Comparison

Taboo vs Spy Detect

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

Head to head
About

Taboo

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
Read full description

Can you describe an APPLE without using the words RED, FRUIT, PIE, CIDER or CORE? Taboo is the ultimate brain-teasing, word-twisting adult party game. Play with video chat and throw a house party on your phone! Split into two teams and take it in turns to describe the words on the cards. Your team has to guess as many as possible before the timer runs out. If you use a taboo word by mistake, the other team will buzz and you’ll lose a point. Think fast and talk your way to victory! HOW TO PLAY TABOO: 1. Start a game and invite your friends. 2. Split into two teams and name your team. 3. The app chooses a Clue-giver for each team. Each team then takes their turn! 4. The Clue-giver draws a card. The Clue-giver must describe the word without saying any of the words on the card. 5. Team B will buzz if the Clue-giver says a taboo word! 6. Your team must guess as many words as possible before the time runs out. FEATURES - FULLY CUSTOMISABLE – Decide the number of players, rounds, how many turns per round and how many skips are allowed. - AD-FREE GAME – Have fun with zero ads to distract you. - COMPLETE STARTER CARD DECK – Includes cards from the original game. Expand your game further with additional themed decks! - FULLY TRANSLATED – Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Greek, Polish and Hindi. Get the perfect party game on your mobile now!

About

Spy Detect

A digital party board game where players try to identify the spy who doesn't know the secret location. The spy wins if they guess the location before time runs out, or if the other players fail to identify them.

Highlights
  • Player name entry
  • Game duration selection
  • Role assignment (Spy or Location)
  • Countdown timer
  • Spy guessing mechanic
  • Player identification mechanic
Features
Read full description

This is a party tabletop game. Before starting, enter the players’ names in the order they are sitting around the table and select the game duration. Once the game begins, each player will see their name and either a location or the message “You are the Spy.” After everyone has checked their role, the game officially starts and the countdown begins. If the spy figures out the location before time runs out, they can end the game and reveal the location to win. If the other players identify the spy, they can announce it together to end the game. If neither happens before time is up, the spy wins by default. https://omererbalta.wordpress.com/spy-game-terms-of-use-eula/

Screenshots

Taboo4 screens
Spy Detect4 screens

Verdict

The call

Taboo and Spy Detect both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Spy Detect's written reviews are positive against 37% of Taboo's. Spy Detect also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). Taboo's advantage is ratings volume (4.7K vs 2) and chart position (#2 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Spy Detect is free to download; Taboo costs $1.99 up front. Taboo sells 26 one-off in-app purchases and Spy Detect sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. 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 — 4.9 for Taboo against 5.0 for Spy Detect. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Taboo has 4.7K ratings behind it against 2, 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 Spy Detect's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Taboo ships an update monthly, Spy Detect every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Taboo versus Spy Detect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTabooSpy Detect
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (4.7K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.7K — better2
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#2 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size272 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarmalade Game Studio LimitedOmer Erbalta

Customer experience

Taboo

All ratings4,680 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews242 reviews
Positive37.2%
Neutral14.0%
Negative48.8%

Spy Detect

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Taboo

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Spy Detect

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

26 purchases

Taboo

One-time26
  • Holiday Thanksgiving Pack$0.99
  • Fun & Games Sports Mix 3 Pack$0.99
  • Holiday Halloween Pack$0.99
Show 23 more
  • Fun & Games Sports Mix Pack 1$0.99
  • Surprise Pack 2$1.99
  • Festive Fun$1.99
  • Fun & Games Games Mix Pack 1$1.99
  • Fun & Games Sports Mix Pack 2$1.99
  • Holiday Christmas Pack$1.99
  • Mystery Mix Pack 1$1.99
  • Generations Gen Z Pack$1.99
  • Holiday Christmas Pack 2$1.99
  • Into the wild$2.99
  • Surprise Pack 1$2.99
  • Food and Nature Bundle$2.99
  • Sports and Celebrity Bundle$2.99
  • Unlock Taboo Premium$2.99
  • Midnight Mix Pack 1$2.99
  • Midnight Night Out Pack$2.99
  • Midnight Bedroom Pack$2.99
  • Ready to Roast$6.49
  • Celebrity Deck$6.49
  • Sports and Games Pack$7.99
  • Welcome Offer$9.99
  • Midnight Deck$9.99
  • Word Bonanza Bundle$19.99
1 purchases

Spy Detect

Subscriptions1
  • Play Without Ads (Monthly)3 Days trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Taboo free?
Taboo costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Spy Detect free?
Spy Detect is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Taboo or Spy Detect?
Spy Detect is rated higher. Taboo averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4.7K ratings, while Spy Detect averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Taboo or Spy Detect have ads?
Neither Taboo nor Spy Detect shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Taboo or Spy Detect?
Taboo ships an update monthly, and Spy Detect every 2 weeks. Most recently, Taboo was updated on September 24, 2026 and Spy Detect on July 21, 2026.

Other comparisons