# Deduce — A unique game of skill & logic > A word-based logic game for guessing hidden mystery words with skill and vocabulary. (iPhone/iPad app by Obviously Genuine.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deduce/id351558195 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Obviously Genuine](https://appshunter.io/developer/351558198) - Category: Games, Education, Puzzle, Word - Price: $2.99 - Rating: 4.70/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 26 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.0 · 46 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2010-01-22 - Data updated: 2026-08-24 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deduce/id351558195/reviews.md ## What is Deduce? Deduce is a fun way to learn and visualize the process of logical deduction. It’s a uniquely challenging game combining logic, vocabulary, and spelling skills (with a small element of luck) played with words. Your goal is to discover a hidden mystery word with as few guesses as possible. Deduce acts as an assistant who enforces the rules, provides hints, keeps track of your progress, collects statistics, manages saved games, and (for Game Center users) awards achievements. Reviewers have said: "One of my favorite games", "Other games get installed-played-uninstalled, but this one stays", "Challenging and addictive", "Very original and lots of fun", "I'm completely hooked", "Hope I can stop playing it soon!" Features: 1. Many thousands of possible games (more than 20,000) 2. Comfort level - Deduce can be as easy or challenging as you like, with optional features to assist your thinking. Play with easier 5 letter words or more difficult 6 letter words. NEVER ANY ADS TO DISTRACT YOU! 3. Game Center integration. Statistical results, scores, and saved games are associated with the active Game Center player. If you are not logged into Game Center, you may supply your own player name for separate game tracking, or play anonymously. If you use Game Center, scores are reported to Classic, Novice, and Puzzle leaderboards. A Champions leaderboard ranks the overall quality of your play over time. Achievements may be earned based on the quality and persistence of your game play. As you earn Deduce achievements discover 50 19th century literary giants of the western world, who were also masters with words. A portrait medallion, with a biography link, is awarded for each achievement -- collect them all! 3. Mystery Word definitions. When you finish a game of Deduce, a definition of the mystery word is provided. Increase your vocabulary as you play more games. Definitions come from’s Apple’s downloadable dictionaries or Wiktionary, whichever is available. 4. Game records. Save your games automatically or selectively. Create beautifully formatted PDFs of your games for sharing or printing. 5. Preferences. Use the Settings App to specify global options for Deduce, such as autosave (which automatically saves a limited or unlimited number of your completed games). 6. Easy sharing with friends or other devices. Find a game really challenging? You can challenge friends to find the same mystery word by sharing a Deduce game number via Airdrop, Messages, or email. Deduce also plays well on a shared device. Each family member can play using their own name or Game Center account with separate saved games, statistics, and (for Game Center users) achievements. 7. A polished user experience with improved marking and simpler game play. Use letter dials or a keyboard to enter your guesses. On an iPhone, enlarge guess list for easier manipulation. Reorder your guesses to see more potential patterns. Having trouble thinking of words? Use the Suggest button! Need advice about your game play? Tap on Sherlock for tips and encouragement. And check out the help info to learn about letter frequencies and common suffixes. 8. Select your favorite photo as a backdrop for playing Deduce, or use one of our two built-in backdrops. ## Key features - Guess hidden mystery words - Logic and vocabulary challenges - Adjustable difficulty levels - Game statistics and progress tracking - Mystery word definitions - Save and share games - Game Center integration and achievements ## Chart rankings - #120 in Top Paid · Word (US App Store) ## Recent user reviews (10 of 26) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deduce/id351558195/reviews.md ### 4/5 — A great word game *2015-07-23* Really challenging and an exercise for the mind. A prettier interface and the ability to guess 4, 5, and 7 and 8 letter words would make it a five star review. ### 5/5 — Excellent word game! Fresh idea. *2015-05-12* I've had this game on my idevices for many years, and I always come back to it. Definitely gets your brain working! Fun game, simple UI, great options for play! No ads or anything annoying. Really well developed! Can be as challenging as you want: Can