Action Codenames vs Association Sort
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Action Codenames
A fast-paced, team-based word association game for parties and gatherings. Players give and guess clues based on a 5x5 grid of words, aiming to identify their team's secret words before the opposing team or hitting a losing card. Offers offline play and multiple languages.
- Team-based word association gameplay
- 5x5 grid of secret words
- Spymaster clue-giving mechanic
- Offline play support
- Multilingual options
- Built-in rules and strategy tips
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Codenames is a fast, team‑based word association game built for parties, family nights, study breaks, and quick office fun. Two teams—Red and Blue—race to find all of their secret words on a 5×5 grid of 25 cards. The twist: touch the black card and you lose instantly. Each round has two roles. The Spymaster sees the entire key and gives exactly one clue: a single word plus a number. Operatives discuss and guess based on that clue. With “Animal 2”, you may guess up to three times (number + 1). Picking your color lets you continue; choosing an opponent or neutral card ends your turn; hitting the black card ends the game on the spot. Red needs 9 words; Blue needs 8. A clean, modern interface keeps everyone focused: a clear current‑turn indicator, crisp card layout, smooth animations, score cards with progress bars, and handy one‑tap controls (New Game, End Turn, View Team). The dedicated Team view lists your team’s words—revealed and remaining—so you can decide whether to press your luck or bank the lead. If the game ends, a friendly Game Over screen summarizes the result and lets you restart immediately. Built‑in rules cover the objective, setup (9/8/7/1 split), roles, “clue + number” format, restrictions, and examples. Practical tips and an advanced strategy section help Spymasters craft multi‑card clues (categories, hypernyms, shared context) and help Operatives debate links, avoid traps, and converge on the safest picks. Robust local word libraries power high replayability: fruits, vehicles, school supplies, animals, weather and nature, places and buildings, family, sports, seasons and nature, food and drinks, colors, occupations, electronics, clothing, toys and games, gems and minerals, and more. Every new game shuffles a fresh 25‑word grid with the asymmetric distribution that keeps tension high and choices meaningful. Multilingual and classroom‑friendly: English, German, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean. Switch languages instantly; the grid regenerates on the spot. Fully playable offline—no sign‑up or connection required—so you can play anywhere. Why you’ll love it: Quick to teach, deep to master; perfect for mixed groups Laughs, tension, and real “aha!” moments in minutes Fast turns and near‑infinite replay value Thoughtful design that prioritizes readability Start a new game in seconds, give your first clue, and watch the table come alive. This digital adaptation pays homage to the classic party word game by Czech designer Vlaada Chvátil—faithful to team spirit and clever associations.
Association Sort
Arrange jumbled words into themed groups in this engaging puzzle game. Drag and drop words to find four that share a common category, but beware of red herrings. Enjoy a satisfying "aha!" moment with diverse and clever puzzles.
- Drag and drop word sorting
- Themed word groups
- Challenging red herrings
- Diverse puzzle categories
- Emoji-rich interface
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Is there an odd one out? Not in this puzzle! Here, every word has a group it belongs to. You’re faced with a grid of jumbled words. Your mission? Bring order to the chaos! The rules are super simple: just drag and drop words to swap their places. Find four words that share a common theme—like “Animals,” “Food,” or “Sports”—and arrange them in a single row. That “click” when you solve a group is incredibly satisfying! From easy categories like “Fruits” and “Days of the Week” to surprisingly clever combinations that will make you think, “Wait, that’s a group?!”, there’s a huge variety of puzzles to solve. But watch out! There’s a tricky and challenging twist: the words from the groups you’ve already found can act as clever red herrings for the next ones! Plus, with tons of fun emojis, the game is a delight just to look at. It’s the perfect brain teaser for your spare time. Come experience the thrill of that “aha!” moment!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Association Sort at 67% against Action Codenames's 0%. Association Sort also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (356 vs 1). Action Codenames's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and ads (none vs shown). On price and update cadence 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. Association Sort sells 17 one-off in-app purchases. Action Codenames asks for nothing beyond the download.
Association Sort holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Association Sort has 356 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Action Codenames's written reviews are positive against 67% of Association Sort's.
Action Codenames ships an update every 3 weeks, Association Sort every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Action Codenames | Association Sort |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (356 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 356 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 196 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | 梦成 李 | Astrasen Global |
Customer experience
Action Codenames
Association Sort
In-app purchases
Action Codenames
No in-app purchases
Association Sort
- coin1$0.99
- STARTER BUNDLE$0.99
- coin7$0.99
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- COIN BUNDLE$1.99
- PIGGY BANK$1.99
- BOOSTER BUNDLE$1.99
- ENDLESS CHEST 5$5.99
- MIGHTY BUNDLE 2$5.99
- coin3$6.99
- SMALL BUNDLE$7.99
- AD-FREE BUNDLE$7.99
- coin 12$9.99
- LEGENDARY BUNDLE 2$15.99
- BASIC BUNDLE$15.99
- GREAT BUNDLE$25.99
- MIGHTY BUNDLE$49.99
- SUPERIOR BUNDLE$69.99
Questions
Is Action Codenames free?
Is Association Sort free?
Which has better reviews, Action Codenames or Association Sort?
Do Action Codenames or Association Sort have ads?
Which is updated more often, Action Codenames or Association Sort?
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