# Taboo vs Word Mines

Taboo and Word Mines both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Word Mines's written reviews are positive against 37% of Taboo's. Word Mines also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Taboo's advantage is ratings volume (4.7K vs 23) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Word Mines is free to download; Taboo costs $1.99 up front. Taboo sells 26 one-off in-app purchases and Word Mines sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Taboo against 5.0 for Word Mines. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Taboo has 4.7K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 37% of Taboo's written reviews are positive against 100% of Word Mines's.

Taboo ships an update monthly, Word Mines every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Taboo | Word Mines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.9 (4.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taboo/id1563932741/reviews) | **[5.0 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-mines/id1580227633/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.7K** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | 37.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Marmalade Game Studio Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/988365603) | [Ya Boi Creative, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1330336452) |

## What reviewers say

### Taboo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taboo/id1563932741)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Word, #14 Top Paid · Board, #155 Top Paid · Games, #194 Top Grossing · Word (US App Store)

A word-guessing party game where teams compete to describe words without using forbidden terms. Play remotely with friends via video chat and customize game settings for endless fun.

**Highlights:** Video chat integration, Team-based word guessing, Customizable game settings, Ad-free gameplay, Multiple language support, Themed card decks

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

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Holiday Thanksgiving Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fun & Games Sports Mix 3 Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Halloween Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fun & Games Sports Mix Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Surprise Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Festive Fun | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fun & Games Games Mix Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fun & Games Sports Mix Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Christmas Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mystery Mix Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Generations Gen Z Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Christmas Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Into the wild | $2.99 | one-time |
| Surprise Pack 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Food and Nature Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sports and Celebrity Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Taboo Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Mix Pack 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Night Out Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Bedroom Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ready to Roast | $6.49 | one-time |
| Celebrity Deck | $6.49 | one-time |
| Sports and Games Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Deck | $9.99 | one-time |
| Word Bonanza Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun game
- 🎉 Great for family and friends
- 🥳 Lots of laughter
- 🤩 Easy to play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Limited number of cards
- 🔁 Repeated cards after a few rounds
- 💰 Need to pay for more cards
- 🤨 Unclear how to add more players

**Reported bugs**

- Game stopped in the middle to ask for payment
- Video chat feature not working
- App not optimized for high refresh rate displays

**Requested features**

- Add more cards in the base version
- Allow customization of game rules
- Implement a stats/history section
- Support more than 2 teams


### Word Mines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-mines/id1580227633)

A word-guessing party game designed for adults. Players must get their team to guess a suggestive word without using specific forbidden terms. Expansion packs are available to add variety and keep the game engaging.

**Highlights:** NSFW word guessing, Team-based gameplay, Forbidden word challenges, Expansion pack store, Adult party game

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| College Expansion Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Essentials Expansion Pack | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Taboo free?

Taboo costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Word Mines free?

Word Mines is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Taboo or Word Mines?

Word Mines is rated higher. Taboo averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4.7K ratings, while Word Mines averages 5.0 from 23 ratings.

### Do Taboo or Word Mines have ads?

Neither Taboo nor Word Mines shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Taboo or Word Mines?

Taboo ships an update monthly, and Word Mines every 3 months. Most recently, Taboo was updated on October 19, 2026 and Word Mines on October 16, 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.*