be incredibly difficult or nearly mindless, it's up to you. Just a truly fine game! ### 5/5 — To the man I met at Epcot *2015-03-22* I don't remember your name, but we talked in the England section in Epcot and you told me you had made a game, so I downloaded it and I love it! So hard but yet challenging and engaging. Thanks for the awesome app! :) -Nathan ### 5/5 — A great game! *2013-10-10, version 3.01* I'm not sure what Bzur's problem is, or why he he says "it's a mess", but I'm also a long time user of Deduce, and the iOS 7 version is working just fine and has some fun new features (like Deduce Puzzles and advice from Sherlock). Overall it's a very unique and satisfying game! ### 1/5 — It was fun once! *2013-09-30* This game used to be fun. It is challenging to come up with 6 letter words. But about a week ago, there came about a glitch that didn't require real words - e.g., a guess of "AAAAAA" would go through - this totally took the challenge out of the game. Now I just updated and that glitch is fixed, but now the switch to allow already discarded letters doesn't work. Come on - it worked fine before and now it is a mess. ### 5/5 — Fun, challenging, and educational. *2013-07-21* I've been playing this game for quite a while now. Other games get installed-played-uninstalled, but this one stays on the device, outliving all of them. The novice mode gets you well prepared for "classic" games, giving you a solid idea on how words in the English language are composed. Also, it will certainly expand your vocabulary, and the Dictionary feature is indispensable. The gameplay is engaging. Ironclad logical deductions boost your self-esteem, while occasional lucky guesses bring you that "jackpot" sense :-) ### 5/5 — A Fave...and excellent customer service!! *2013-04-26* Yes, it's challenging, but it is far from impossible. One of my favorite games. The keyboard doesn't appear on my iPhone 4S. Not a deal breaker, just an FYI. Dials are easy enough to use. Voice recognition capabilities would rock so guesses could be entered simply by speaking. A fun thinking game! UPDATE: Can I give a sixth star for amazing, personal response to a review?! Larry of Obviously Genuine (developer of this great game) contacted me to tell me how to access the keyboard on my iPhone 4S. Simply swipe to the left and the dials magically become a keyboard! (I've become that person I roll my eyes at...the person who complains about something without first reading the instructions! Egad.). Honestly, this was the first time I've ever had a developer personally respond to a review. Thanks, Larry! Top notch game AND service!! Get the game, folks. Why are you still reading?! :) ### 1/5 — Wayyyyyy to hard *2012-12-13, version 2.3* This is awful!!!!!! Don't buy and give me my $$$$$ back. Major waste!!!! ### 5/5 — High quality *2012-11-18* Very nicely done. Excellent database of words. ### 5/5 — Amazing & Endlessly Entertaining *2012-10-19* Simultaneously challenges one's logic & vocabulary. Superb application design and operation. New features are excellent. ## Frequently asked questions about Deduce ### How many possible games can I play in Deduce? Deduce offers a vast number of possibilities, with over 20,000 unique games available. This ensures a high degree of replayability and fresh challenges for players. ### Can I adjust the difficulty in Deduce? Yes, Deduce allows you to customize the challenge. You can play with easier 5-letter words or opt for more difficult 6-letter words, making the game as easy or challenging as you prefer. ### Does Deduce have ads? No, Deduce is designed to be free of distractions. The game explicitly states there are NEVER ANY ADS TO DISTRACT YOU, providing an uninterrupted gameplay experience. ### How does Deduce handle game progress and statistics? Deduce acts as an assistant, keeping track of your progress and collecting detailed statistics. For Game Center users, this data is associated with your profile, including scores and achievements. ### Can I share my Deduce games with friends? Yes, Deduce makes it easy to share games. You can challenge friends to find the same mystery word by sharing a game number via Airdrop, Messages, or email. ### What devices is Deduce available on? Deduce is optimized for Apple devices, supporting both iPhone and iPad. This allows for a seamless experience across your Apple ecosystem. ### How often is Deduce updated? The latest version of Deduce is 4.0, which was last updated on September 18, 2023. This indicates regular maintenance and potential feature additions. ### What is the age rating for Deduce? Deduce has an age rating of 4+. This suggests it is suitable for a wide range of players, including younger audiences, due to its non-violent and educational nature. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.0 — 2023-09-18 Deduce 4.0 —The Most Challenging Word Game Gets Even Better! 
