# Telling Lies — 4 private lives. 1 big lie.

> Investigative thriller video game about private conversations and non-linear storytelling. (iPhone/iPad app by Annapurna Games, LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/telling-lies/id1261458837 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Annapurna Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1242610251)
- Category: Games, Entertainment, Adventure, Word
- Price: $6.99
- Rating: 3.90/5 from 106 App Store ratings · 105 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 12.2 · 3.1 GB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-08-23
- Data updated: 2026-09-04
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/telling-lies/id1261458837/reviews.md

## What is Telling Lies?

A Video Game About Private Conversations

An investigative thriller game with non-linear storytelling, Telling Lies revolves around a cache of secretly recorded video conversations. Starring Logan Marshall-Green, Alexandra Shipp, Kerry Bishé, Angela Sarafyan and directed by Sam Barlow, creator of Her Story and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. 

How does it work?

Telling Lies sits you in front of an anonymous laptop loaded with a stolen NSA database full of footage. The footage covers two years in the intimate lives of four people whose stories are linked by a shocking incident. Explore the database by typing search terms, watch the clips where those words are spoken and piece together your story. 

Unlike anything you've played before, Telling Lies is an intimate and intense experience. A game where you decide the truth.

## Key features

- Non-linear storytelling
- Secretly recorded video conversations
- Searchable video database
- Investigative thriller gameplay
- Player-driven narrative

## Chart rankings

- #27 in Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

## What do users think of Telling Lies?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🎬 Excellent acting and cast performances
- 📖 Engaging and intriguing narrative
- 🎨 High-quality production and cinematography
- 💡 Innovative interactive storytelling format
- 🔍 Rewarding mystery-solving gameplay
- 🎭 Well-written characters and dialogue
- ⏱️ Substantial content length for price
- 🌍 Multiple language support and localization

**Cons**

- ⏪ Tedious and slow video rewinding mechanic
- 🔇 One-sided conversations create confusion
- 😴 Long silent pauses and staring scenes
- 🎯 Unclear objectives and lack of guidance
- 📍 Videos start mid-conversation requiring rewind
- 🖥️ Poor UI/UX design and interface
- 📱 iPhone version has text/font readability issues
- 🎬 Predictable or unsatisfying story ending
- ⚠️ Lack of rewards or achievement system
- 🤔 Confusing narrative structure for some players

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Game crashes on startup or during gameplay
- No sound on iPhone speakers (Bluetooth audio works)
- Bluetooth audio compatibility issues
- Subtitle/text sync problems during video playback
- Slow and laggy video scrubbing controls
- High CPU/GPU usage on MacBook Air M1
- Game crashes in specific locations during progression
- Font sizes too small on iPhone displays
- Video playback freezing or stuttering

**Most requested features**

- Side-by-side video playback for conversation pairs
- Quick jump to video beginning button
- 30-second skip/fast-forward functionality
- Note-taking system for tracking clues
- Progress indicator showing story completion
- Tutorial or onboarding guidance
- Synchronized conversation viewing
- Achievement or reward system
- Better search functionality with exact matching

## Recent user reviews (10 of 105)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/telling-lies/id1261458837/reviews.md

### 2/5 — Very problematic and disappointing

*2024-02-12*

It was definitely a mistake to make us listen to each side of video conversation separately. It means half of the time I get bored by looking at the actor just staring into the camera, and when they talk, I still get frustrated, because it means I'd have to watch equally lenghty awkward pause in another half. It should be a normal dialog.

Also, scrolling mechanism is terrible. You search for a term, find a video where it's mentioned at the end, spend a minute scrolling back to the beginning, then spend another ten to fifteen seconds scrolling forward until the character finally starts talking. At least there should be a way to quickly jump to the beginning of the video.

Combined with the most important character being extremely unsympathetic almost from the beginning, and only going downhill from there, there isn't much to really enjoy.

### 3/5 — Jogo muito bom, mas Macbook Air M1 esquenta muito

*2023-12-06*

O jogo é simples e creio que deveria funcionar melhor já que tanto o iPhone, iPad e Mac são ARM e são do mesmo ecossistema, mas o jogo usa 200% da CPU e um bom tanto da GPU, sendo que é um jogo em vídeos gravados, meio que um database, deveria ser leve, imagino que seja algum bug ou problema de compatibilidade. Corrijam, por favor.

### 3/5 — Not really playable

*2023-06-23*

The game is good, and I had this game on my PC as well. On the mobile version, however, I can’t really rewind the videos very well. It’s possible, but slow and tedious. I’ll attempt it again and maybe come on here and change my review. There might be something I’m missing.

If I’m not, then it’s really disappointing, because the game itself is really good. As far as I can see, it’s only a mobile version issue with game mechanics.

