# Cluekin vs Heads Up!

> Choose Heads Up! for fast, simple rounds with a huge deck library that almost everyone already knows; choose Cluekin if your group wants to play in teams, describe words to each other and set its own timers, pass limits and scoring offline. Heads Up! is widely recommended, with 100+ themed decks and custom categories, though reviewers say players start to memorize prompts. In Heads Up! one player holds the phone to their forehead while others give clues. In Cluekin, 2 to 6 teams take turns: one player describes the card, the team guesses before the timer ends, and the app keeps score. Cluekin works offline with no account and has family and party modes. Free Cluekin players may see ads, and extra card packs are paid; Cluekin is also much newer, with few ratings.

Updated 2026-11-02. ODEL makes Cluekin.

| | Cluekin | Heads Up! |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Price to download | Free to download | $1.99 |
| Store rating | n/a | 4.8 (299,986 ratings, 2026-11-02) |
| How a round works | One player describes the card, their team guesses before the timer ends | One player holds the phone to their forehead and guesses from others' clues |
| Teams and scoring | 2 to 6 teams with built-in scoring | See the store page |
| Rule controls | Adjustable timers, pass limits and scoring | Custom categories |
| Deck library | Base cards plus optional packs: Geography, Film & Series, Music, Child, Science & Tech, History, Sport | 100+ themed decks |
| Offline and account | Works offline; no account | See the store page |
| Replay value | New app; card variety depends on packs | Reviewers say players memorize prompts over time |
| Ads and purchases | Free with ads; $0.99 card packs or a one-time Complete Pack that removes ads (US App Store, Nov 2026) | Paid decks; store reviews mention purchases that were hard to restore |

## Choose Cluekin if

- You want everyone on a team guessing together, not one player at a time
- You need to play with no signal on a trip or at a cabin
- You want to set your own timer, pass limit and scoring

## Choose Heads Up! if

- You want the game most people already know how to play
- You want the largest choice of themed decks
- You want a long-established app with a very large rating history

## Questions

### Is Cluekin the same as Heads Up!?

No. In Heads Up! one player guesses with the phone on their forehead. Cluekin is a team describe-the-word game where one player describes the card and their team guesses.

### Which is better for a family game night?

Both work. Heads Up! has simple rules for all ages; Cluekin has a family mode, an optional kids card pack and adjustable timers for younger players.

### Which has more cards?

Heads Up! has 100+ themed decks. Cluekin has fewer, with seven optional packs on top of the base cards.

Cluekin: https://www.odel.dev/app/nesivar