Comparison

Cthulhu Realms vs Captain Derkin

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cthulhu Realms

This digital card game challenges players to drive opponents insane or maintain more sanity than them by the end of the deck. It features comical art and strategic deck-building mechanics, offering a free-to-play experience with an optional upgrade for expanded features and online play.

Highlights
  • Deck-building mechanics
  • Sanity-based win conditions
  • Comical horror art
  • AI opponent
  • Campaign missions
  • Online multiplayer
  • Pass and Play mode
Features
Read full description

Star Realms has gone insane! Introducing Cthulhu Realms! Are you zany enough to play the crazier and creepier cousin of Star Realms? Download and play today to find out why Cthulhu Realms is so crazily addictive! In Cthulhu Realms, each player tries to drive their opponent insane or have more sanity than their opponents when the deck runs out. "The art in Cthulhu Realms is hilarious and beautifully done, somehow complimenting the horror theme perfectly. The production value is top-notch." — Gameosity "It’s a surprisingly effective package that delivers a great little deck builder with a low price tag. If you can embrace the playful theme, you’ll find a pleasant gem in Cthulhu Realms." — Geek Ken "It certainly is not just another deck-building game, but has original and fresh mechanics that will challenge your brain." — Board Game Maniac How to Play the Game: Each player starts the game with a small deck comprised of initiates, goons and followers. Five cards from the deck form a row of available cards on the table; with more than two players, place three available cards between each pair of players. Each turn, you start with five cards in hand, playing those cards in order to put locations into play, boost your own sanity or reduce that of others, collect conjuring power to acquire new cards, and remove cards from the game. You can use the power of your locations once each turn. At the end of your turn, discard any cards still in hand and all entities and artifacts that you played. If you lose all of your sanity, you're out of the game. If you're the only one at the table who's still sane, you win. Otherwise, the game ends when the deck runs out and whoever has the most sanity wins. Darwin Kastle is the designer of the popular Star Realms Deckbuilding Game, and with the digital release of Cthulhu Realms, he once again provides tons of playability for free, and a one-time upgrade to be able play with your friends and more on any device. Free Version • Drive people insane everywhere - play across devices. • Crazyily addictive deckbuilding game. • Tutorial teaches you how to make people crazy in minutes. • Awesome, comical art. • Play VS the AI. • 8 silly campaign missions! Full Game Additional Features • Play the AI on 2 different difficulty settings. • 8 more fun campaign missions. • Battle your friends face to face with Pass and Play. • Play against many more opponents online. • Challenge a friend to online Player v Player combat Cthulhu Realms is also available at your local game store as a physical card game from Tasty Minstrel Games.

About

Captain Derkin

Features
Read full description

Captain Derkin — A strategic, high-stakes card game filled with surprises and tactical depth. WELCOME TO THE BATTLESHIP DECK! Step into the world of Captain Derkin, where every card you play shifts the tides. Use clever combos, master special cards, and outwit your opponents. FEATURES Strategic Card Combat: Play cards of equal or higher rank. Use 2s, 7s, and Jokers for resets, clears, or bonus turns. Swap & Reveal Mechanics: Trade smart before the battle begins. Then transition from hidden hand → face-up → face-down. Reward System: Earn booster cards through ad rewards. Fast Matches, Intense Gameplay: Play full sessions in minutes—perfect for quick strategy bursts. Why Captain Derkin Stands Out Smooth, intuitive UI optimized for both mobile and tablet. Balanced special card system keeps matches fair but unpredictable. Built with feedback in mind—frequent updates & community-driven balance patches. Tips for New Players Use 2 strategically to reset the stack and regain control. A well-timed 7 can wipe a dangerous pile. Joker grants the rare chance to clear and play again—use wisely. Manage your hand carefully—don’t get stuck picking up too much. Swap your highest cards to your face up area before the game begins to set yourself up for success in the end game.

Screenshots

Cthulhu Realms3 screens
Captain Derkin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Captain Derkin at none against Cthulhu Realms's 1. Captain Derkin also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 weeks). Cthulhu Realms's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cthulhu Realms sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Captain Derkin asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cthulhu Realms ships an update every 5 weeks, Captain Derkin every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Cthulhu Realms versus Captain Derkin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCthulhu RealmsCaptain Derkin
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (64 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings64 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB68 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperWhite Wizard GamesHammrtech LLC

Bugs and requests

Cthulhu Realms

Reported bugs

43 issues
  • Not fullscreen on iPad 10
  • Words cutoff on Face ID iPhones
  • Cannot login
  • No way to contact support
  • In-app purchase says available on all devices but not so
Show 38 more
  • User name doesn't show up
  • Cannot play online
  • Cannot play missions or vs AI
  • App is completely broken
  • Tap on campaign - nothing
  • Tap on single match - nothing
  • Everything now broken
  • Update broke everything
  • Campaign, vs AI, Tutorial non-responsive
  • Stopped working
  • Update broken
  • Cannot start a game
  • June2018 update problem
  • 'Start game' button not working
  • Update broken on iPad and iPhone 7
  • Won't let me buy full version
  • Server error on online play
  • Online play has never given a match
  • UI could be improved
  • Online play implemented well
  • App badge and notifications when it is your turn
  • Game lags with perfect graphics
  • Push notifications don't appear
  • Badge notifications appear after opening app
  • Online doesn't work
  • Purchased full version, won't let me play online
  • App doesn't remember purchase
  • Constantly logging out
  • Broken, please fix
  • Bought but won't recognize it
  • Broken-purchased and won't unlock or restore
  • Still can't make the purchase for full game
  • Broke, doesn't allow purchases
  • Loses connection often
  • Notification bug
  • Bug that app doesn't remember I bought the in-app purchase
  • Keep having to rebuy the game
  • Account creation bug

Requested features

12 requests
  • More campaign content
  • More levels
  • Rank ladders for online play
  • Fix current stats
  • Turn off background movement
Show 7 more
  • Add pass & play feature
  • Improve UI for readability
  • Fix online connection issues
  • Allow real-time games with friends
  • Fix notifications
  • Allow multiple online accounts per purchase
  • Fix account creation bug

Captain Derkin

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cthulhu Realms

One-time1
  • Main Expansion$4.99
None

Captain Derkin

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cthulhu Realms free?
Cthulhu Realms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Captain Derkin free?
Captain Derkin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cthulhu Realms or Captain Derkin have ads?
Captain Derkin shows ads; Cthulhu Realms does not.
Which is updated more often, Cthulhu Realms or Captain Derkin?
Cthulhu Realms ships an update every 5 weeks, and Captain Derkin every 6 days. Most recently, Cthulhu Realms was updated on October 24, 2026 and Captain Derkin on October 7, 2026.

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