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Taipan! Mobile

Taipan! Mobile

by Fair Oaks Labs, Inc.

128 ratings
142 reviews
🎮 Games
🕹 Simulation
🏰 Strategy
Free
In-App Purchases

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • July 21, 2010
  • September 21, 2017

Features

Developer

Fair Oaks Labs, Inc.
✨Promote your app ✨
Taipan! Mobile screenshot #1 for iPhone
Taipan! Mobile screenshot #2 for iPhone
Taipan! Mobile screenshot #3 for iPhone
Taipan! Mobile screenshot #4 for iPhone
Taipan! Mobile screenshot #5 for iPhone
iphone
ipad
🧾$2.99
In-App Purchase↘︎
📌Ready
Reviews summary↘︎
⭐142
Reviews↘︎
🔄4+ apps
Alternatives↘︎
❓5 answered
FAQ↘︎
📦w/o updates
Updates frequency↘︎
🖼️Get Icon
Icons↘︎

About

Experience a classic 1980s trading and adventure game set in the 1860s Western Pacific. Sail, trade exotic goods, battle pirates, and evade authorities. The game offers a nostalgic visual style with a modern mobile interface.

✓Sail the Western Pacific
✓Trade exotic goods
✓Battle pirates
✓Evade customs officials
✓Fend off criminals
✓Pay tribute to Tin Hau
Show original description

What users say

Summarized from real user reviews of Taipan! Mobile. Based on 128 reviews and a 3.5/5 average, it highlights the 7 positives and 8 negatives reviewers mention most about this game.

Positive things

  • 🎮Faithful recreation of classic 1980s Apple II game
  • ⚡Turbo feature speeds up lengthy battle animations
  • 💾Auto-save functionality preserves progress
  • 🎯Addictive gameplay mechanics remain engaging
  • 📱Smooth mobile adaptation with intuitive controls
  • 🌟Nostalgic experience for original players
  • 🐛Includes original game bugs for authenticity

Negative things

  • 💰Deceptive freemium model with paywall after 5-15 minutes
  • ⚠️Unclear pricing disclosure at download
  • 🎲Difficulty appears artificially inflated compared to original
  • 🔄Restore purchase fails across devices requiring repayment
  • 🎯Limited gun/ship upgrade opportunities
  • 🎪Excessive pirate attacks overwhelm players
  • 🔊Missing sound effects from original
  • 💸$2.99-$3.99 price considered high for retro game
See all reviews

What's New in Taipan! Mobile

1.5

September 21, 2017

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. Updated for 64-bit compatibility

More
1

In-App Purchases

$2.99

Unlock

Unlock gameplay for January 1861 and beyond. This one-time purchase will allow you to play Taipan! for as many turns as you like. (A single purchase is good across the entire app; you will *not* need to unlock each individual game.)

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User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Crashes all the time!

Crashes more than it works :( used to play this on apple ][+
TurkeytacocatTurkeytacocat

iOS 26

After the first year the game exits after every move attempt. There is no purchase option. Or restore purchase.
ArnStarArnStar

Memory Lane

Faithful reproduction of the original. So much fun and as addictive as ever after 40 years. Can’t believe other reviews moaning about having to pay £1.99 for the many hours to into producing this. Well worth it.
Cajx2Cajx2

Really

You let me play for 5 seconds and then say I need to pay to continue. I’m sorry, the game is fun, but you really think you can charge for this? It’s like the most portly quickly thrown together app I’ve ever seen there is no effort and you want to charge? I can go play it on my Roku for free
zachmeade55zachmeade55

Scam

This game is a scam. It states that you get 12 months free but I was asked to pay after 15 minutes of installing the game!
Boingy@RichBoingy@Rich
See 137 more reviews

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

6 issues

Restore purchase fails on new devices, requiring repayment

Bug

Game doesn't save properly when home button pressed mid-transaction

Bug

Cannot trade after returning from interrupted session

Bug

Restore purchase temporarily works then requests payment again

Bug

Game freezes or crashes on iOS 11+ for some users

Bug

Starting scenario with 5 guns and 0 cash has zero progression ability

Bug
✨

Requested Features

9 requests

Sound effects and audio from original game

Feature

Option to start with 5 guns and no debt

Feature

Ability to purchase upgrades more frequently

Feature

Modern graphics enhancement or Taipan 2 version

Feature

Larger warehouse capacity and expandable storage

Feature

PC version availability

Feature

Game time indicator for long sessions

Feature

Higher gun capacity limit (beyond 1000)

Feature

Delete previous saved games option

Feature

FAQ

What is this game about?

This is a complete port of the classic 1982 game Taipan!, set in the 1860s Western Pacific. Players sail the seas, trade exotic goods, battle pirates, and evade authorities. The game aims to mimic the original Apple II release with a mobile-friendly interface.

What are the main features of the game?

Key features include sailing the Western Pacific, trading a variety of exotic goods, battling fierce pirates, evading customs officials, and defending against muggers and thieves. Players are also reminded to pay tribute to Tin Hau, the Sea Goddess.

How much does the game cost?

The game is free to download and play. You only need to pay if you wish to extend your gameplay beyond 12 months of game time. This suggests an in-app purchase model for extended play.

What platforms is this game available on?

The application is described as a 'mobile' game, implying it is available on mobile operating systems such as iOS and Android. The description specifically mentions tailoring the interface for ease-of-use on a mobile device.

What is the gameplay like?

The gameplay involves strategic trading of goods across different ports, managing risks from pirates and officials, and making decisions to maximize profit and survival. It aims to replicate the experience of the original 1982 game.