# OMBY

> Word puzzle game based on Moby-Dick, revealing censored text. (iPhone/iPad app by Counterwave.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/omby/id983021179 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Counterwave](https://appshunter.io/developer/1740414820)
- Category: Games, Books, Puzzle, Word
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 13 App Store ratings · 20 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 6.0 · 22 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2015-07-16
- Data updated: 2026-09-07
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/omby/id983021179/reviews.md

## What is OMBY?

Discover the weird beauty of the language in Moby-Dick with OMBY, a new kind of word-puzzle game based on Herman Melville’s classic novel.

“OMBY is like a friend who accompanies me to the Louvre and keeps me from striding past a hundred unfamiliar masterworks on my way to see the ones I already know. In the Louvre, though, the art is already on the wall. OMBY lets me co-create Moby-Dick’s unfamiliar ingenuities, searching like Melville for the right words, massaging the letters into something meaningful.” ---Tim Cassedy (Avidly, Los Angeles Review of Books)

Playing OMBY, you’ll unscramble sets of 1x2 domino word tiles containing portions of text that have been blacked-out, as if by a censor's pen.  As you solve each puzzle, the blacked-out text is revealed.  Pause periodically to savor the completed paragraphs.  

Finish all 10,395 puzzles and you will have read the complete text of Moby Dick! Page-by-page, chapter-by-chapter, an epic voyage of puzzle solving and classic literature awaits you!

Reviews:

***** Genius! - A wonderful tribute/brain teaser to the great American novel.

***** Great fun - An idea that might on hearing it sound silly or complicated but is in execution a metric ton of fun.

***** Best - Best game ever. The world needs this.

## Key features

- Word tile unscrambling
- Reveal censored text
- Experience Moby-Dick
- Chapter-by-chapter progression
- 10,395 puzzles

## Recent user reviews (10 of 20)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/omby/id983021179/reviews.md

### 5/5 — 🥰

*2025-01-31*

This is an absolute delight.

### 5/5 — A satisfying way to solve anagrams

*2023-04-10*

This is a word puzzle through which you get to read Moby Dick. It is good for short bursts of puzzle solving, but unlike other puzzles you also have the satisfaction of actually reading the book.

### 5/5 — Hidden gem

*2021-06-22*

It’s calming and not always an easy puzzle. Hints are fee if you need. Brilliant idea. 

I do wish I could look up a few words in an interactive dictionary.

### 5/5 — OMBY <3

*2020-06-01*

Love love love.

### 5/5 — The Best Game I've Ever Purchased/Played

*2017-01-29*

This game is both challenging and captivating.  Because you're not only playing, but also reading a legendary book; there's no accompanying guilt about spending too much time playing games on your phone!  Enjoy!

### 5/5 — Fantastic, challenging and satisfying

*2016-07-07*

Wow. This could be a new genre. An anagram/word game that exposes the subtleties of prose. Incredible homage to Melville and Moby Dick and lots of fun.

I hope we see another of these with a different book and author.

### 5/5 — Lovely and surprisingly addictive

*2016-05-12*

I'd forgotten how rich and imaginative and often funny MOBY DICK is until I started reading it slowly line by line through this game. Absolutely my go-to game now. The app design is simple and elegant and satisfying.

### 5/5 — A Hidden Gem Of A Word Game

*2016-03-11*

I'm lucky to have stumbled onto this literary word game.  By breaking down the novel a few sentences at a time, and through using a fun game element, Omby helps one gain an appreciation of Melville's language.  I find that it offers a very casual approach, in that one can choose to play for a quick minute, or for more extended periods.  Also, since I'm a bit visually challenged, I'm finding that the clear graphics and layout really help in the enjoyment of the game/language/novel.  There are no ads, at least in my version, which was free.  Highly recommended.

### 5/5 — Fun

*2015-12-30*

Reading a book this way is so much fun! I'd love it if my progressed would sync across iOS devices, but even without that it's worth the full batch of stars.

### 5/5 — Genius!!!!!

*2015-09-29*

A wonderful tribute/brain teaser to the great american novel. You can really get a sense of Melville on a poetic level and what’s more, it’s a great story. I can’t recommend this enough. Most people don’t read Moby Dick once. Now I read it every day.

## Frequently asked questions about OMBY

### What is OMBY?

OMBY is a word-puzzle game that allows you to discover the language of Moby-Dick by unscrambling word tiles. As you solve puzzles, censored text from the classic novel is revealed.

### How many puzzles are in OMBY?

OMBY features a total of 10,395 puzzles. Completing all of them means you will have read the complete text of Moby Dick.

### Is OMBY available on Android?

Based on the provided data, OMBY is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Information regarding Android availability is not specified.

### What is the age rating for OMBY?

OMBY has an age rating of 12+, making it suitable for a teen audience and older.

### When was OMBY last updated?

The latest version of OMBY was released on December 14, 2017, with version 1.2.

### Can I play OMBY offline?

The provided description does not specify whether OMBY can be played offline. However, puzzle games of this nature often function without an internet connection.

### What do users like about OMBY?

User reviews highlight OMBY as 'Genius!', 'Great fun', and 'Best game ever'. Users appreciate its unique tribute to the great American novel and its engaging gameplay.

### Is OMBY free to play?

Yes, OMBY is available for free. It does not have in-app purchases or advertisements.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 1.2 — 2017-12-14

This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included.

Bug fixes and other improvements.

### 1.0.1 — 2015-11-12

Turn the page without waiting for blacked-out text to be revealed.

Emphasized text now set in italics. Improved typesetting of quotations.

Bug fixes and other improvements.

### 1.0 — 2015-07-16

No release notes.

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## More apps by Counterwave

- [Notakto](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notakto/id412097279)

All apps by Counterwave: https://appshunter.io/developer/1740414820

## Related topics

[omby](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/omby) · [ombi](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ombi) · [mobydick](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mobydick) · [moby dicks](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/moby-dicks)

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*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 2026-09-07.*