# Countdown - The Official TV Show App — user reviews > 63 indexed App Store user reviews of Countdown by Barnstorm Games, rated 4.46/5 from 1,227 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-the-official-tv-show-app/id1040137269/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-the-official-tv-show-app/id1040137269.md ## Newest reviews (14 of 63) ### 4/5 — Great but needs an online player v player option *2026-07-25, version 1.2.1* Great but needs an online player v player option to play people online rather than against the computer or pass n play only ### 3/5 — Really old, needs updating. *2026-05-19, version 1.2.1* The dictionary here is very old and a lot of words that I use on a day to day basis aren't accepted. ### 3/5 — Fun *2026-02-28, version 1.2.1* Fun enjoyable game play it on my commute ### 3/5 — Getting worse *2025-08-31, version 1.2.1* The dictionaries used in this game are absolutely ridiculous! I just lost a round to the utterly made up word ‘easytouse’ and, apparently, my word sautees isn’t in the dictionary. I like how the app is like the TV show but, am getting very irritated by the terrible adjudications regarding acceptable words!! ### 4/5 — Needs a backspace or undo *2025-07-22, version 1.2.1* You need to be able to undo last key you pressed. One mistype and you have to start again ### 3/5 — Running Slow *2025-05-04, version 1.2.1* This is in desperate need of an update. Starting to run very slowly on the latest iOS. Pretty please don’t just let it collapse ### 3/5 — Fun, true to game and sound. Poor accessibility. *2025-04-16, version 1.2.1* This reviewer reminisces about Countdown on the TV, eagerly guessing words that I would start before the final letter is placed. Was always a challenge and also fun. This game gives all the feels but it falls short on accessibility. Specifically, it’s unforgiving of any ‘slip of the hand’ and mistakes leads to the time running out. For example, accessibility considerations should be taken for those with developmental coordination disorders (between 5-10% of the population, usually mislabelled, life-long), who are usually very creative and could excel at the real game. Improvement points, albeit no updates in 9 years: 1. Allow pause, it is more accessible. Cons about it being easier are moot if people want it paused all they need to do now is shift apps and it will go in standby. 2. Enable an undo button. Cons: none, if resolves mistakes and is one of the most basic of processes when using text or numbers. 3. Optional 5 seconds if a solution is already being typed, particularly numbers, but a mistake will give your right answer zero. 4. Enable voice typing and math speech recognition to truly be accessible. Not making something accessible because it makes it easier for others without a condition is exclusionary and possibly discriminatory. ### 4/5 — Shame they can’t spell Practice *2025-03-18, version 1.2.1* Good game. Bad spelling ### 4/5 — Maths round difficult *2024-11-16, version 1.2.1* The words are fine but the numbers is too difficult to wrangle in the time given ### 5/5 — Great but please develop! *2024-10-29, version 1.2.1* Love the game but no updates for 8 years… - have had newer legitimate words rejected as not in dictionary - include brackets for better calculations on numbers round Essentially just needs a refresh! ### 4/5 — Octochamp *2024-09-03, version 1.2.1* I’ve beaten the AI 9 times and it has not been added to my achievement board which is very disappointing as I should have octochamp ### 5/5 — Countdown Review ➕➖➗✖️🧮📝 *2024-05-04, version 1.2.1* It’s fantastic app game that tests your spelling and maths (Americans: Math/Mathematics), And of course you need to solve the crucial countdown conundrums!!!. ### 4/5 — Its great but nowhere near as easy as the tv version *2024-04-01, version 1.2.1* There are obvious differences which are obviously not possible to replicate on an app from the original. What annoys me most are irritating nuances, like when you get a word as long as the computer has offered and it always mentions its own offering as the longest word possible????? Or when neither (myself or the computer) gets the conundrum, it states I (just me!)has not been successful. That computer never fails to misspell a word at any level?. These can be discouraging to people on lower levels. Not me 😁 ### 3/5 — Could be so much better *2024-03-12, version 1.2.1* This could be so much better, but almost every letter round, you get duplicate letters. It is constant, and more often than not you get. Ore than one set of duplicate letters, and often triple letters. It really should not happen that often. It has been the case since I started playing . Also, the computer on hard mode is odd on the numbers game. Fails to solve simple solutions, but manages to solve really obscure ones. Not really reflecting reality. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Dictionary Poor *2026-03-13, version 1.2.1* Lots of words which are in fact correct are stated as not being in the dictionary, yet have been on the show. Rubbish. ### 1/5 — Infuriating *2025-03-07, version 1.2.1* Infuriating. I have the maths answer by 20 seconds but typing it into the calculator is impossible. It should be like on the show, and let you type your answer out afterwards (maybe you have to make an input every five seconds or so, and maybe only one undo or something). ### 1/5 — Can never win *2024-11-18, version 1.2.1* Aweful game. You simply cannot win, even when set to easy mode and you can’t even pause the game to cheat. ### 1/5 — Deleted due to frustration. Needs updating badly. *2024-03-26, version 1.2.1* Ended up deleting this out of frustration. Too many words “not found in dictionary” that I 100% know are there. In addition the randomness of letter selections seems to have disappeared. I regularly have selections of 