Review Insights · App Store
Zen Word® - Relax Puzzle Game
Oakever Games · 444,628 ratings · ★ 4.9
4.9
★★★★★
444,628 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 43 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"game"
33 negative reviews mention this · 77% of all complaints
★★★★★ "So many ads. This game started out good. I like the gameplay but the ads are horrible. It was good until I got about 20 puzzles in and now I get an ad after every puzzle. I spend more time watching ads than doing puzzles." - Razzy66
2
"every"
11 negative reviews mention this · 26% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Promised no ads, HUGE lie. Only downloaded because it promised no ads. The first few levels are ad free, then it’s an ad after every single level." - CatterBatter
3
"play"
11 negative reviews mention this · 26% of all complaints
★★★★★ "So many ads. This game started out good. I like the gameplay but the ads are horrible. It was good until I got about 20 puzzles in and now I get an ad after every puzzle. I spend more time watching ads than doing puzzles." - Razzy66
4
"games"
9 negative reviews mention this · 21% of all complaints
★★★★★ "VERY Misleading Ads. The ads for this game are everywhere, and they are seriously misleading. The ads promise a game where users are challenged to find 20 or more words from a limited set of letters. Instead, you are expected to play up to 50 games suitable for…" - HollandTx
5
"level"
7 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Promised no ads, HUGE lie. Only downloaded because it promised no ads. The first few levels are ad free, then it’s an ad after every single level." - CatterBatter
6
"relaxing"
7 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Anything but zen. I bought this game when the one I usually play stopped working and is no longer available in the app store. But I’ve been mostly frustrated with this one. The claim is that it's "relaxing," but my experience is just the opposite. There ar…" - RandomChronicler
7
"playing"
6 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ads ads ads. Not very zen with ads and coins and contests. Actually went from calm to angry playing this cash grab piece of garbage." - Jadenshade
8
"watch"
5 negative reviews mention this · 12% of all complaints
★★★★★ "So many ads. This game started out good. I like the gameplay but the ads are horrible. It was good until I got about 20 puzzles in and now I get an ad after every puzzle. I spend more time watching ads than doing puzzles." - Razzy66
9
"deleting"
5 negative reviews mention this · 12% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This game was great!…. Until the ads ruined it. I was loving this game but now I’m forced to watch ads for several minutes with no way to bypass them or X-out. Sorry, deleting now. I’d score it 0 Stars if I could because of this" - juslilolme987
10
"word"
5 negative reviews mention this · 12% of all complaints
★★★★★ "VERY Misleading Ads. The ads for this game are everywhere, and they are seriously misleading. The ads promise a game where users are challenged to find 20 or more words from a limited set of letters. Instead, you are expected to play up to 50 games suitable for…" - HollandTx
📋 All 43 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Promised no ads, HUGE lie
Only downloaded because it promised no ads. The first few levels are ad free, then it’s an ad after every single level.
Ads are in Russian?
Why are the ads in Russian?
So many ads
This game started out good. I like the gameplay but the ads are horrible. It was good until I got about 20 puzzles in and now I get an ad after every puzzle. I spend more time watching ads than doing puzzles.
Support has ignored my request to cancel my subscription!
I have reached out to support numerous times though the proper channels they provided and they have continuously ignored my request to cancel my subscription !
Ever heard of the SEC, FTC & BBB ?
Hate to file a reporting on you if you don’t honor my request
Ever heard of the SEC, FTC & BBB ?
Hate to file a reporting on you if you don’t honor my request
VERY Misleading Ads
The ads for this game are everywhere, and they are seriously misleading. The ads promise a game where users are challenged to find 20 or more words from a limited set of letters. Instead, you are expected to play up to 50 games suitable for a second or third grader. And, of course, you get to watch more misleading ads as you play. What a waste of time. False advertising should be a crime that gets companies banned from the App Store.
Ads that run in a loop continuously
This was a five-star game but now there are some ads, (“Triple Blast from Planet Moolah,” Huff ‘N’ Puff Grand,” Huff ‘N’ Triple Puff,” “Skunks Gone Wild,” Skunks Gone Wild,” “Monopoly Slots Casino,”and “ Visitors from Far Far Away,”) that never end. They just play over in a loop and you can only get rid of them by turning your phone off. They are so frequent that you can’t even play. Very frustrating!
Ads ads ads
Not very zen with ads and coins and contests. Actually went from calm to angry playing this cash grab piece of garbage.
This game was great!…. Until the ads ruined it
I was loving this game but now I’m forced to watch ads for several minutes with no way to bypass them or X-out. Sorry, deleting now. I’d score it 0 Stars if I could because of this
Too many ads
I enjoyed the game at first but now after every game there is an ad. I’m deleting the game
Too many ads
Can’t even get through two games!
