Comparison

Codenames vs Potion Explosion

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Codenames

This official digital adaptation of a popular board game offers a unique word-association puzzle experience. Engage in turn-based matches, solve daily solo puzzles, and explore numerous rule variations for endless replayability. Collect themed word cards and level up your agent to unlock new content.

Highlights
  • Nearly 50 rule-bending game modes
  • Daily solo puzzles
  • Themed word collections
  • Turn-based multiplayer
  • Cross-platform play
  • Pass & Play mode
Read full description

The official Codenames puzzle game from the makers of the award-winning board game. Built on the same clever clue-giving, but made for mobile: nearly 50 rule-bending game modes, daily solo puzzles, themed word collections and a deep meta-game. One purchase. No ads. No timers, no pay-to-win. Optional Duet expansion for two-player co-op. NOT JUST THE BOARD GAME ON YOUR PHONE This is a standalone Codenames game with its own content and style. Where the board game is a party game, this one is a puzzle game: every clue is a small riddle you crack at your own pace, and every mode adds a new twist to think through. HOW IT WORKS A grid of words hides your team's secret agents. As Spymaster, you give a single clue that links as many of your words as you dare. As Operative, you work out what your teammate meant and make the guesses. One wrong word helps the other team, and the assassin ends the game instantly. NEARLY 50 TWISTS ON THE RULES Every mode keeps the core of Codenames and bends one rule, turning each game into a fresh puzzle: • Mines: Codenames meets Minesweeper. Numbers on the cards tell you how many agents are hiding nearby. • Mirrors: the Spymasters' grids are symmetrical. Find the axis and you can deduce cards you were never given a clue for. • Convertor: before giving a clue, the Spymaster can swap the colors of two cards to set up a better clue or sabotage the other team. • Quantum Gadget: torn between two words? Mark both and the gadget reveals which one is the better pick. Use it wisely, you only get three per mission. • …and dozens more. SOLO PUZZLES EVERY DAY • Daily Cases: 16 cards, one clue. Find the right words, collect your reward and move on to the next case. Every puzzle is made by real players, not an algorithm. • Daily Spymaster Challenge: everyone gets the same board. Come up with your best clue, then see how it performs when other players try to guess it, and how it ranks against every other Spymaster's clue. COLLECT, LEVEL UP, EXPLORE • Open briefcases to collect themed word cards: video games, movies, travel, sci-fi, fantasy, history, the 20th century and more • Play themed missions with the words you've collected • Earn experience and level up your agent to unlock more daily cases, better rewards and new options PLAY WITH OTHERS AT YOUR OWN PACE • Turn-based matches for 2–4 players: take your turn whenever you have a minute • Get matched with players from around the world, on iPhone, iPad and Android • Invite friends to a private game, or pass one phone around with Pass & Play • Run several games at once, chat with your team and draw notes right on the board PLAY IN YOUR LANGUAGE English, Czech, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic. FROM THE MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL Codenames is designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition. The board game won the Spiel des Jahres 2016. This app won Best Design at the Czech Game of the Year Awards and was selected as an App Store Editors' Choice. CODENAMES: DUET EXPANSION (in-app purchase) The cooperative two-player version, based on the green-box Duet board game: • Work together instead of competing: take turns giving clues and guessing • Each player knows only some of the agents, and the same card can look different to each of them: a card one player sees as the assassin may be an agent the other player needs to contact • 28 VIP missions adapted from the original Duet, now for cooperative play • Dual Cases: probably the hardest puzzle in Codenames yet. First find the cards that connect to both clues, then the words that fit only one

About

Potion Explosion

This is a digital adaptation of an award-winning puzzle board game where players collect magical ingredients to brew powerful potions. Engage in tactical gameplay, trigger chain reactions, and compete against AI or players worldwide to score the most points.

Highlights
  • Official adaptation of award-winning board game
  • Solo mode against AI
  • Online multiplayer with worldwide leaderboard
  • Tactical gameplay with strategic depth
  • The Fifth Ingredient expansion available
  • Magical universe with enhanced digital elements
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