3 of the same vowels and 3 of the same consonants in a 9 letter selection. I’ve even seen 4 of the same consonants. You simply wouldn’t get this normally. ### 1/5 — Very annoyingly slow game app *2022-09-20* Must people complain abt the nit written down option but fail to realise that the app gives you a shuffle option and on-screen calculator which compensates for the real game. My issue with this game manufacturer is that the the interval levels are so slow to switch between sections. Take the final conundrum for instance: you have to wait a couple of seconds for conundrum screen to show, then couple more seconds for results to be revealed it’s so frustrating. In some sections you can tap to speed things up but the reaction time of the game is frustratingly limited. The ability to whiz through quick games is essential and they failed in this objective. ### 1/5 — Rigged *2019-12-06* I played against expert level and used an official anagram dictionary solver online. The game doesn’t like it when you beat the higher levels. It lets the computer have the word “Sluggo” which it claimed was a singular word for “Sluggos” which apparently are some sort of men’s trunks?!? The dictionary used is a complete farce. May as well be able to use people’s names because it allows the computer to use the most nonsensical animal or personal names. I used the dictionary to make the word Lardass and apparently that isn’t in the dictionary?? Lol complete fix designed to help the computer win. The bot doesn't like losing. The CPU will struggle with words and only come up with 3/4 letter words like “Help” but always nail the numbers round with the most random of calculations. So the CPU is dreadful at English but an absolute maths genius. Absolute rip off and completely rigged to make the computer win. Rubbish ### 2/5 — Good game but dictionary needs updating *2024-07-26, version 1.2.1* Was enjoying this game until it told me “unshared” and “rimmed” aren’t considered words, but “wharenui” and “demirep” are? Also the numbers game is a bit of a joke. The amount of times I actually worked out the number, but couldn’t get the points because I didn’t tap the screen in time to select the numbers and show the full calculation, but then I’m literally up against a calculator that never loses. Lol. Something needs to be done there to give a human player a chance. ### 2/5 — CPU only *2024-05-31, version 1.2.1* Nice UI and quite slick but bit of a joke unless you want to play solo Is you play vs cpu on normal you always win, if you play on hard the computer finds bizarre words you’ve never heard of and beats you 100-0 Stop being idle and give us pvp online ### 2/5 — Poor making choices *2023-12-22, version 1.2.1* The game is fun but way choose too slow. You have to have finished typing in word before time is up or fail and typing letters out takes far longer than writing it. So can end up a letter short. Also if you don’t press too accurately it misses on a phone costing more time. For numbers say use big number times number and realise adding number to big number gets closer. But if do everything in head often run out of time when type in. On paper can just scribble alterations. Would be better if could declare score for words and numbers and then write down solution. With say time for word and time for numbers. Or be able to use voice input…So say E V O L V E Other thing it disqualifies words that are legitimate UNBUNGS ### 2/5 — Needs amends…. *2023-10-27, version 1.2.1* Great app but released without proper trials or, as clearly seen by other reviews, they’d have spotted two irritating problems. Firstly, the leaderboard doesn’t update when you increase your score which is annoying. Secondly, pulling the letters down to form a word takes time and then pressing submit to log the word sends all the letters back which is also irritating. Means you run out of time trying to pull letters to spell the word you find before end of time. So you realistically get the first 15/20 seconds. Same problem for numbers, you just don’t get chance to write it down. M clearly reviews prior flagging same problems but no update to fix. Shame really, only downloaded two days ago but it’s irritated me to stop using it. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Mr Stephen Gould *2026-08-06, version 1.2.1* Great game just like the show ### 5/5 — Won’t Close *2026-07-03, version 1.2.1* Haven’t Played This in a While & When I Did Their Was NO WAY of Exiting the Game I Had to Physically Switch Ma Phone Off & Back On Again to Get Rid, NOT Good. Think I’ll be Avoiding For a While AGAIN !!! ### 5/5 — Definitely recommend *2026-05-31, version 1.2.1* It’s fun, it does what you want it to do. I love the different level of bots and how you can do a short game as well. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. It looks good and is really entertaining. Well done! ### 5/5 — I love it so much *2026-02-11, version 1.2.1* I got the conundrum and I’m on a high rn x ### 5/5 — Great gNe *2025-12-03, version 1.2.1* Good for the brain stimulus. Enjoy ### 5/5 — Great *2025-08-27, version 1.2.1* It’s great ### 5/5 — Awesome *2025-08-11, version 1.2.1* Good game but I feel it’s time for regular updated dictionaries to keep it fresh ### 5/5 — Authentic *2025-07-29, version 1.2.1* Just like the real game! ### 5/5 — Conrad Satchell *2025-02-14, version 1.2.1* Love it to bits and thoroughly enjoy it very much. Will keep on practicing on this until I go on to the real thing on Telly. ### 5/5 — Very fun *2025-02-06, version 1.2.1* I don’t usually play mobile games, but I love playing mobile countdown. As it costs a small purchase fee there are no annoying ads and the game is very well made, I can play it for hours. Would definitely recommend for those who like the programme or word games. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*