Comparison

Codenames vs Wingspan

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

Head to head
About

Codenames

Engage in a strategic word game of deduction and teamwork. Give one-word clues to help your team guess associated words before the opposing team. Enjoy a blend of casual fun and deep thinking with turn-based multiplayer matches.

Highlights
  • Turn-based multiplayer
  • One-word clue system
  • Teamwork and deduction
  • Multiple game modes
  • Spymaster and Operative roles
  • Logic and creativity challenges
Read full description

Codenames is available in ENGLISH, GERMAN, FRENCH, ARABIC, ITALIAN, PORTUGUESE, SPANISH, and CZECH. Codenames is a clever word game of deduction, teamwork, and strategy, inspired by the popular board game loved worldwide. Give one-word clues, link multiple words, and read your teammates’ minds to win before the other team does. Easy to learn, hard to master Codenames is simple to understand and instantly rewarding. Every match tests your logic, creativity, and intuition — a perfect blend of casual fun and deep thinking. Play at your own pace Turn-based matches let you play whenever you want, as much as you want. Start several games at once and return when it’s your turn — perfect for busy players. Smart fun for sharp minds If you enjoy games that make you think, this is for you. Every clue and guess matters — there’s no autoplay, no idle waiting, just pure wordplay and deduction. Why players love Codenames • Turn-based multiplayer — play with friends or online opponents. • Based on a beloved board game concept: give one-word clues, guess multiple words. • Exclusive twists and new game modes available exclusively in this version. • Choose your role — Spymaster or Operative — and master both perspectives. • One-time purchase unlocks a full experience — no freemium grind, no intrusive ads—just the pure enjoyment for the price of a cup of coffee for the dev team. Join millions of players and test how well you can get into the minds of others. Download Codenames today — the top multiplayer word game for clever thinkers.

About

Wingspan

A relaxing, award-winning strategy card game where you discover and attract birds to build wildlife preserves. Compete with up to five players to create powerful combinations and score points through birds, bonus cards, and goals.

Highlights
  • Discover and attract birds
  • Build wildlife preserves
  • Engine-building strategy
  • Single and multiplayer modes
  • Animated birds with real sounds
  • Multiple scoring methods
Features
Read full description

Wingspan is a relaxing, award-winning strategy card game about birds for 1 to 5 players. Each bird you play extends a chain of powerful combinations in one of your three habitats. Your goal is to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves. You are bird enthusiasts—researchers, bird watchers, ornithologists, and collectors—seeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves. Each bird extends a chain of powerful combinations in one of your habitats. Each habitat focuses on a key aspect of the growth of your preserves. In Wingspan up to 5 players compete to build up their nature preserves in a limited number of turns. Each beautiful bird that you add to your preserve makes you better at laying eggs, drawing cards, or gathering food. Many of the 170 unique birds have powers that echo real life: your hawks will hunt, your pelicans will fish, and your geese will form a flock. Features - Relaxing strategy card game where your goal is to discover and attract the best birds. - Single player and multiplayer modes for up to five players. - Based on award winning, competitive, card-driven, engine-building board game. - Hundreds of unique, animated birds with their real life sound recordings. - Multiple ways to accumulate points with birds, bonus cards and end-of-round goals.

Screenshots

Codenames4 screens
Wingspan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Codenames at $4.99 against Wingspan's $9.99. Codenames also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Wingspan's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 1.1K). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 Wingspan $9.99 up front. Codenames sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Wingspan sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Codenames against 4.8 for Wingspan. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wingspan has 13K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of Codenames's written reviews are positive against 61% of Wingspan's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Codenames ships an update fortnightly, Wingspan every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Codenames versus Wingspan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodenamesWingspan
Price$4.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings)4.8 (13K ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.3% of reviews — better61.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.1K13K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#13#5 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size221 MB1.0 GB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperCGE Digital s.r.o.Monster Couch

Customer experience

Codenames

All ratings1,129 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews442 reviews
Positive66.3%
Neutral14.5%
Negative19.2%

Wingspan

All ratings13,046 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews982 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral11.6%
Negative27.4%

User reviews

Codenames

From 1.1K 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

Wingspan

From 13K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful gameplay
  • 🎶 Lovely music and sound effects
  • 🕰️ Relaxing and calming experience
  • 📚 Educational bird facts
  • 🕹️ Faithful digital adaptation of the board game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Small text and icons difficult to read
  • 🕰️ AI opponents take too long to make moves
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🤯 Frustrating online multiplayer experience

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

Wingspan

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • End-of-game buttons not working
  • Unfinished games not clearing from main menu
  • Inconsistent response when tapping on cards/habitats
  • Incorrect behavior of certain bird abilities
  • Crashes when playing specific card combinations

Requested features

8 requests
  • Ability to reorder cards in hand
  • Option to save/friend usernames for online play
  • Faster AI turns
  • In-game chat function
  • Ability to view opponent's hand size
Show 3 more
  • Option to disable end-of-round animations
  • Leaderboard for online competitions
  • More detailed achievement descriptions

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Codenames

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

Wingspan

One-time12
  • Seasonal Decorative Pack$4.99
  • Woodland Wonders Pack$4.99
  • Seasonal Decorative Pack 2$4.99
Show 9 more
  • Birds of Continental Europe$5.99
  • Bird Pack: Additional Asian Avians$5.99
  • Bird Pack: British Birds$5.99
  • European Expansion$9.99
  • Oceania Expansion$11.99
  • Asia Expansion$11.99
  • Bird Packs Season Pass$12.99
  • Bird Packs Season Pass$18.99
  • Bird Packs Season Pass$24.99

Questions

Is Codenames free?
Codenames costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Wingspan free?
Wingspan costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Codenames or Wingspan?
Wingspan is rated higher. Codenames averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Wingspan averages 4.8 from 13K ratings.
Do Codenames or Wingspan have ads?
Neither Codenames nor Wingspan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Codenames or Wingspan?
Codenames ships an update fortnightly, and Wingspan every 2 weeks. Most recently, Codenames was updated on October 20, 2026 and Wingspan on October 20, 2026.
Which is more popular, Codenames or Wingspan?
Codenames currently peaks at #13 in the App Store charts, and Wingspan at #5. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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