# Sheepshead, the App — user reviews > 98 indexed App Store user reviews of Sheepshead, the App by Ryan Lardinois, rated 4.50/5 from 2,351 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheepshead-the-app/id1339318972/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheepshead-the-app/id1339318972.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1,624 · 4★ 432 · 3★ 175 · 2★ 51 · 1★ 69 ## What do users think of Sheepshead, the App? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 🚀 Authentic gameplay - 🎮 Entertaining app - 👍 Clean user interface **Cons** - 🐛 Poor AI decision-making - 🤔 Unfair card distribution - 😤 Frustrating gameplay - 🤯 Unrealistic play **Commonly reported bugs** - Inconsistent picker indicator - Crashes when interacting with discard pile **Most requested features** - Indicate partner after reveal - Ability to review previous hands - Option to play with fewer players - Implement blitz and crack rules ## Newest reviews (17 of 98) ### 2/5 — Bad strategy *2025-12-25, version 1.2.0* Whoever provided the strategy has an odd way to play the game. You don’t lead trump when you’re not the picker unless you’re trump tight. ### 4/5 — Trump the called Suit, Dummy Hand. *2025-10-28, version 1.2.0* Good app, exempt many times the dummy hand throws off when it has trump, on the called suit Ace. Ryan please fix this basic play. Very annoying! ### 3/5 — Good … But … *2025-08-31, version 1.2.0* While I’ve certain had live stretches of horrible cards, the AI of this game is just not good. Who doesn’t take the called (partner) suit when they can?? Who doesn’t shmear points when their team has the trick won as the last one to play? These players. ### 2/5 — Decision making is bad *2025-05-14, version 1.2.0* Just had a hand where the second player picked, called hearts. Partner was the first player, and lead the Ace of hearts. Another player could’ve trumped it, but didn’t. And situations like this are unfortunately pretty common. ### 1/5 — Don’t waste your time *2025-04-04, version 1.2.0* AI doesn’t trump the called ace, leads Trump when not the partner, doesn’t smear. Lousy programming. ### 2/5 — Makes mistakes *2025-03-15, version 1.2.0* I gave this two stars because it is not a bad app for learning the mechanics of the game and for developing strategies to take more tricks. However, I have had hands where five queens were played, or a player didn’t play trump when trump was led and they had it in their hand (because it is played by them in the next trick), I’ve seen cards show up twice in a game. It HAS made me a better player, and as long as I know it’s going to appear to “cheat”, I don’t get to cranked up about the weird mistakes it makes. ### 2/5 — Frustrating *2025-03-10, version 1.2.0* Cards dealt seem biased to one or two players. And the “AI” makes dumb mistakes, like often leading trump on the first trick if not the partner or picker. And the indicator of who picked shows on one player always and another that actually picked, making it unclear which player picked (the “stuck” one seems to change when restarting the app). Adding call an ace would be a nice improvement. Also other variants like fewer players, first two queens, etc. Thank you for making this game as there are almost no other offline options, but a few refinements would help a lot. ### 1/5 — Terrible AI *2025-03-02, version 1.2.0* AI players make mistakes every hand. The gameplay is really frustrating. It’s like playing with first time players. ### 4/5 — Could be better *2025-02-24, version 1.2.0* I’ve been playing sheepshead my whole life. This app is fun but it seems that the splits are unevenly, rarely get a picking hand and quite often get nothing but fail. Seems geared toward favoring bots. I would love n app that lets me play with love players. ### 3/5 — Trash *2025-02-14, version 1.2.0* Designed by a moron, unrealistic play, hands and opponents that appear to have never played. Pure garbage! ### 1/5 — Rigged *2025-02-12, version 1.2.0* This game is so rigged for you to fail. The computer picks terrible hands and makes me partner every time they do, plays fails when they could’ve taken the trick, etc. I can’t even stand it anymore. It’s not even fun, just irritating. Fix the game. ### 3/5 — Decent for beginners *2025-01-11, version 1.2.0* If you’ve never played before this app is a good start to figure out how the game is played. If you know strategy of the game you will probably get frustrated with how the computers play. ### 3/5 — Where is the blitz and the crack??? *2024-12-22, version 1.2.0* Why can’t we blitz reds or blitz blacks to make the hand worth more points? ### 3/5 — Infuriating app *2024-11-21, version 1.2.0* The structure of the game is here but the plays the computer makes is completely infuriating. Holding on to trump and screwing your partners…just ugh!!! ### 2/5 — It’s Odd that… *2024-07-27, version 1.2.0* Black Queens are supposed to be partners. It’s odd that I am the highest looser. Too many coincidences that another player has a higher card. ### 3/5 — Incorrect plays in call an ace *2024-07-08, version 1.2.0* Needs some tweaking. Many times partner leads the called suite in call an ace right in front of the picker after the called suite was just played. Fairly often when a partner is able to take the called ace trick they don’t and often even throws points on it. This makes no sense ### 1/5 — Stupid computer *2024-07-01, version 1.2.0* This game can’t be more aggravating because computer players are more than just dumb but engaging in sabotage. For example I’m partner with 5 trump to the Q-diamonds, lead a 7-diamonds with picker on the end. Comes to picker with a diamond ace and J-hearts on the trick, and he plays the 10-diamonds