Telling Lies vs Word Forward
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Telling Lies
Explore a database of secretly recorded video conversations to uncover the truth behind four interconnected lives. This investigative thriller game uses non-linear storytelling where you piece together a shocking incident by searching for keywords and watching clips.
- Non-linear storytelling
- Secretly recorded video conversations
- Searchable video database
- Investigative thriller gameplay
- Player-driven narrative
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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.
Word Forward
This word puzzle game challenges players to clear a 5x5 grid by forming words. It requires strategic use of every letter tile to solve 500 unique puzzles, offering an endlessly challenging brain teaser.
- Spell words by tracing lines
- Swap letters with tokens
- Jumble tiles for new letters
- Change letters with modifiers
- Eliminate tiles with bombs
- Solve 500 puzzles
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The #1 Word Game! Played by millions! “Equally a brain-teaser and a brain-pleaser” - MacWorld “An excellent buy for solo players” - TechRadar “A really fun and well-executed word game” - PocketGamer Beautifully simple. Endlessly challenging. Word Forward is the word puzzle game where every choice matters. Can you use all of the letters in the 5x5 grid to make words disappear and clear the board? Word Forward isn’t about spelling the longest words or the most clever - it’s about carefully using every tile to declare victory in 500 puzzles. It requires cunning and strategy -- Word Forward is a brain teaser that will really make you think! • SPELL words by tracing a line between tiles in any direction, including diagonally • SWAP any two letters on the grid by using a SWAP TOKEN, earned during gameplay • JUMBLE the tiles on the grid to replace all the letters with new ones when all else fails • CHANGE the letter on a tile to any other letter you choose using the SWAP MODIFIER • ELIMINATE stubborn tiles with BOMBS to get yourself out of a tight spot The latest brain-tingling puzzle game from the creators of Block Droppin Blitz.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Word Forward at 4.5 against Telling Lies's 3.9. Word Forward also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 57%) and price ($2.99 vs $6.99). Telling Lies's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (106 vs 11). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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
Telling Lies costs $6.99 and Word Forward $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Word Forward holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Telling Lies has 106 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Telling Lies's written reviews are positive against 76% of Word Forward's.
Telling Lies ships an update every 3 days, Word Forward every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Telling Lies | Word Forward |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (106 ratings) | 4.5 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | 76.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 106 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #85 — better | #118 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3.1 GB | 122 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Annapurna Games, LLC | Thalamus Digital Publishing Ltd. |
Customer experience
Telling Lies
Word Forward
Bugs and requests
Telling Lies
Reported bugs
9 issues- 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
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- 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
Requested features
9 requests- 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
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- Tutorial or onboarding guidance
- Synchronized conversation viewing
- Achievement or reward system
- Better search functionality with exact matching
Word Forward
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Telling Lies
No in-app purchases
Word Forward
No in-app purchases









