# Word Association! vs Cryptogram Tale

Word Association! and Cryptogram Tale both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Word Association!'s written reviews are positive against 72% of Cryptogram Tale's. Word Association! also leads on ratings volume (8.2K vs 1.6K) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Word Association! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Cryptogram Tale sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Word Association! against 4.6 for Cryptogram Tale. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Word Association! has 8.2K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Word Association!'s written reviews are positive against 72% of Cryptogram Tale's.

Word Association! ships an update every 4 months, Cryptogram Tale every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Word Association! | Cryptogram Tale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-association/id716759372/reviews) | [4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-tale/id966436749/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8.2K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | **90.2% of reviews** | 72.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 160 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Funnerware](https://appshunter.io/developer/674121296) | [GammaLateral LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/685178329) |

## What reviewers say

### Word Association!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-association/id716759372)

Engage in a relaxing word game by matching pairs of related words. Explore connections like synonyms, opposites, or compound word parts. Hundreds of puzzles are available, with hints to help you along the way.

**Highlights:** Match related word pairs, Synonyms, opposites, compound words, 40 free puzzles included, Hundreds of additional puzzles for purchase, Hint system available, Relaxing gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of 100 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| Relax Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Good Times Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Stimulating Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Happy Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fun Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lucky Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Conquer Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Packs of 350 Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Combo Pack (Unlocks all Packs, Plus future Packs & Removes Ads) | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable game
- 🧠 Challenges the mind
- 🧠 Helps improve vocabulary
- 🧠 Good brain exercise
- 🧠 Keeps the mind sharp

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with navigation buttons
- 🕰️ Timed gameplay can be stressful
- 💰 Paywalled content
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🔤 Some word associations are questionable

**Reported bugs**

- Replay and Next Level buttons not working
- Freezing/crashing issues
- Incorrect word associations

**Requested features**

- More word packs and levels
- Ability to disable timer
- Larger font size options
- Themed word packs
- Ability to save progress and resume later


### Cryptogram Tale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-tale/id966436749)

Decode encrypted messages to reveal hidden stories. This word puzzle game challenges you to break codes by substituting letters, offering hundreds of tales and thousands of cryptograms to solve. Customize your experience with various fonts and color schemes, and use hints when needed.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of tales, Thousands of cryptograms, Dozens of fonts, Different color schemes, In-game hints

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Get 30 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| Get 70 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Hundreds of cryptograms
- 📚 Interesting stories and literature
- 👍 No ads unless you want a hint
- 💡 Hints available by watching ads
- 🔒 No glitches or annoying ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficulty level not always clear
- 🔍 Capitalized words revealed after first letter
- 🔍 Some stories not well-suited for cryptograms
- 🔍 Ads can't always be closed

**Reported bugs**

- Progress getting deleted
- Ads not loading properly
- Keyboard not opening automatically

**Requested features**

- More modern and diverse stories
- Ability to choose story titles
- Cursor that skips to next blank space
- Undo button
- Trigger warnings for dark/disturbing content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Word Association! free?

Word Association! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cryptogram Tale free?

Cryptogram Tale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Word Association! or Cryptogram Tale?

Word Association! and Cryptogram Tale are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8.2K and 1.6K ratings respectively.

### Do Word Association! or Cryptogram Tale have ads?

Both Word Association! and Cryptogram Tale show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Word Association! or Cryptogram Tale?

Word Association! ships an update every 4 months, and Cryptogram Tale every 3 months. Most recently, Word Association! was updated on October 12, 2026 and Cryptogram Tale on October 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*