Red Herring vs Portmanteau +
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Red Herring
Connect words into categories in this fun and challenging puzzle game. Watch out for misleading words designed to throw you off. With multiple difficulty levels and no time limit, it's suitable for all ages.
- Group words into categories
- Identify misleading 'Red Herring' words
- Challenging and thought-provoking gameplay
- No time limit
- Three difficulty levels
- Daily puzzle
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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.
Portmanteau +
This word game challenges you to combine the answers to two clues into a single, blended word. Solve daily puzzles, explore themed packs, and compete with friends globally. It's a fun way to boost your vocabulary and creative thinking.
- Combine two clues into a single word
- Daily new puzzles
- Themed puzzle packs
- Global leaderboards
- In-person party mode
- Boosts linguistic skills
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In Portmanteau you'll be presented with two clues. Your challenge? Merge the answers into one single seamless phrase. The first answer will flow effortlessly into the second, creating a blend of words called a "portmanteau". For example: "A mythical creature with a single horn" + "A popular breakfast cereal" = "UniCornflakes" "A Family Guy" + "Harry Potter house known for bravery" = "Peter Gryffindor" "The actress Natalie from Black Swan, Thor, and Star Wars" + "A thing on the end of your foot" = (Do you know the answer?) Features: •Daily Challenges: Dive into new and exciting Portmanteau puzzles every day. •Packs: Already done with the daily Portmanteau? New packs are available now, each with 20 or more additional puzzles for you to solve! Good luck! •Leaderboards: See how you rank against other players around the world. •Party Mode: A new way to play in-person with your friends. You come up with the clues live and your friends guess the portmanteau! Why Portmanteau? For Word Enthusiasts: If you love word games, puns, or just the English language, this is the app for you. Boost Your Brain: Regular play can improve your linguistic skills and creative thinking. Easy to Use: Simple, intuitive interface makes playing a breeze. Join the Portmanteau community today and start blending words in the most entertaining way! Privacy Policy: https://www.gamefox.app/privacy-policy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.gamefox.app/terms-of-service
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Portmanteau + at none against Red Herring's shown. Portmanteau + also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). Red Herring's advantage is ratings volume (48K vs 617) and review sentiment (76% vs 65%). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Portmanteau + sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Red Herring against 4.6 for Portmanteau +. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 617, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Red Herring's written reviews are positive against 65% of Portmanteau +'s.
Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, Portmanteau + weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Red Herring | Portmanteau + |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (48K ratings) — better | 4.6 (617 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.6% of reviews — better | 64.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 48K — better | 617 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Blue Ox Family Games, Inc. | Foxtail Games LLC |
Customer experience
Red Herring
Portmanteau +
User reviews
Red Herring
From 48K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤔 Challenging and thought-provoking
- 🧠 Exercises the mind
- ⏰ Good time-passer
- 🎮 Fun and addictive game
- 🎓 Educational and expands vocabulary
Room to improve
- 🇺🇸 Too American-centric
- 💰 Expensive paid content
- 🚫 Limited free content
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Obscure references and categories
Portmanteau +
From 617 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fun game concept
- 🧠 Challenging puzzles
- 🤝 Good for sharing with friends
Room to improve
- 🐛 Stuck on old puzzles
- ⏳ Lack of new content updates
- 💰 Too many paid features
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
Portmanteau +
Reported bugs
2 issues- App stuck on July 7th puzzle
- Puzzles not loading/updating
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to access previous puzzles
- Option to challenge clues/answers
- More free content
In-app purchases
Red Herring
- Curiosity - 50 Puzzles$1.99
- Brilliant! - 50 Puzzles$1.99
- Allegro - 50 Puzzles$1.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- 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
Portmanteau +
- Plus$2.991 Month
- Portmanteau Plus$2.99
- The Hard Pack$2.99
