere inspired by our favorite S-F universes (Foundation, Dune, Battlestar Galactica) First released on PC and Mac, the indie hit Crying Suns was carefully redesigned for mobile and tablets, including a revamped interface and intuitive touchscreen interactions. Pay once to get the full Crying Suns experience! No ads, no F2P mechanics! All future updates included. Supported languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese If you encounter any problem, please contact us at contact@cryingsuns.com with as much information as possible on the issue.
Avid Reader
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All you want to do is read but there are so many distractions. Avoid the distractions and read all the books in this quirky platformer game!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Avid Reader at Free against Crying Suns's $8.99. Avid Reader also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Crying Suns's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On device support 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
Avid Reader is free to download; Crying Suns costs $8.99 up front. Avid Reader sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Crying Suns asks for nothing beyond the download.
Crying Suns ships an update monthly, Avid Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Crying Suns | Avid Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.1K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.1K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | #61 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1014 MB | 114 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alternative Shift | 5 Ladders Entertainment LLC |
Bugs and requests
Crying Suns
Reported bugs
4 issues- Game crashes when using certain ship abilities
- Crashes during end-of-chapter cutscenes
- Progression-blocking bugs preventing access to new content
- Inability to progress past specific story points due to crashes
Requested features
4 requests- Zoom functionality for combat screen
- Ability to play own music during gameplay
- Endless mode or sandbox option
- Improved tutorial to explain key mechanics
Avid Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Crying Suns
No in-app purchases
Avid Reader
- 10 Gold Stars$0.99
- Ad Free / Unlimited Stars$3.99