### 5/5 — Bello e interessante

*2023-03-18*

Meno intrigante di Her Story, ma la meccanica dei video interattivi funziona meglio e si integra nel Gameplay. Interessante la storia è bella da seguire

### 5/5 — Very fun unraveling the story in your own way

*2023-02-25*

Quite enjoyed this game, trying to find new leads, guessing what happened as I went along. Great political thriller

### 1/5 — Toujours pas en français

*2022-10-12*

Trois ans après la dernière maj, toujours pas en français.

### 5/5 — Engrossing

*2022-03-19*

This game really sucked me in. It’s been a long time since I stayed up too late playing a game, but I really came to want to know about the characters and unravel the mystery.

### 2/5 — jewish erasure in a game that focuses on neo-nazis. again.

*2022-02-20*

i was having an okay type playing - i'm a big fan of games like her story and simulacra - i kind of noticed something in the game that has become extremely prevalent in the media today. nazis and anti-nazis are only portrayed as hating people darker than them. there is not a single jewish character. nothing about origins of the movement, the lack of mentioning who they targeted; the media is erasing jewish history and this game is just another one of those "the nazis are back guys" stories that once again avoids the targeted group nazis then and the ones today want to eradicate. have we forgotten "jews will not replace us"? that chant from a bunch of white supremacists holding tiki torches?

stop trying to erase our names and the torture we still face by these people to capitalize on a movement that hasn't abandoned us, but only because we should just "stay in our lane" as if they don't know the impact and irony of those words. and this is everywhere i go. my brothers don't have white privilege when they don their yarmulkes, hold their tefillin, or wear tzitzit. it should be a known fact that we've already gone through multiple instances where we have been told to "just pretend you're not jewish". that sentiment killed has led to massacres and yet is still peddled today, only with the added "because you're not the main target so stay in your lane" line to sound more socially aware.

jews aren't white to nazis. even good ol' modern day skinheads don't see jews as white. they think we're the puppeteers behind anti-racist groups, manipulating minorities into joining our alleged "cause". you could have worked with that. you could have called that out. but you didn't. you made a game that involves someone fighting nazis and forgot to mention who their main target still is.

and it hurts.

### 5/5 — Loved this so much

*2021-08-19*

I only wish there were more games like this available, amazing story, acting, game lay out all perfectly structured to keep you interested. A massive 👍 oh and seeing the brilliant actress from Westworld appearing in this was an added bonus 😃

### 2/5 — A missed opportunity

*2021-05-25*

Just like with Her Story this game has a great concept when it comes to mechanics, and one has to admire the sheer effort and time it must have taken to film over five hours of people talking to a camera.  But the story itself really left me underwhelmed. It’s true that I was anticipating something that would use the mechanics to create a more thriller-like atmosphere and in the end it was much more of a drama, but even then I don’t think it was engaging or believable enough a drama to keep me interested enough to spend hours mining for clips if I hadn’t been holding on to the hope that there’d be some kind of twist or clever revelation or eerie moment of suspense or something. I wouldn’t have said anything at all on this were it not for the appalling epilogue, an unintentionally cold and ugly affair that feels like it fell out of another story entirely.

## Frequently asked questions about Telling Lies

### What is Telling Lies?

Telling Lies is an investigative thriller video game that revolves around a cache of secretly recorded video conversations. Players explore a database of footage by typing search terms to uncover the truth behind four interconnected lives linked by a shocking incident.

### How do I play Telling Lies?

You play by interacting with an anonymous laptop containing a stolen NSA database of video footage. You will type search terms to find relevant clips where those words are spoken, and then piece together the narrative from these conversations.

### What are the key features of Telling Lies?

Key features include non-linear storytelling, a database of secretly recorded video conversations, the ability to search for keywords within the footage, and an investigative thriller gameplay experience where the player determines the truth.

### Is Telling Lies a free game?

Based on the provided information, Telling Lies is a paid application. It does not appear to have in-app purchases or advertisements, suggesting a one-time purchase model.

### What kind of experience does Telling Lies offer?

Telling Lies offers an intimate and intense experience unlike most games. It is designed for players who enjoy unraveling mysteries through exploration and deduction, with a strong emphasis on narrative and player agency in discovering the story.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.4 — 2019-08-30

Thank you for playing Telling Lies!

This version includes key bug fixes, including enhanced input for Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

### 1.0.3 — 2019-08-23

Thank you for playing Telling Lies!

This version includes key performance improvements and bug fixes.

### 1.0.2 — 2019-08-22

Thank you for playing Telling Lies! 

This version includes key performance improvements and bug fixes.

### 1.0.1 — 2019-08-20

Thank you for playing Telling Lies.

This version includes performance improvements and bug fixes.

### 1.0 — 2019-08-16

No release notes.

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## More apps by Annapurna Games, LLC

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All apps by Annapurna Games, LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1242610251

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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 2026-09-04.*