# Hostage Negotiator

> Official digital adaptation of the Hostage Negotiator board game. (iPhone/iPad app by Peter Kossits.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hostage-negotiator/id1319971932 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Peter Kossits](https://appshunter.io/developer/1003138995)
- Category: Games, Card, Strategy
- Price: $3.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.00/5 from 42 App Store ratings · 31 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 7.0 · 155 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-02-09
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hostage-negotiator/id1319971932/reviews.md

## What is Hostage Negotiator?

Official app of the board game by AJ Porfirio and Van Ryder Games. 

In Hostage Negotiator, you play the part of a law enforcement agent responsible for negotiating the release of hostages taken by an unscrupulous figure hell-bent on having his or her demands met.

Each turn in the game represents a conversation between you and the hostage taker. You'll play cards and roll dice to increase conversation points, decrease the threat level, and release hostages. Hostage Negotiator uses a unique "hand-building" mechanism that puts cards you purchase directly in your hand for next turn rather than leaving you wondering when the cards will show up like in deck-building games.

In Hostage Negotiator there are multiple paths to victory, but the hostage taker has other plans. Will you try to calm him and get him to surrender? Will you stall and bide your time before sending in the team for a major extraction? How many hostages will you save? These are many of the exciting decisions you will make in a game of Hostage Negotiator!

Features: 
Play against 4 villains, each, with their own personalities. 
Interactive tutorial teaches the rules and basic strategy as you play.
The app tracks a variety of player statistics.

## Key features

- Play as a law enforcement negotiator
- Engage in turn-based conversations
- Use cards and dice to influence outcomes
- Manage threat levels and rescue hostages
- Experience unique hand-building mechanics
- Play against 4 distinct villains
- Interactive tutorial for learning rules

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $3.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rolph and Dolph | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lt. Jackson | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gonzalo | $0.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 31)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hostage-negotiator/id1319971932/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Wonderful game

*2023-06-26*

The board game is one of my favorite solitaire games and this app is a good, faithful adaptation. Beat the first the abductors and immediately bought the next three!

Sure, it’s not the best-looking interface, and I’ve noticed a few small issues with the way the achievements are calculated and unlock, but the actual gameplay is smooth and bug-free. Great way to enjoy the game when in bed, on the throne, on the road.

I only wish it was still getting updates. I’d gladly purchase any and all expansions they put out. More abductor packs, Crime Wave, Career Mode, all of it! And a few interface tweaks would be gravy. Like skipping or at least speeding up the card animations. Maybe another pass of polish on the visuals?

### 1/5 — It cheats, because that is the only way it can beat you

*2023-02-23, version 1.4.2*

You make the right play, and in response you somehow always get a crappy die roll that ruins things for you, or just the wrong terror card shows up to undo everything you’ve accomplished. Always. There is no ‘AI’ in this game - it just cheats against you so it can ‘win’.

### 4/5 — Tough to win but fun

*2021-11-27, version 1.4.2*

Still evolving strategies. Some insanely bad luck with dice at times but challenging.  Quick game for times when you want to squeeze in a game in 20 minutes or less.

### 4/5 — I prefer to the physical game in a lot of ways.

*2021-11-11, version 1.4.2*

It is still quite stressful as games go, but with the physical version it is so easy to scrap a bad game when things seem like they are unrecoverable. I have twice now won in situations that seemed hopeless. The dice also seem to roll slightly more favorably than the real dice which makes this game easier to play. My preference here may have as much to do with the game itself as it does when and where I play it. I play the app when there is not much better to do and I am waiting for something. When I am playing the physical game, I have dozens of other options. Bottom line: it’s a good game turned into a serviceable app with an ugly interface and a good way to burn 20 minutes. There certainly worse ways you could blow 5 dollars.

### 4/5 — Watch some tutorial videos

*2021-10-26, version 1.4.2*

This is a great adaptation of the board game. I wish there was more variety in the cards you have access to but it’s much better than most iPhone games. You can buy more villains to go against but other than that there are no annoying pay to win micro transactions.

### 3/5 — No tutorial on phone

*2021-09-12, version 1.4.2*

I see the tutorial when playing on iPad but not iPhone. It is enabled in the settings but doesn’t actually come up when playing on phone

### 2/5 — I want to love this game

*2021-08-23, version 1.4.2*

I have really bad luck with dice in real life, but I really think the algorithm for the dice in this game is designed to roll bad 90% of the time. Other then the this I like the game.

