Comparison

Codewords vs Arrow Crossword & Other Games

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

Head to head
About

Codewords

Engage your mind with unique crossword puzzles where letters are replaced by numbers. Solve the code by deducing which number represents which letter to complete the grid. Perfect for a quick mental workout.

Highlights
  • Number-to-letter decoding
  • 900 complete puzzles
  • Zooming grid
  • Cheats and answer checking
  • Landscape mode
Features
Read full description

Codeword puzzles to keep you busy during coffee break. This full version has 1000+ puzzles. Codewords are crossword puzzles with a twist - there are no clues. Instead, each letter A-Z is represented by a random number 1-26, with the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number. For example, all the 1's may be T's, all the 2's E's and so on. You are given some letters to help start off. All the letters A-Z are present in the early puzzles, with one number for each letter (later puzzles don't necessarily have all 26 letters in the grid). The codewords grid is displayed in full. If you are really stuck then you can reveal a letter. A great way to while away your commute! Features: - zooming grid - cheats and answer checking - landscape mode Also known as Enigma Code, Code Breaker, Cipher crosswords, Code Crackers and Kaidoku. If you're after a bigger challenge, try our Crossword apps - casual, cryptic and US style versions are available.

About

Arrow Crossword & Other Games

Engage with a variety of word puzzles and brain games in one application. Choose from multiple game types, customize difficulty, and play in numerous languages. Hints are available to assist you in finding the correct answers.

Highlights
  • Multiple word game types
  • Customizable game generator
  • Multilingual support
  • In-game hints
  • Portrait and landscape modes
  • Automatic game creation
Features
Read full description

Play many different word games in the same app. The word lists, clues and answers are in English, or you can play in 35 other languages. The following word games are currently included in the app: 1) Arrow Crossword 2) Word Connect 3) Word Search 4) Word Fit 5) Codeword 6) Pic Quiz 7) Word Jigsaw 8) Number Fit 9) GB-style Crossword 10) Barred Crossword 11) US-style Crossword Other features include: • Each new game is created by the app automatically • Very configurable game generator. You decide the grid size, difficulty and many other things • It is suitable for all screen sizes • Each game has several hints to help for find the right answers • You can play in portrait or landscape formats You can play our word games in the following languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, Russian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek, Indonesian, Romanian, Serbian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak, Slovene, Turkish, Ukrainian, Afrikaans, Albanian, Azeri, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Catalan, Galician, Tagalog

Screenshots

Codewords3 screens
Arrow Crossword & Other Games4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Codewords at 77% against Arrow Crossword & Other Games's 41%. Codewords also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Arrow Crossword & Other Games's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (795 vs 85). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Codewords sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Arrow Crossword & Other Games sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Codewords holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arrow Crossword & Other Games has 795 ratings behind it against 85, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Codewords's written reviews are positive against 41% of Arrow Crossword & Other Games's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Codewords ships an update every 9 months, Arrow Crossword & Other Games every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Codewords versus Arrow Crossword & Other Games: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodewordsArrow Crossword & Other Games
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (85 ratings) — better4.5 (795 ratings)
Positive reviews76.9% of reviews — better41.1% of reviews
Number of ratings85795 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB122 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperTeazelHavos

Customer experience

Codewords

All ratings83 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral3.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral10.3%
Negative12.8%

Arrow Crossword & Other Games

All ratings780 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral6.2%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews202 reviews
Positive41.1%
Neutral14.4%
Negative44.6%

User reviews

Codewords

From 85 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Enjoyable and engaging gameplay
  • 🧠 Good brain exercise
  • 💡 Variety of difficulty levels
  • ✅ Easy to use interface
  • ⏳ No timer, relaxing gameplay

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional spelling errors
  • ❓ Bizarre and uncommon words
  • 💸 In-app purchase issues
  • 📉 Some levels too easy
  • 🚫 Ads covering game elements

Arrow Crossword & Other Games

From 795 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Awesome games
  • 🧠 Keeps the brain working
  • 👍 Great puzzles and challenges
  • 😊 Enjoyable and fun

Room to improve

  • 🤑 Money-grabbing scheme
  • 🙄 Childish coins overlay
  • 🤯 Frustrating ads and crashes
  • 👎 Poor design and layout
  • 🤔 Clues don't make sense

Bugs and requests

Codewords

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Occasional spelling errors
  • Puzzles not registering as completed
  • Purchase history erased
  • Restore purchases button does nothing
  • Ads covering game elements
Show 1 more
  • iTunes password incorrect for purchases

Requested features

3 requests
  • Optimize for new iPhones
  • Option to reduce given letters
  • More puzzles in the future

Arrow Crossword & Other Games

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezing
  • Incompatibility with newer devices
  • Clues not appearing when highlighted

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bigger text and ability to zoom
  • Customizable subject matters
  • Standalone version without coins and ads
  • Ability to move between words without touching the puzzle
  • Removal of Roman numeral questions

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Codewords

One-time10
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 1)$0.99
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 2)$0.99
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 3)$0.99
Show 7 more
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 4)$0.99
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 5)$0.99
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 6)$0.99
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 9)$0.99
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 10)$0.99
  • pack of Codewords (Pack 11)$0.99
  • All packs (best value)$3.99
5 purchases

Arrow Crossword & Other Games

Subscriptions1
  • Supporter (no ads)$9.991 Year
One-time4
  • STANDARD$0.99
  • POPULAR$4.99
  • HUGE$9.99
Show 1 more
  • ULTIMATE$24.99

Questions

Is Codewords free?
Codewords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Arrow Crossword & Other Games free?
Arrow Crossword & Other Games is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Codewords or Arrow Crossword & Other Games?
Codewords is rated higher. Codewords averages 4.8 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while Arrow Crossword & Other Games averages 4.5 from 795 ratings.
Do Codewords or Arrow Crossword & Other Games have ads?
Arrow Crossword & Other Games shows ads; Codewords does not.
Which is updated more often, Codewords or Arrow Crossword & Other Games?
Codewords ships an update every 9 months, and Arrow Crossword & Other Games every 3 months. Most recently, Codewords was updated on November 1, 2026 and Arrow Crossword & Other Games on November 6, 2026.

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