Action Codenames vs Category Craze
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.
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.
- 2-8 player support
- 70+ categories
- Adjustable target scores
- 60-second rounds
- Offline play
- Suitable for all ages
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Action Codenames | Category Craze |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 梦成 李 | Moon Labs LLC |
Customer experience
Action Codenames
Category Craze
In-app purchases
Action Codenames
No in-app purchases
Category Craze
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Action Codenames free?
Is Category Craze free?
Which has better reviews, Action Codenames or Category Craze?
Do Action Codenames or Category Craze have ads?
Which is updated more often, Action Codenames or Category Craze?
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