Comparison

Red Herring vs Word Forward

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

Head to head
About

Red Herring

This word puzzle game challenges you to group words into categories while identifying misleading "Red Herring" words. Enjoy a fun, challenging, and easy-to-learn experience with no time limits and three difficulty levels suitable for all ages.

Highlights
  • Group words into categories
  • Identify misleading "Red Herring" words
  • No time limit
  • Three difficulty levels
  • Daily puzzle
Features
Read full description

Red Herring is the word connections game. How to play: 1. Make the connections and group words into categories. 2. Look out for the Red Herrings, pesky words whose sole purpose is to mislead you. 3. Have fun making the connections! Red Herring is a FUN, CHALLENGING, and EASY TO LEARN word connections puzzle game. Each puzzle has only one correct solution and there's no time limit. Three difficulty levels make it suitable for the whole family. Don't say we didn't warn you if you can't stop playing. Give Red Herring a try today! From the creators of 7 Little Words and Moxie. ----- Red Herring contains 25 puzzles and a daily puzzle that you can play for free. Additional puzzles are available for purchase inside the app.

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.

Screenshots

Red Herring3 screens
Word Forward4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Red Herring at Free against Word Forward's $2.99. Red Herring also leads on ratings volume (48K vs 11) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Word Forward's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment 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

Red Herring is free to download; Word Forward costs $2.99 up front. Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Word Forward asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Red Herring holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 76% and 76% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, Word Forward every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Red Herring versus Word Forward: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRed HerringWord Forward
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.7 (48K ratings) — better4.5 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews75.8% of reviews76.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings48K — better11
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#113 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS16.69.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB122 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlue Ox Family Games, Inc.Thalamus Digital Publishing Ltd.

Customer experience

Red Herring

All ratings47,841 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews326 reviews
Positive75.8%
Neutral12.6%
Negative11.7%

Word Forward

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

Bugs and requests

Red Herring

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Formatting issues after updates
  • Inability to access previous daily puzzles
  • Ads that cannot be dismissed

Requested features

5 requests
  • More free daily puzzles
  • Less American-focused content
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to replay past puzzles
  • Hints system improvements

Word Forward

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Red Herring

One-time10
  • Curiosity - 50 Puzzles$1.99
  • Brilliant! - 50 Puzzles$1.99
  • Allegro - 50 Puzzles$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Spelunking - 50 Puzzles$1.99
  • Renaissance - 50 Puzzles$1.99
  • IQ - 50 Puzzles$1.99
  • Serendipity - 50 Puzzles$1.99
  • Unlimited Hints$2.99
  • Older Daily Puzzles 2014 Jul - Dec$3.99
  • Quantum Leap - 175 Puzzles$4.99
None

Word Forward

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Red Herring free?
Red Herring is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Word Forward free?
Word Forward costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Red Herring or Word Forward?
Red Herring is rated higher. Red Herring averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Word Forward averages 4.5 from 11 ratings.
Do Red Herring or Word Forward have ads?
Red Herring shows ads; Word Forward does not.
Which is updated more often, Red Herring or Word Forward?
Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and Word Forward every 6 weeks. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on October 22, 2026 and Word Forward on October 15, 2026.

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