Comparison

Heads Up! vs 5 Second Rule

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

Head to head
About

Heads Up!

This is a charades-style party game where players guess words displayed on a phone held to their forehead, with friends shouting clues. It offers a wide variety of themed decks and the ability to create custom categories for endless entertainment.

Highlights
  • Word guessing with friends
  • Themed card decks
  • Custom category creation
  • Tilt controls for guessing
  • Record gameplay videos
  • Play via Facetime
Features
Read full description

It's the game The New York Times called a "Sensation!" and Cosmopolitan raved “Your existence is dull and meaningless without this life-changing app!” Get ready for endless fun with Heads Up!, the exhilarating charades-style party game that's taking the world by storm. Guess the words on the screen as your friends and family shout out clues. With diverse categories ranging from Celebrities to Movies and Hilarious Accents, Heads Up! guarantees hours of laughter for everyone involved. How to Play: 1. Select from over 100 themed decks or create your own custom category! 2. Hold the phone to your forehead and let the word guessing commence! 3. Tilt down for correct answers and up to pass on challenging words. 4. Keep the fun rolling with an extensive library of engaging trivia cards! Decks You’ll Get: - Celebrity Quiz - Blockbuster Movies - Animals - Accents - Superheroes - Famous Characters - And lots more! Features: - Enjoy group play with friends, team, or even hundreds of players simultaneously. - Draw new word cards with a simple tilt of your phone. - Keep priceless memories by recording gameplay videos to keep for yourself or share on social media - Entertain everyone from trivia buffs to casual players with various difficulty levels. - Updated frequently with seasonal and topical fun, plus huge brands like Harry Potter, Marvel, Seinfeld, Friends, Star Wars, and much more! Heads Up! is the ultimate party game that combines the best elements of charades, trivia, and light-hearted team competition. Whether you're looking to liven up a family gathering or a game night with friends, this app is your ticket to endless fun. It's your super-affordable way to bring joy and laughter to any occasion. Download Heads Up! now and let the unforgettable guessing games begin!

About

5 Second Rule

This is a fast-paced party game for groups where players must answer a question with three answers in just five seconds. Fail to answer in time, and face a fun punishment. Includes normal and adult-themed card decks for varied party experiences.

Highlights
  • Answer questions in 5 seconds
  • Come up with 3 answers
  • Buzzer timer
  • Punishments for failure
  • Normal card deck
  • Sexy card deck
Features
Read full description

Want to play something quick and fun with friends when you party? 5 Second is a party game for groups, for those who can act under pressure. Rules are pretty straightforward. Players are asked a simple question and they have 5 seconds to come up with 3 answers before the buzzer rings. If the player doesn’t give all the answers before the time runs out, you do the punishment. Can you name 3 types of screams in 5 seconds? Can you name 3 hairy things in 5 seconds? Can you name 3 brands of beer in 5 seconds? The game includes normal cards, and also you can turn on sexy cards if you want to get your house party to the next level. Links to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy can be found below Privacy Policy: https://day-games.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://day-games.com/terms-of-use/

Screenshots

Heads Up!4 screens
5 Second Rule4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 5 Second Rule at Free against Heads Up!'s $1.99. 5 Second Rule also leads on review sentiment (45% vs 33%). Heads Up!'s advantage is ratings volume (300K vs 10K) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). 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

5 Second Rule is free to download; Heads Up! costs $1.99 up front. Heads Up! sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and 5 Second Rule sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. 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 — 4.8 for Heads Up! against 4.7 for 5 Second Rule. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Heads Up! has 300K ratings behind it against 10K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Heads Up!'s written reviews are positive against 45% of 5 Second Rule's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Heads Up! ships an update weekly, 5 Second Rule every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Heads Up! versus 5 Second Rule: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeads Up!5 Second Rule
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (300K ratings) — better4.7 (10K ratings)
Positive reviews32.8% of reviews44.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings300K — better10K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#1 — better#45
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size204 MB28 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperWarner Bros.Boris Mikic

Customer experience

Heads Up!

All ratings299,574 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews985 reviews
Positive32.8%
Neutral8.5%
Negative58.7%

5 Second Rule

All ratings9,711 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews210 reviews
Positive44.8%
Neutral7.6%
Negative47.6%

User reviews

Heads Up!

From 300K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Fun and engaging game
  • 🎉 Great for parties and gatherings
  • 👍 Fantastic family-friendly entertainment
  • 💯 Highly recommended by users

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🔁 Repetitive content and card decks
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and technical issues
  • 🤔 Lack of customization options

5 Second Rule

From 10K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Fun game
  • 👍 Great for groups/parties
  • 😊 Enjoyable with friends/partner
  • 🐶 Cute dog review prompt

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model ($3/week)
  • 🤔 Unclear free trial/subscription details
  • ⏱️ Very short time limits (5 seconds)
  • 🤨 Some questionable/inappropriate content

Bugs and requests

Heads Up!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Purchased decks disappearing or not restoring
  • Freezing and crashing on certain devices
  • Inaccurate voice recognition and gesture detection

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to adjust game timer length
  • More free content and decks
  • Improved deck management and organization
  • Better customer support and communication

5 Second Rule

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription continues even after app deletion
  • Inability to access paid content after subscription
  • Crashes and compatibility issues with updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • One-time purchase option to unlock all content
  • More free content/decks
  • Adjustable time limits
  • Better subscription management/cancellation

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Heads Up!

One-time11
  • Just For KidsFree
  • The Ellen ShowFree
  • Mix It UpFree
Show 8 more
  • Branded$1.99
  • That's So 90s$1.99
  • Food Fight$1.99
  • Super Heroes$1.99
  • Adult Supervision$1.99
  • Adult Supervision 2: Even Adultier$1.99
  • Happy Holidays$1.99
  • Adults Only! Bundle$7.99
1 purchases

5 Second Rule

Subscriptions1
  • Subscription Weekly3 Days trial$9.997 Days

Questions

Is Heads Up! free?
Heads Up! costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is 5 Second Rule free?
5 Second Rule is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Heads Up! or 5 Second Rule?
Heads Up! is rated higher. Heads Up! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 300K ratings, while 5 Second Rule averages 4.7 from 10K ratings.
Do Heads Up! or 5 Second Rule have ads?
Neither Heads Up! nor 5 Second Rule shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Heads Up! or 5 Second Rule?
Heads Up! ships an update weekly, and 5 Second Rule every 3 weeks. Most recently, Heads Up! was updated on October 31, 2026 and 5 Second Rule on October 31, 2026.
Which is more popular, Heads Up! or 5 Second Rule?
Heads Up! currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and 5 Second Rule at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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