Comparison

Word Forward vs Dead Letters

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

About

Dead Letters

Engage your mind with a unique word puzzle game set in a vibrant synth-wave world. Uncover hidden 4-letter words from 8-letter puzzles, utilizing power-ups and daily challenges. Immerse yourself in retro visuals and an electrifying soundtrack.

Highlights
  • Synth-wave electronic theme
  • Mind-teasing word puzzles
  • Power-ups for assistance
  • Daily challenges
  • Synth-wave soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Prepare to immerse yourself in a vibrant universe of glowing neon lights and addictive word challenges. Have you ever seen an electric sign with a few dead letters, and the remaining lit letters form a new word? Now you can play off that theme by embarking on a journey of lexical discovery, where the goal is to uncover 4-letter words from an 8-letter puzzle. Engage your mind and sharpen your vocabulary as you dive into an electrifying puzzle-solving adventure. Key Features: • Electronic Synth-Wave Theme: Let the pulsating beats and dazzling neon visuals transport you to a retro-futuristic realm, filled with nostalgia and excitement. • Mind-Teasing Puzzles: Exercise your brain with unique and captivating word puzzles. Uncover the hidden 4-letter words by lighting and extinguishing the letters in the puzzles. • Power-Ups: Activate a special power-up to enhance your word-solving abilities. Disable wrong letters when you need that extra spark of inspiration. • Daily Challenges: Test your skills and compete against the world with daily puzzles. Come back every day for a new challenge to stay sharp! • Synth-Wave Soundtrack: Immerse yourself in an electrifying audio experience with a captivating synth-wave soundtrack that complements the neon visuals. Get lost in the rhythm as you conquer each word puzzle. Dead Letters is the perfect fusion of addictive gameplay, retro aesthetics, and brain-teasing challenges. Get ready to dive into a mesmerizing world where words come alive amidst a neon-lit atmosphere. Download now and let the neon waves guide your way to word-solving glory!

Screenshots

Word Forward4 screens
Dead Letters4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dead Letters at Free against Word Forward's $2.99. Dead Letters also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks). Word Forward's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#111 vs unranked). On ratings volume 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

Dead Letters is free to download; Word Forward costs $2.99 up front. Dead Letters sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Word Forward asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dead Letters holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Word Forward's written reviews are positive against 100% of Dead Letters's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Word Forward ships an update every 6 weeks, Dead Letters every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Word Forward versus Dead Letters: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWord ForwardDead Letters
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (11 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#111 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size122 MB119 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThalamus Digital Publishing Ltd.Lobo Concepts LLC

Customer experience

Word Forward

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative23.5%

Dead Letters

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Word Forward

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dead Letters

One-time1
  • Unlock All Puzzles$1.99

Questions

Is Word Forward free?
Word Forward costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dead Letters free?
Dead Letters is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Word Forward or Dead Letters?
Dead Letters is rated higher. Word Forward averages 4.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Dead Letters averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Word Forward or Dead Letters have ads?
Neither Word Forward nor Dead Letters shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Word Forward or Dead Letters?
Word Forward ships an update every 6 weeks, and Dead Letters every 4 days. Most recently, Word Forward was updated on October 15, 2026 and Dead Letters on October 17, 2026.

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