Report updated Mar 31, 2026

What Is Dark Color: Paint by Number?

Dark Color: Paint by Number offers a unique, mature alternative to standard coloring apps, focusing on surreal and moody aesthetics. While it has successfully carved out a niche in the market, the app is currently suffering from severe user backlash due to aggressive, intrusive advertising and broken premium subscription features. Despite a strong visual identity and a #93 Grossing position, the app's reputation is being damaged by technical instability and poor monetization UX. The product is at a critical juncture where immediate technical remediation is required to prevent further churn and potential store-level intervention.

What users think iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.

Upset
Visual Quality
Excessive Advertising... Show more

What are the key features?

Moody & Surreal Art CollectionDifferentiator

A curated library of illustrations focusing on atmospheric, fantasy, and alternative aesthetics.

Tap-to-Color GameplayStandard

Simple, intuitive interface for filling in numbered sections.

Auto-fill ToolsStandard

Efficiency feature for completing larger coloring areas.

Offline ColoringStandard

Ability to access and color artwork without an active internet connection.

Dark ModeStandard

UI setting optimized for comfortable nighttime viewing.

Social SharingBasic

Integrated tools to save and share completed artwork.

What do users think? iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.

Upset

Recent user voice shows a upset sentiment. Users appreciate visual quality, but report excessive advertising and subscription and billing issues.

What Users Love

Visual Quality

The pictures are great.

The artwork is, in my opinion, pretty dope.

Pain Points

Excessive Advertising

I get interrupted 6 times in one piece.

Full non-skipable ad about every 4 minutes.

Subscription and Billing Issues

I purchased the premium no ads edition of the game and ads are popping up.

I had to hit that [restore] button every time I opened the app.

High confidence · 49 reviews available

How is it ranked?

ChartRankChange
Grossing#93NEW
No ranking data for this selection.

What are the pros and cons?

Pros

  • Strong, distinct visual brand identity.
  • Large install base with high rating count.
  • Consistent content update cycle.

Cons

  • Intrusive and excessive ad frequency.
  • Broken premium/ad-removal functionality.
  • Technical bugs (audio/loading).

What is the market outlook?

Growth Opportunities

  • Capture market share from competitors by improving UX.
  • Build community engagement to improve retention.
  • Pivot to a more user-friendly subscription model.

Market Threats

  • Store-level penalties due to billing complaints.
  • High churn rate due to poor user experience.
  • Negative brand reputation hindering growth.

What are the key takeaways?

Dark Color: Paint by Number is a upsetting games app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 4.5/5 rating from 18K reviews, it upsets most users from users. Users particularly appreciate visual quality, though excessive advertising remains a common concern.

Best for: Teens and adults who prefer a more mature, artistic, and atmospheric aesthetic over traditional, child-oriented coloring apps.

How much does it cost?

Model: freemium

Tiers:
Free to download and playIn-app purchases for premium content and ad removal

The app relies heavily on ad-revenue, which is currently being implemented in a way that negatively impacts user retention and brand perception.

iOS Version

3.2.24

Release Date

Nov 23, 2021

iOS Price

Free

Developer

POMELO TECH

Independent intel to help builders create better apps.

No publisher influence. No third-party bias. Built with objectivity in mind to serve the builder community. Reports are continuously improved and refined. For informational purposes only.

Hope this helps & keep building! · Found an error?

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “Dark Color: Paint by Number Intelligence Report.” Updated Mar 31, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/games/com-paint-color-lite

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