# Five Minute Dungeon Timer vs Detective Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Detective Notes at 4.7 against Five Minute Dungeon Timer's 3.3. Detective Notes also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 38%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Five Minute Dungeon Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Detective Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Five Minute Dungeon Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Detective Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 135 and 217 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Five Minute Dungeon Timer's written reviews are positive against 72% of Detective Notes's.

Five Minute Dungeon Timer ships an update every 5 months, Detective Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Five Minute Dungeon Timer | Detective Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-minute-dungeon-timer/id1157733432/reviews) | **[4.7 (217 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/detective-notes/id6466589007/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 135 | **217** |
| Positive reviews | 38.3% of reviews | **72.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wiggles 3D](https://appshunter.io/developer/468113617) | [Kyeong Cheon Yang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1707501391) |

## What reviewers say

### Five Minute Dungeon Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-minute-dungeon-timer/id1157733432)

This app acts as a timer for the 5-Minute Dungeon board game. It visually displays the remaining time and provides audio cues at key intervals, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in gameplay without needing to constantly check a separate timer.

**Highlights:** Displays time remaining, Announces timer milestones, Focuses gameplay, Audio cues

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎭 Multiple entertaining narrator voices
- 🎵 Atmospheric background music enhances gameplay
- ⏱️ Functional timer mechanism
- 👍 Simple and easy-to-use interface
- 🎮 Adds excitement and tension to board game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔊 Audio/sound not working on iPhone (most critical issue)
- 📱 Inconsistent audio across different iOS devices
- 🔇 Sound only works when device mute switch is OFF (poorly documented)
- 🔋 High battery consumption during use
- 📐 Poor iPhone X/XS/XR display support and optimization

**Reported bugs**

- No audio output on iPhone devices (widespread and persistent)
- Audio stops working after first game or extended inactivity
- Sound incompatible with iPhone silent/mute switch (design flaw)
- Audio only functions with Bluetooth speakers on some iPhones
- App doesn't appear in phone settings on some devices

**Requested features**

- Allow sound to play in silent/mute mode like other apps
- Add more narrator voices and character variety
- Multiple different lines per narrator instead of repetitive phrases
- Dynamic music that intensifies as time runs out
- Background music during pauses or between rounds


### Detective Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/detective-notes/id6466589007)

Organize clues, suspects, and locations to solve mysteries. Customize your detective notebook for any game, adjust player counts, and keep your strategies private. Features include marker variety and multilingual support.

**Highlights:** Customizable setup for suspects, tools, and locations, Flexible player count adjustment, Private note customization, Variety of marker tools, Multilingual support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 All-in-one solution for Clue
- 🚀 Makes Clue game more efficient
- 😍 Fun for playing with friends
- 👍 Great alternative to paper
- 😊 Fun for family game nights

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Reset button stopped working
- 🐛 App blocks for days
- 🐛 Custom settings don't work
- 🐛 Ads not closable
- 🐛 Error on start, unusable

**Reported bugs**

- Reset button stopped working after update
- Application blocked for 3 days
- Custom setting does not work
- Ads are not closable, requires force close
- Error on main screen, cannot use app

**Requested features**

- Add numbering system for cells
- Allow multiple numbers per cell
- Add Harry Potter version rooms (9 rooms)
- Fix custom settings functionality
- Fix weapons and rooms category selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Five Minute Dungeon Timer free?

Five Minute Dungeon Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Detective Notes free?

Detective Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Five Minute Dungeon Timer or Detective Notes?

Detective Notes is rated higher. Five Minute Dungeon Timer averages 3.3 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while Detective Notes averages 4.7 from 217 ratings.

### Do Five Minute Dungeon Timer or Detective Notes have ads?

Detective Notes shows ads; Five Minute Dungeon Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Five Minute Dungeon Timer or Detective Notes?

Five Minute Dungeon Timer ships an update every 5 months, and Detective Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Five Minute Dungeon Timer was updated on October 13, 2026 and Detective Notes on October 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*