Comparison

Minute Cryptic 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

Minute Cryptic

Learn cryptic crosswords with a daily, handcrafted clue and a short video explanation. Features a hint system, progress tracking, and a beginner-friendly guide. Offers an optional membership for access to past clues, mini crosswords, and clue creation.

Highlights
  • Daily cryptic clues
  • Bite-sized video explanations
  • Hint system and letter reveals
  • Stats and streak tracking
  • Beginner-friendly 'How to Solve' guide
  • Access to past clue archive (membership)
  • Mini cryptic crosswords (membership)
Features
Read full description

A daily cryptic clue you can actually solve. Learn cryptic crosswords one clue at a time - fun, fast, and free. Minute Cryptic started on TikTok and Instagram, with one clue a day and a short video explaining it. Our fan-base exploded and kept asking for a game to play, so we made it! Now, with the Minute Cryptic app, you get one handcrafted clue each day, drawn from community feedback, playtested with solvers, and paired with a bite-sized video explanation. You can adjust the difficulty with hints or letter reveals, and track your stats as you build confidence and skill. Minute Cryptic is designed to make cryptic crosswords more accessible, playful and fun - one clue at a time. What you get: - A new cryptic clue every day - Friendly hint system to guide you through - Video walkthroughs that actually explain the clue - A “How to Solve” guide built for beginners - Stats and streak tracking to follow your progress - A welcoming community of solvers on TikTok, Instagram, Youtube and beyond Upgrade to membership to unlock: - The full archive of past daily clues - Mini cryptic crosswords for a longer challenge - Create-a-Cryptic mode, where you can write and share your own clues Membership is an auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase, and the subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID settings at any time. Terms of Use: https://minutecryptic.com/tcs Privacy Policy: https://minutecryptic.com/privacy

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

Minute Cryptic4 screens
Category Craze4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Category Craze at none against Minute Cryptic's 2. Category Craze also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Minute Cryptic's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#59 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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. Minute Cryptic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.00 per month. Category Craze asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Category Craze holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Minute Cryptic's written reviews are positive against 100% of Category Craze's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Minute Cryptic ships an update weekly, Category Craze every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Minute Cryptic versus Category Craze: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMinute CrypticCategory Craze
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (16 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings16 — better5
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#59 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB4 MB
Age rating12+4+
Developerminute cryptic pty ltdMoon Labs

Customer experience

Minute Cryptic

All ratings16 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Category Craze

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Minute Cryptic

Subscriptions2
  • Minute Cryptic Monthly Membership$9.001 Month
  • Minute Cryptic Yearly Membership$90.001 Year
None

Category Craze

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Minute Cryptic free?
Minute Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Category Craze free?
Category Craze is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Minute Cryptic or Category Craze?
Category Craze is rated higher. Minute Cryptic averages 4.7 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Category Craze averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Minute Cryptic or Category Craze have ads?
Category Craze shows ads; Minute Cryptic does not.
Which is updated more often, Minute Cryptic or Category Craze?
Minute Cryptic ships an update weekly, and Category Craze every 4 days. Most recently, Minute Cryptic was updated on October 25, 2026 and Category Craze on October 24, 2026.

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