Comparison

Action Codenames vs Category Craze

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Category Craze

A fast-paced word game where players name items within a chosen category in 60 seconds. Designed for families and groups, it offers over 70 categories and works offline.

Highlights
  • 2-8 player support
  • 70+ categories
  • Adjustable target scores
  • 60-second rounds
  • Offline play
  • Suitable for all ages
Features
Read full description

Category Craze is the fast-paced naming game the whole family will love - no boards, no cards, just your phone and your brain! How It Works One player picks a category and tries to name as many items as possible in 60 seconds. Another player acts as judge, tapping each correct answer on the screen. Score points, pass the phone, and keep going until someone reaches the target score! Features - 2 to 8 players - perfect for small groups or big gatherings - 70+ categories: animals, food, sports, geography, movies, music, and more - Choose your target score: 20, 30, 50, or 75 points - Fast 60-second rounds keep everyone engaged - Works great without Wi-Fi - ideal for road trips and travel - Designed for all ages - easy enough for kids, fun enough for adults Great For Family game night, road trips, classrooms, birthday parties, and anywhere you want a quick laugh with friends. No accounts. No internet required. Just download and play.

Screenshots

Action Codenames3 screens
Category Craze4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Category Craze at 5.0 against Action Codenames's 3.0. Category Craze also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Action Codenames's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Category Craze holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Action Codenames ships an update every 3 weeks, Category Craze every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Action Codenames versus Category Craze: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAction CodenamesCategory Craze
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer梦成 李Moon Labs LLC

Customer experience

Action Codenames

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Category Craze

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

In-app purchases

None

Action Codenames

No in-app purchases

None

Category Craze

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Action Codenames free?
Action Codenames is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Category Craze free?
Category Craze is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Action Codenames or Category Craze?
Category Craze is rated higher. Action Codenames averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Category Craze averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Action Codenames or Category Craze have ads?
Category Craze shows ads; Action Codenames does not.
Which is updated more often, Action Codenames or Category Craze?
Action Codenames ships an update every 3 weeks, and Category Craze every 4 days. Most recently, Action Codenames was updated on October 22, 2026 and Category Craze on October 10, 2026.

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