Comparison

Backyard Baseball '97 vs Fictionary Party

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

Head to head
About

Backyard Baseball '97

Relive the classic baseball game with iconic characters, fun power-ups, and intuitive controls. Play quick games, practice batting, or manage a full season with unique game modes and simplified rules.

Highlights
  • Iconic character roster
  • Power-ups and special pitches
  • Pick-up and single game modes
  • Full season management
  • Batting practice mode
  • Simplified T-ball mode
Read full description

Rediscover the joy of the original Backyard Baseball 1997! Build your roster from the iconic cast of 30 characters stacked with charming personalities and witty banter, and get the edge on the competition with power-ups, fireball pitches, super strength, and Pablo Sanchez! Play pick-up games, practice batting, and compete in single games or a whole season with simple, intuitive controls that anyone can master! Game Modes: Random Pick-up: A quick way to jump right in! The computer chooses a random team for you and itself, and the game starts immediately. Single Game: You take turns with the computer to choose players from a random pool of characters. Season: You create a team and manage it through a 14 game series. The opposing teams are computer generated. At the end of the season the best two teams advance to the BBL playoffs (best of 3). The winner advances to the championship series which consists of the Super Entire Nation Tournament (best of 3) and then the Ultra Grand Championship of the Universe Series (best of 5)! Batting Practice: Choose a batter and face Mr. Clanky for some batting practice. This is where you’ll learn just when to click to make your chosen batter hit that ball! T-ball - Select T-ball mode for more accessible game play. Simply click to hit, run, and field! BACKYARD BASEBALL RULES The rules for Backyard Baseball are a hybrid of Pro and Little League rules: No leading off No Injuries Bunting is allowed Tagging up is allowed Stealing is allowed At our core, we are fans first–not just of video games but of the Backyard Sports franchise. Fans have asked for accessible and legal ways to play their original Backyard titles for years, and we are excited to deliver. Without having access to the source code, there are hard limitations on the experience we can create. Backyard Baseball '97 runs buttery smooth for iOS devices, looks better than ever, and creates a new installation for digital preservation within the Backyard Sports catalog that allows the next generation of fans to fall in love with the title that started it all.

About

Fictionary Party

A social party game where players invent and guess bluff definitions for obscure words. Challenge your friends' wit and see who can create the most convincing fake meanings to win points. Perfect for game nights with easy-to-learn, endlessly entertaining gameplay.

Highlights
  • Pass-and-play party game mode
  • Over 1,000 curated obscure words
  • Preset word mode for quick play
  • Option to add your own words
  • Score points for guessing and bluffing
Read full description

Fictionary Party takes the classic dictionary game to the next level with a fun and social pass-and-play experience! Gather your friends and family around one device, challenge their wit, and see who can craft the most convincing bluff definitions. Each round, one player selects a word from a curated list of 1,000+ obscure words or finds their own. Other players invent bluff definitions to fool their opponents, while everyone tries to guess the real meaning. Points are awarded for correct guesses and for tricking others into believing your definition! Why You’ll Love Fictionary Live • Classic Pass & Play Mode – Everyone plays from the same device, taking turns in true party-game style. • 1,000+ Curated Words – Carefully selected words to challenge and entertain. • Preset Word Mode – Jump straight into the fun with handpicked words and definitions. • Bring Your Own Words – Use external dictionaries for even more variety. • Deceptively Simple, Incredibly Fun – Outsmart your friends and prove you’re the ultimate word trickster! Easy to learn, endlessly entertaining, and perfect for game nights! Are you ready to bluff, guess, and outwit your opponents? Download Fictionary Party now and let the mind games begin! For any inquiries, contact us at fictionary3@gmail.com.

Screenshots

Backyard Baseball '974 screens
Fictionary Party4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Fictionary Party at Free against Backyard Baseball '97's $4.99. Fictionary Party also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0). Backyard Baseball '97's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 3). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Fictionary Party is free to download; Backyard Baseball '97 costs $4.99 up front. Fictionary Party sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Backyard Baseball '97 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Fictionary Party holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backyard Baseball '97 has 1.6K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backyard Baseball '97 ships an update every 10 days, Fictionary Party fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Backyard Baseball '97 versus Fictionary Party: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackyard Baseball '97Fictionary Party
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (1.6K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.6K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#10 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size326 MB5 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperPlayground Productions LLCEnrique Sureda

Customer experience

Backyard Baseball '97

All ratings1,548 ratings
Positive72.5%
Neutral8.9%
Negative18.6%
Written reviews266 reviews
Positive65.4%
Neutral13.5%
Negative21.1%

Fictionary Party

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Backyard Baseball '97

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Gameplay freezes and crashes
  • Inconsistent fielding and throwing mechanics
  • Hitting mechanics feel unresponsive
  • Inability to save progress after crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Full-screen mode
  • Improved controls and input responsiveness
  • New game modes (e.g., home run derby, playoffs)
  • Ability to select home field
  • Option to mute all sounds

Fictionary Party

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Backyard Baseball '97

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Fictionary Party

One-time2
  • Multi-device Game$2.99
  • Preset Words$3.99

Questions

Is Backyard Baseball '97 free?
Backyard Baseball '97 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Fictionary Party free?
Fictionary Party is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backyard Baseball '97 or Fictionary Party?
Fictionary Party is rated higher. Backyard Baseball '97 averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Fictionary Party averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Backyard Baseball '97 or Fictionary Party have ads?
Neither Backyard Baseball '97 nor Fictionary Party shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backyard Baseball '97 or Fictionary Party?
Backyard Baseball '97 ships an update every 10 days, and Fictionary Party fortnightly. Most recently, Backyard Baseball '97 was updated on October 22, 2026 and Fictionary Party on October 9, 2026.

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