Used to be fun
Their updates and supposed “improvements” over the past six months have made the game increasingly cumbersome and decidedly less fun. Today’s updates have decreased the value of the game to me to the point where I will delete it they don’t reverse those updates.
Update needs fixed
Since the update the paper planes do not deploy when reaching the required ten extra words. It will only reset back to zero over and over again. Syncing doesn’t fix it.
Scam ads
The game is nice but some of the ads are scams and not good for older adults who may be easily confused.
Too many ads
Every level is another game ad! I don’t want to look at another game! I want to play this one!!! So frustrating.. it will now be deleted
Don’t like it at all.
It’s a terrible game ads all the time and it’s not easy. And I don’t see how it’s relaxing I think it’s intense. So one star.
Inappropriate Ads and slow response
They are streaming an ad by a business called My Drama that is inappropriate. I tried to chat with someone and posted screen shots but after waiting about 20 minutes for a response, I gave up and deleted the app.
Ads
Ads every time you complete a game
Ads that WILL NOT end
Games are nice but if you don’t want to pay for no ads don’t bother with this game. You will need to exit the game and reenter because there is no way to play the next round
Stops playing for Ads
Was having a lot of fun for my first time just now - until some ad for another game came on screen & wouldn’t go away. It wouldn’t let me back to the Zen Word game. What!! Zero stars. This is why I don’t play phone app games. 😡
Ads
Ads are ridiculous! Constant! And after reading other reviews there is no way I’m going to pay for No Ads if they’re going to pop up anyway! Sure defeats the purpose of Zen!
Those damn ads
I subscribe to the ad removal program. Luckily I got it on sale for 99 cents a week. But it doesn’t work!! I keep getting interrupted by ads and they don’t go away.
Jun ‘26 - new update seems to have fixed the issue…. Do enjoy the game!
June 20, 2026 UPDATE - again #2
They’re back!!! Again, I pay for NO ADS and as soon as I finish a round, I get an ad or 2… get rid of it …. Play another round and bingo! Another ad. Even more annoying is that I already have the ad’s game on my phone!
Jun ‘26 - new update seems to have fixed the issue…. Do enjoy the game!
June 20, 2026 UPDATE - again #2
They’re back!!! Again, I pay for NO ADS and as soon as I finish a round, I get an ad or 2… get rid of it …. Play another round and bingo! Another ad. Even more annoying is that I already have the ad’s game on my phone!
Used to like
Your ads have gotten so annoying that I am deleting your game.
Great game but.....
I really enjoy this game. However, once you reach level 1,000, the ads get worse, and you get so few points per puzzle that in order to be competitive in tournaments, you need to play 6-8 hours per day because the points for winning get reduced so much, you're getting 20 points per puzzle while lower level players get 60-100 points per puzzle. Obviously they don't want anyone to play beyond level 1,000.
Now no chance to compete. Deleting game.
Now no chance to compete. Deleting game.
Not relaxing
This app will drive you nuts with all the ads and they make sure you run of coins/credits fast so you will buy to connect. They give you an option to watch videos which doesn’t work .
I found this app so un relaxing!
I found this app so un relaxing!
Frozen
Unable to choose letters to make words
Ads and lies
I watched ads for this game for a long time before downloading it. They claim
in ads that it is “ad free” and this is a lie. You can purchase an ad free version that could run up to $20 per month. What a disappointment. There is an ad after almost every single game. There are no bonuses for watching. The ads themselves are often offensive, soft porn, endless gambling, and outright deceptive. I’ve seen the developers excuse that it’s necessary to keep the game free. They are showing just as much disrespect for you with this explanation as they are when they run ads continuously. Most games that run ads don’t do this. Greed and dishonesty are a common combination.
in ads that it is “ad free” and this is a lie. You can purchase an ad free version that could run up to $20 per month. What a disappointment. There is an ad after almost every single game. There are no bonuses for watching. The ads themselves are often offensive, soft porn, endless gambling, and outright deceptive. I’ve seen the developers excuse that it’s necessary to keep the game free. They are showing just as much disrespect for you with this explanation as they are when they run ads continuously. Most games that run ads don’t do this. Greed and dishonesty are a common combination.
No ads!? BS
Great game when I was able to play. After several games with NO ads, they started popping up between every game. The FULL LONG ads. Spent more time dealing with that than playing puzzles. Nope!
Zen Word
Love the game
Not What It Advertises
Downloaded game because was advertised as "completely free" and "no annoying ads". After level 30 we get the annoying pop up no-skip ads (unless we pay of course). Deleting game now.
Ads abound!
Fast moving, and easy game, but what happened to "No ads"??? It's completely full of ads!!
Anything but zen
I bought this game when the one I usually play stopped working and is no longer available in the app store. But I’ve been mostly frustrated with this one. The claim is that it's "relaxing," but my experience is just the opposite.