"Voted best 50 mobile games of 2017" ** The Fifth Ingredient expansion is now available! You'll meet the Professors, concoct unbelievable new Potions and unleash a new ingredient, the Ghost Ectoplasm, in this madcap expansion! The Fifth Ingredient also adds Reward and Scolding tokens. ** The official adaptation of Potion Explosion, the award-winning puzzle board game. Play this game solo or against players from all over the world with Solo, Online and Local Pass & Play modes! In Potion Explosion, you will explode ingredients, trigger chain reactions and gather it all in your caldron. You will then use your hard-earned unicorn tears, fairy dandruff and other magical ingredients to craft powerful mixtures with wacky effects! May the best wizard win! HOW TO PLAY At the beginning of the game, each player is given potions to complete with specific effects and ingredients. You will have to select ingredients in the dispenser; once your selected ingredient is removed, the ingredients above will slide down. If two ingredients of the same nature collide, they explode and you get them too! You can then use your ingredients to cook up your potions. You only have a limited tank space to store remaining ingredients from one turn to another, so choose carefully! Once a potion is completed, you score points, get to use its powerful effect and pick another potion to craft. The wizard with the most points wins! PREPARE FOR THE POTIONS EXAM IN SOLO Play against up to 3 adjustable AIs to sharpen your potion crafting skills! OR PROVE YOUR MASTERY IN MULTIPLAYER MODE! Play against wizards from all over the world online and get to the top of the worldwide leaderboard! To sum up, the game features include: • The magical universe of the board game, fleshed out and digitally enhanced • A tactical gameplay, allowing for different playstyles and strategies • A Solo mode against up to 3 adjustable AIs • An online Multiplayer Mode with a worldwide leaderboard • The Fifth Ingredient expansion: new rules and even more challenges with the arrival of Professors, new Potions and the new Ghost Ectoplasm ingredient. Available from the game shop! To find more information about Asmodee Digital, please go to http://www.asmodee-digital.com/potionexplosion Having an issue? Looking for support? Please contact us: https://asmodee.helpshift.com/a/potion-explosion/ You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asmodeedigital/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/asmodeedigital Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmodeedigital/ You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/asmodeedigital Languages available: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Polish, Simplified Chinese, Japanese. *IMPORTANT* Potion Explosion requires an iPhone 5 (or newer), iPad 4th Generation (or newer), iPad Mini 2 (or newer), or iPod Touch 6th Generation (or newer)

Screenshots

Codenames4 screens
Potion Explosion4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Codenames at 4.7 against Potion Explosion's 4.1. Codenames also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 40%) and chart position (#10 vs #149). Potion Explosion's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Codenames costs $4.99 and Potion Explosion $3.99 up front. Codenames sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Potion Explosion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Codenames holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 284 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Codenames's written reviews are positive against 40% of Potion Explosion's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Codenames ships an update fortnightly, Potion Explosion every 11 days. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Codenames versus Potion Explosion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodenamesPotion Explosion
Price$4.99$3.99 — better
Rating4.7 (1.2K ratings) — better4.1 (284 ratings)
Positive reviews66.0% of reviews — better40.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1.2K — better284
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#10 — better#149
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size221 MB192 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperCGE Digital s.r.o.Horrible Guild

Customer experience

Codenames

All ratings1,150 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral2.5%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews444 reviews
Positive66.0%
Neutral14.6%
Negative19.4%

Potion Explosion

All ratings273 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral8.8%
Negative19.8%
Written reviews239 reviews
Positive40.2%
Neutral18.8%
Negative41.0%

User reviews

Codenames

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth and intuitive gameplay
  • 🎨 Excellent visual design
  • 💰 Good value for money
  • 🕹️ Engaging single-player modes
  • 🤝 Enjoyable multiplayer experience

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Long wait times for other players
  • 🌐 Connectivity issues and server problems
  • 🌍 Cultural differences and language barriers
  • 🔒 Restrictive clue-giving rules
  • 🤖 Jury system allowing questionable words

Potion Explosion

From 284 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
  • 🧠 Engaging and strategic gameplay
  • 🕹️ Smooth offline experience
  • 💰 Good value for the price

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔌 Drains battery quickly
  • 🕰️ Online games prone to freezing and synchronization issues
  • 🤖 AI opponents too difficult or too easy

Bugs and requests

Codenames

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Initial launch with only Czech language support
  • Occasional app crashes and server disconnections

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add Codenames Duet mode
  • Implement AI/bot players for faster games
  • Allow custom word packs and themes
  • Add a 'speed mode' for faster gameplay
  • Improve the jury system to maintain game integrity

Potion Explosion

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to complete online games
  • Incorrect scoring and game state displayed
  • Potions and ingredients not functioning as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Notification system for online games
  • Ability to undo moves
  • Random selection of professors
  • More challenging AI opponents

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Codenames

One-time1
  • Krycí jména: Duet$4.99
1 purchases

Potion Explosion

One-time1
  • The Fifth Ingredient$1.99

Questions

Is Codenames free?
Codenames costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Potion Explosion free?
Potion Explosion costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Codenames or Potion Explosion?
Codenames is rated higher. Codenames averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Potion Explosion averages 4.1 from 284 ratings.
Do Codenames or Potion Explosion have ads?
Neither Codenames nor Potion Explosion shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Codenames or Potion Explosion?
Codenames ships an update fortnightly, and Potion Explosion every 11 days. Most recently, Codenames was updated on November 13, 2026 and Potion Explosion on November 13, 2026.
Which is more popular, Codenames or Potion Explosion?
Codenames currently peaks at #10 in the App Store charts, and Potion Explosion at #149. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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