Comparison

Heads Up! vs Wavelength

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

Wavelength

A cooperative party game where players guess where a clue falls on a spectrum. Work together to read your friends' minds and win. Play in person or remotely with new content and features.

Highlights
  • Cooperative gameplay
  • Remote play enabled
  • New exclusive content
  • Real-time dial movements
  • Emoji reactions
  • Customizable avatars
  • Earn achievements
Features
Read full description

Hot or cold. Soft or hard. Wizard or…not a wizard? Work together to decide where your clue falls on the spectrum – and win by reading your friends’ minds. Free to play, no ads, 2 to 10+ players, in the same room or across the world. “One of the best party games we’ve ever played” -Polygon “The best party game since Codenames” -Dicebreaker Apple Editors’ Choice & Game of the Day An evolution of the hit boardgame — with real-time dial movements, emoji reactions, and hundreds of new spectrums made just for the app. PLAY TOGETHER, ANYWHERE Wavelength can be played with 2-10+ players and can be played remotely or in person. CROSS-PLATFORM Available on most mobile devices so everyone can play together. ALWAYS FRESH A huge library of unique prompts, including 390 that you won't find in the physical box, plus occasional new themed packs. NO ADS, EVER Just the game. Play as much as you want, free. 100% COOPERATIVE Work together with your friends, react in real-time with synchronous dial movements, and express yourself with emoji reactions. FIND YOUR LEWK We created beautiful and customizable avatars with over FOUR MILLION unique combinations to find your best you. EARN ACHIEVEMENTS As a team you work together to try to beat your high score, and individuals can be rewarded with personalized achievements. Have questions or feedback? Talk to us! https://www.wavelength.zone/contact

Screenshots

Heads Up!4 screens
Wavelength4 screens

Verdict

The call

Heads Up! and Wavelength both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Wavelength's written reviews are positive against 33% of Heads Up!'s. Wavelength also leads on price (Free vs $1.99). Heads Up!'s advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#1 vs #33). 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

Wavelength is free to download; Heads Up! costs $1.99 up front. Heads Up! sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Wavelength sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. 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 4.9 for Wavelength. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 300K and 64K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Heads Up!'s written reviews are positive against 81% of Wavelength's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Heads Up! ships an update weekly, Wavelength every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Heads Up! versus Wavelength: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeads Up!Wavelength
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (300K ratings)4.9 (64K ratings) — better
Positive reviews32.8% of reviews80.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings300K — better64K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#1 — better#33
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size204 MB160 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperWarner Bros.Palm Court LLC

Customer experience

Heads Up!

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

Wavelength

All ratings60,631 ratings
Positive98.1%
Neutral1.2%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews435 reviews
Positive80.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative11.0%

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

Wavelength

From 64K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great game
  • 🤗 Fun for family and friends
  • 🎨 Gorgeous, cohesive, and clean design
  • 🕹️ Smooth gameplay with minimal lag
  • 💰 Worth the price, no ads

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Lack of pass-and-play mode
  • 🔢 Limited number of prompts in free version
  • 🤝 Cooperative mode can be frustrating with larger groups
  • 🔊 Sound effects not shared between players

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

Wavelength

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes
  • Prompts sometimes get skipped unexpectedly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add pass-and-play mode for local multiplayer
  • Increase number of free prompts
  • Add individual scoring mode for larger groups
  • Allow players to hear each other's sound effects

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
12 purchases

Wavelength

One-time12
  • Chaotic Pack$0.99
  • Divisive Nonsense Pack$0.99
  • Lickable Pack$0.99
Show 9 more
  • Culture Pack$0.99
  • Weird Pack$0.99
  • Big Brain Pack$1.99
  • Jumbo Pack$3.99
  • Latest Bundle$3.99
  • Originals Bundle$4.99
  • Big Bundle2 variants$4.99
  • Buy All2 variants$8.99
  • Buy All$9.99

Questions

Is Heads Up! free?
Heads Up! costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Wavelength free?
Wavelength is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Heads Up! or Wavelength?
Wavelength is rated higher. Heads Up! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 300K ratings, while Wavelength averages 4.9 from 64K ratings.
Do Heads Up! or Wavelength have ads?
Neither Heads Up! nor Wavelength shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Heads Up! or Wavelength?
Heads Up! ships an update weekly, and Wavelength every 3 weeks. Most recently, Heads Up! was updated on October 28, 2026 and Wavelength on October 28, 2026.
Which is more popular, Heads Up! or Wavelength?
Heads Up! currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Wavelength at #33. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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