### 5/5 — Brilliant game

*2021-08-11*

I have the physical version of this but bought this for on the go. 
The app does a great job of teaching you the rules and showing you different strategies. It was worth the money even if you just want to learn how to play. 
the dice could do with a little fix as they do get stuck on an angle quite a few times so your not sure what face it landed on and have to rely on the computer telling you what was rolled but that’s a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things.

### 4/5 — Good game but achievements are bugged

*2021-08-10*

Love this game but the achievements with Rolph and Dolph are bugged and I can’t get them even though I do as the achievement says.

### 3/5 — Looks and plays like it was made in 1993

*2021-08-08, version 1.4.2*

It is good at simulating the card game, but the software looks antequated and is a bit clunky on ipad.  It was clearly made for PC and was hastily ported.  It’s a fun, but not polished experience.

## Frequently asked questions about Hostage Negotiator

### What is Hostage Negotiator?

Hostage Negotiator is the official digital adaptation of the popular board game. Players assume the role of a law enforcement agent tasked with negotiating the release of hostages from a determined captor. The game involves strategic card play and dice rolling to manage threat levels and rescue individuals.

### How do you play Hostage Negotiator?

Each turn represents a conversation with the hostage taker. You'll play cards and roll dice to increase conversation points, decrease the threat level, and ultimately release hostages. The game features a unique hand-building mechanism where purchased cards are immediately added to your hand for the next turn.

### What are the key features of the app?

The app allows you to play against four distinct villains, each with their own personality. It includes an interactive tutorial to teach the rules and basic strategy, and it tracks a variety of player statistics to monitor your progress and performance.

### Is Hostage Negotiator free to play?

The base game is free to download and play. However, there are in-app purchases available, which likely offer additional content or features for players who wish to expand their experience.

### What kind of decisions do players make in Hostage Negotiator?

Players face exciting and critical decisions, such as whether to calm the hostage taker for a surrender, stall for time before a tactical extraction, or how many hostages they can successfully save. The game presents multiple paths to victory, but the hostage taker also has their own agenda.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.4.2 — 2019-02-25

Minor Bug Fix - Against the expansion villain Gonzalo the button allowing you to play cards face down for a conversation point should not be available if the bus is moving through the Forest. If you have not purchased the Gonzalo expansion, you do not need to download this update.

### 1.4.1 — 2018-06-22

o Added new villain Gonzalo as in-app purchase 
o When playing against Ed Quinn, threat counter will begin glowing at 6 as a warning that the game is close to being lost.

### 1.3.1 — 2018-05-15

o added Lt. Jackson villain as in-app purchase 
o Bugfix - dice will no longer appear under deck card-count numbers when they pass over or land on top of them.

### 1.2.3 — 2018-04-11

Added Rolph and Dolph initial in-app purchase. 
Bug fix: Against Ed Quinn game was not ending if threat moved directly to K during pivotal event 
Bug fix: With 6 conversation points to spend, the Buy Card button in zoom dialog was staying enabled when 7 and 8 cost cards were moved to the center. 
Bug Fix: Against Connor, game was not ending automatically if his special effect was still active and 4 cards were played in Final Conversation.

### 1.1.3 — 2018-02-20

Bug fix - double tapping to dismiss banner at start of turns would lead to it breaking and not appearing properly in future turns. 
Bug fix - small adjustments to dice rolling algorithm. In rare cases it was possible for a die to be rolled off the playing area.

## Apps similar to Hostage Negotiator

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Morels](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/morels/id1396126409) | 4.9 (473) | $4.99 | Games |
| [LAMA by Reiner Knizia](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lama-by-reiner-knizia/id1603465399) | 4.3 (6) | $0.99 | Games |
| [Sentinels of the Multiverse](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sentinels-of-the-multiverse/id923772792) | 4.3 (171) | $6.99 | Games |
| [Aeon's End](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aeons-end/id1476090287) | 4.2 (43) | $12.99 | Games |
| [Friday - by Friedemann Friese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friday-by-friedemann-friese/id1222916942) | 4.6 (362) | $3.99 | Games |
| [Paper Tales - Catch up Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-tales-catch-up-games/id1532072012) | 4.3 (4) | $1.99 | Games |

## More apps by Peter Kossits

- [Baseball Highlights 2045](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baseball-highlights-2045/id1003138996)
- [Football Highlights 2052](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/football-highlights-2052/id1497178097)

All apps by Peter Kossits: https://appshunter.io/developer/1003138995

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*