There are constantly things to do, see, close, and watch instead of actually playing the game. The daily puzzle! Your place on the leaderboard! This great deal on more coins! A literal banner flying right across the word screen while I'm trying to play! And if you don't turn them off, there are obnoxious sound effects that make it sound like a casino, not a "zen" space.
Not to mention the ads that can't be closed or skipped, some of which make noise even after I've shut off the music and sound effects! Don't the developers realize people play games like this in bed (with a sleeping partner) and/or while in the bathroom? Sheesh.
I also would like harder puzzles, but at this level, I've only seen puzzles of 3- or 4-letter words with the occasional 5-letter word. I'm on level 85 and haven't seen the levels depicted in the images on the app store. I feel like this game is misrepresented on every level. (They even claim that the game improves sleep!? *eyeroll*)
If they just let us open the game and find words in peace and calm, it might be okay, as the actual game itself is fine. But as it is, I'm giving up and trying some other games to see if they actually let me play instead of spending most of my time closing useless pop-ups and promotions.
There are constantly things to do, see, close, and watch instead of actually playing the game. The daily puzzle! Your place on the leaderboard! This great deal on more coins! A literal banner flying right across the word screen while I'm trying to play! And if you don't turn them off, there are obnoxious sound effects that make it sound like a casino, not a "zen" space.
Not to mention the ads that can't be closed or skipped, some of which make noise even after I've shut off the music and sound effects! Don't the developers realize people play games like this in bed (with a sleeping partner) and/or while in the bathroom? Sheesh.
I also would like harder puzzles, but at this level, I've only seen puzzles of 3- or 4-letter words with the occasional 5-letter word. I'm on level 85 and haven't seen the levels depicted in the images on the app store. I feel like this game is misrepresented on every level. (They even claim that the game improves sleep!? *eyeroll*)
If they just let us open the game and find words in peace and calm, it might be okay, as the actual game itself is fine. But as it is, I'm giving up and trying some other games to see if they actually let me play instead of spending most of my time closing useless pop-ups and promotions.
Play
Would be relaxing if you could complete more than one game between ads
Drains Battery and heats up iPad
\I love this game, but whenever I play it, my iPad get really hot and drains my battery so fast! I deleted it and downloaded it to other iPads and it happened again. I hate to delete it again, but will do again for the 3rd time. I like to compete, so playing offline is not an option. …
Bring toggle back for fun colors or normal blocks
When I first downloaded this game, it was extremely relaxing and I found myself falling asleep just as advertise. However… Since this new update from May 31, I have hated it. It is not Zen! What’s up with the cheese letters… The Cheez-It letters? . I also do not like how it turns green if you’re guessing the right word and red if it’s not the right word. The fun part is having to work for it!!
Please fix this Zen Word or at least give us the option to go back to how it was please!,
Please fix this Zen Word or at least give us the option to go back to how it was please!,
Adds!
Love the game but the ads are ridiculous.
Don’t bother
Game is ok, but it will pop up with other games it wants you to download and not provide a way to exit them. So I deleted it. It says no ads before you install it. Looks like an ad to me.
Fun to many ads to enjoy
The game is fun. But you will be spending more time watching ads than actually playing the game. Even worse, when the X is displayed to close out the game, you are often taken to the website related to the ad.
Could be fun
The premise here is great, simple, difficult, and relaxing. Unfortunately it’s not relaxing at all, your “relaxation” is entirely limited within the individual levels. Upon completion of any level evokes an unbearable landslide of ads and popups that you are forced to wait through, clicking tiny x buttons all over the screen. When one popup closes, another opens. “Daily bonus!” “Bonus offer!” “Spin the wheel!” “Claim now” with an unhealthy side of big “watch this ad for more rewards!” Buttons over every single one. It’s abysmal, I hate it, I’ve never seen this much garbage slop thrown in the players’ face since call of duty. And that game isn’t advertised as being “relaxing zen” whatever. If your premise is word games like this, there are most likely better, less intrusive options.
Too many ADS
I really like the game, but after every game there’s an ad and it’s long. Sometime it takes forever to find or wait for skip. Anyone know a game like this with no ad or at least if it does have ads,it’s not so frequent?
I’m too old
I think this is a great game. However, I’m an old guy and I don’t have a lot of patience. So, the constant, prolonged ads make it impossible for me to enjoy the game. I realize that people have to make a buck, but I just can’t enjoy the game.
Too many ads
Good game when you can get to it. WAY WAY too many ads,
Could be great
This game is frustrating because of all the ads and extra animations are just too much. It has the ability to be a 5 star game. Give me an option to buy the game flat out with no ads please!
Too many Ads!
This game started out promising. Relaxing music and intriguing puzzles. Then after about the 20th level that all flew out the window when I started to get an ad after every, single, level. Sure I get it, you need to pay for development costs somehow. But this is ridiculous.
Sentiment summary
98%
Positive (4-5★)
1%
Neutral (3★)
1%
Negative (1-2★)