under the jack to lose a 20+ point trick. Worse is the lead coming back is a heart 7, picker uses Q-spade to trump in, and plays a Q-clubs next. Computer intentionally lost 27 points to blow what would have been a no tricker. Don’t play this game, I’m going to find a different game ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2026-08-08, version 1.2.0* Used to have one dumb player it seemed. Now they all play as if getting a trick is bad. ### 1/5 — No concept *2026-05-18, version 1.2.0* Like playing with sub-80 iq players who constantly throw off instead of trumping called suit and throw counters to opponent whenever possible. This game would be a perfect tutorial on how not to play Sheepshead. Embarrassing. ### 1/5 — So so *2026-04-23, version 1.2.0* Needs improvement but best app to play. ### 1/5 — Sheepshead *2026-03-08, version 1.2.0* Poor programming as plays of leading trump when you are not the partner. ### 1/5 — Awful ai *2026-01-29, version 1.2.0* Leads are not normal. Non picker non- partner did not lead the called suit. No one does that except a loser, like this app. ### 1/5 — The worst game *2026-01-21, version 1.2.0* This isn’t the worst card game. I think it might just be the worst game period. Deliberately dealing you awful cards hand after hand. How fun. ### 1/5 — I don’t think it’s fair *2025-11-17, version 1.2.0* I do not feel like the AI players are making decisions based on only what they have seen - their own cards and what’s been played. Also, I don’t even think the shuffling is fair. I wish it was. ### 1/5 — Dumb computers *2025-09-24, version 1.2.0* The computers regularly play incorrectly. When they are on the picking team they will hold their trump or play small trump. When they are not on the picking team they will play different suited fail when the called suit is played. They consistently miss play and it has made this app unenjoyable to use because of that. Look for a different sheepshead app if you want to play. ### 1/5 — Frustrating *2025-08-01, version 1.2.0* The algorithm is awful. The cards are biased to one or two players. After being frustrated for several days , I kept track of 60 games and I was only able to be the picker on two of those. I am stopping playing this game because it is not fun. ### 1/5 — Not Good! *2025-05-25, version 1.2.0* If I played like this app, I’d be kicked out of my family and Wisconsin, for that matter! I understand it’s an app, but the game play is poor. I don’t recommend it to anyone. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Challenging *2026-02-08, version 1.2.0* Week done app. The game provides challenging opponents disguised as farm animals. There are occasional head-scratching moves followed by brilliant moves that make you wonder if the algorithm knows what is in their opponents or partners hands. I have no one nearby who’ve heard of Sheepshead, much less know how to play it. Therefore, originating from Wisconsin, it makes an entertaining distraction for me. Not sure what the difference between FreePlay and Tournament is, other than the obvious. The level of play seems the same and there doesn’t seem to be any online opponents. All-in-all, a well done game that provides a challenge! Five stars. ### 5/5 — Sheepshead *2025-12-19, version 1.2.0* Love,playing sheepshead author needs to update ### 5/5 — Great game *2025-01-13, version 1.2.0* I’ve been playing this for years. Very authentic. Lots of play options. ### 5/5 — Sheepshead *2024-06-23, version 1.2.0* Best game but the goat needs some help and at times so does the moose. Geez! Live would be big fun with age groups and nationalities. ### 5/5 — The players *2024-03-25, version 1.2.0* Recently- I’ve seen my ‘team’ when we aren’t the picker act dumb and sacrifice points when later the have trump in had. For example; Comp picker sets hearts as partner. I win a round and choose hearts to show the partner. One comp player who has the 10 of diamonds plays the 10 of clubs effectively giving the picker an extra 10 points. When they could have played 10 of trump(which they played later in their hand that still went to the computer picker. And, they choose when they don’t even have a single queen in their hand. And loose catastrophically. But if they pass I could have a regular win. Or a close one. Which make the game fun. It’s not fun when I’m playing with.. computer that are distracted. They aren’t doing a good job of giving p you points when you will obviously take the half and the partner has been revealed. ### 5/5 — Love the Sheephead app *2024-01-21, version 1.1.7* Being from Wisconsin, Sheephead is part of who we are. Really enjoy the 4-handed! ### 5/5 — Feels like Wisconsin! *2023-12-29, version 1.1.7* Gameplay is solid! The players are tough; this feels more like the first round of tournament sheepshead at Germanfest, less like social drinking sheepshead night. If the implementation allows for it, maybe the developer could create less worthy NPCs having personalities to allow for a beginner PC difficulty ramp. ### 5/5 — Just Fun *2022-04-13, version 1.1.2* Just Funny ### 5/5 — Sheepshead *2021-12-28, version 1.1.2* I love the game but I would change one thing if someone picks and doesn’t get a trick I would penalize the picker only. ### 5/5 — Is it a local thing? *2021-08-09* I grew up playing Sheepshead while living in Wisconsin and for eight years in the Navy. Every time I played the rule was that you could not lead trump until they are played on a trick or trump is the only “suit” you hold. That rule is not factored into this game. It is amazing how it changes the play. I loose all the time, partially because I still think that way. --- *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 2026-09-02.*