Codenames vs Potion Explosion
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Nearly 50 rule-bending game modes
- Daily solo puzzles
- Themed word collections
- Turn-based multiplayer
- Cross-platform play
- Pass & Play mode
Read full descriptionHide 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
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Codenames ships an update fortnightly, Potion Explosion every 11 days. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Codenames | Potion Explosion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $3.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.2K ratings) — better | 4.1 (284 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.0% of reviews — better | 40.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 284 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #10 — better | #149 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 221 MB | 192 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CGE Digital s.r.o. | Horrible Guild |
Customer experience
Codenames
Potion Explosion
User reviews
Codenames
From 1.2K App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
Codenames
- Krycí jména: Duet$4.99
Potion Explosion
- The Fifth Ingredient$1.99
Questions
Is Codenames free?
Is Potion Explosion free?
Which has better reviews, Codenames or Potion Explosion?
Do Codenames or Potion Explosion have ads?
Which is updated more often, Codenames or Potion Explosion?
Which is more popular, Codenames or Potion Explosion?
Other comparisons















