Comparison

Forbidden Words vs Cryptex

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

Head to head
About

Forbidden Words

A fast-paced word-guessing party game where players describe a secret word without using any of the forbidden words. It offers various difficulty levels and categories, making it suitable for family game nights and group fun. The game plays offline and supports multiple languages.

Highlights
  • 1,900+ cards in 17 categories
  • Adjustable difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard, Mixed)
  • Customizable game settings (turn time, rounds, passes)
  • Offline play supported
  • Available in 11 languages
  • Scoreboard and game history
Features
Read full description

Describe the secret word — but don't you dare say the forbidden ones! Forbidden Words is the fast, loud and hilarious word-guessing party game for family game night, friends, classrooms and road trips. One player describes the word on the card, the team shouts guesses, and the clock keeps ticking. Say one of the forbidden words? Buzz! There goes a point. FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY The Easy level is made for younger players, so kids and grown-ups can play together. It's a great way to build vocabulary, quick thinking and teamwork — everyone around one phone, laughing together. WHAT'S INSIDE • 1,900+ cards in 17 categories: Animals, Food, Places, Music, Fairy Tales, Celebrations, Science & Space, Clothes, Sports, Games, Vehicles, Nature, Objects, Jobs, Technology, Big Ideas and General • 2 to 4 teams with your own team names • Easy, Medium, Hard or Mixed difficulty • Choose the turn time, the number of rounds and passes per turn • Turn summary after every turn and a winner celebration at the end • Fresh cards every game: words from your recent games are saved for later • Scoreboard with your recent games • Plays fully offline — no internet needed • No ads and no in-app purchases • Available in 11 languages HOW TO PLAY 1. Split into teams and pass the phone to the first describer. 2. Get your team to guess the word without saying any of the forbidden words. 3. Tap Got it! for every correct guess, Pass to skip a card. 4. The other team watches the card — if a forbidden word slips out, hit Buzz! 5. When time runs out, the next team plays. Most points wins! No gestures, no rhymes and no "sounds like…" — just words. Ready? Gather your crew and start the party!

About

Cryptex

A daily word puzzle game where you transform a starting word into a target word by changing one letter at a time, with each step being a valid word. Track your progress, earn achievements, and enjoy a satisfying tactile experience. An optional premium upgrade offers more hints and full archive access.

Highlights
  • Daily word ladder puzzles
  • Track daily streaks
  • Progress bar indicator
  • Hints for difficult puzzles
  • Archive of past puzzles
  • Statistics and achievements
  • Tactile wheel controls with haptics
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

Unlock the daily Cryptex! Spin the letter wheels to transform the starting word into the target - but you can only change one letter at a time, and every step must be a real word. FEATURES • New puzzle every day at 7am • Track your daily streak • Progress bar shows you're heading the right way • Hints when you're stuck • Archive of past puzzles • Statistics and achievements to track your progress • Satisfying tactile wheel controls with haptics • iCloud sync keeps progress across devices Free to play. No ads. No account required. Upgrade to Premium for more hints and full archive access. Can you find the path?

Screenshots

Forbidden Words4 screens
Cryptex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Cryptex at 5.0 against Forbidden Words's 1.0. Forbidden Words's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Cryptex sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Forbidden Words asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cryptex holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forbidden Words ships an update weekly, Cryptex every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 4 level
Forbidden Words versus Cryptex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForbidden WordsCryptex
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB1 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperMustafa GencTheUKDave

In-app purchases

None

Forbidden Words

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cryptex

One-time1
  • Cryptex Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Forbidden Words free?
Forbidden Words is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cryptex free?
Cryptex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Forbidden Words or Cryptex?
Cryptex is rated higher. Forbidden Words averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Cryptex averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Forbidden Words or Cryptex have ads?
Neither Forbidden Words nor Cryptex shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Forbidden Words or Cryptex?
Forbidden Words ships an update weekly, and Cryptex every 4 days. Most recently, Forbidden Words was updated on October 30, 2026 and Cryptex on October 31, 2026.

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