 • First time ever! Now play Deduce games with 5 or 6-letter words • Another first: the ability to run Deduce on an M1 Mac • Improved performance with reduced memory usage • Support for different named users on a shared family device • An improved Activity/Share sheet • Revised Help information • Many subtle bug fixes for improved reliability • More than 20,000 unique games in one app! 
This version of Deduce requires iOS/iPadOS 16 or later, and runs on M1 devices with macOS 13 or later Deduce 1.0 was introduced on Jan 22, 2010. Enjoy! And let us know if there are other features you would like to see in future releases. Email us with comments, suggestions, or bug reports at ObviouslyGenuine@me.com. ### 3.8 — 2020-06-22 Deduce 3.8—Now with Support for New iPad Pro’s & iPhone SE (Gen 2)! 
 Deduce 3.8 requires iOS 10.3 or later. It features the following improvements: 
 •Support for iOS 13 •User interface improvements targeting iPads plus iPhone X and later models •Improved menus for iPadOS portrait orientation •New “Smart Keyboard Cursor” - more intuitive staging area cursor movement •Faster, smoother startup •Better sharing support •Two built-in game backgrounds •An easier to use Novice mode, where the Suggest button may be used freely with no penalty to your score. •New sorting features for arranging guesses and managing long lists of saved games •Fixed some ambiguities in "Play a Specific Game" to correct a bug and simplify the input panel •Many other subtle bug fixes 
 Some of you will be pleased to know that many older Apple devices are still supported including iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad Mini 2, iPod Touch (5th Gen), etc. 
 A temporary restriction on the multiplayer feature is still in effect, but you can use the “Play a Specific Game” capability to manually challenge (or accept a challenge from) your friends in the meantime. Deduce 1.0 was introduced on Jan 22, 2010. ### 3.7 — 2020-03-27 Deduce 3.7 features the following improvements: 
 •Support for iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 •User interface improvements targeting iPads plus iPhone X and later models •Better sharing support •Two builtin game backgrounds •New sorting features for arranging guesses and managing long lists of saved games •Many subtle bug fixes 
Some of you will be pleased to know that many older Apple devices are still supported including iPhone 4s, iPad 2, iPad Mini 2, iPod Touch (5th Gen), etc. 
 A temporary restriction on the multiplayer feature is in effect, but you can use the “Play a Specific Game” capability to manually challenge (or accept a challenge from) your friends in the meantime. Deduce 1.0 was introduced on Jan 22, 2010. Enjoy! And let us know if there are other features you would like to see in future releases. Email us with comments, suggestions, or bug reports at ObviouslyGenuine@me.com. ### 3.6 — 2018-09-29 Deduce 3.6—Now with iPhone X, Xs & Xs Max support! 
 Deduce 3.6 requires iOS 9 or later. It features the following improvements: 
 •Support for iOS 12 •New iPhone X model layouts •Improved sharing options •Plugged a small memory leak •Some minor bug fixes ### 3.5 — 2016-03-15 Deduce 3.5—Now with iPadPro support! Caution: Deduce 3.5 requires iOS 9 or later! It features the following improvements: •Native layout support for iPadPro •Streamlined startup sequence •Fixes a scrolling bug •Fixes an occasional crash on some iPhone models ## Apps similar to Deduce | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Sloword: 4 various word games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sloword-4-various-word-games/id1440031480) | 2.0 (1) | Free | Games | | [Arrow Crossword & Other Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrow-crossword-and-other-games/id1013462300) | 4.5 (780) | Free | Games | | [Puzzles to learn Chinese characters & idioms](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzles-to-learn-chinese-characters-and-idioms/id1037210540) | — | Free | Games | | [Crossword: Arrowword](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-arrowword/id1485345280) | 4.5 (37) | Free | Games | | [Tangol](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tangol/id1436438640) | 4.6 (12) | Free | Games | | [Kapitalne Krzyżówki Dla Dzieci](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kapitalne-krzyzowki-dla-dzieci/id1447968700) | — | $1.99 | Games | ## Related topics [obviously genuine](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/obviously-genuine) · [deduce](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/deduce) --- *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 2026-08-24.*