Istanbul vs DeckHunter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Istanbul
Compete as a merchant to collect rubies by trading goods and managing assistants across a bustling bazaar. Strategically move your merchant and assistants through various locations, each offering unique actions. Plan your moves carefully to outmaneuver opponents and achieve victory in this acclaimed board game adaptation.
- Collect rubies by trading goods
- Manage merchant and assistants
- Explore 16 bazaar locations
- Increase wheelbarrow capacity
- Acquire special abilities
- Play against AI or friends
- Cross-platform online multiplayer
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The official digital adaptation of one of the best board games in history – Istanbul. Istanbul is, without a doubt, one of the best board games to have ever been published. The long list of its awards and honors speaks for itself: 2015 Nederlandse Spellenprijs Best Expert Game Nominee 2014 Swiss Gamers Award Winner 2014 Meeples' Choice Nominee 2014 Kennerspiel des Jahres Winner 2014 International Gamers Award - General Strategy: Multi-player Nominee 2014 Hra roku Nominee 2014 Gouden Ludo Winner 2014 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee 2014 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee 2014 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee In our 2018 digital version we have maintained all of the features that made Istanbul the fan favorite that it is, but also expanded upon it with a number of tools and features only available on the digital platform. We maintained the authentic board game feeling with the convenience you can expect from an electronic device. So what is the game about? Can you be the first merchant to collect a certain number of rubies? • Run, collect and trade goods across the bazaar • Take control over your assistants • Increase your wheelbarrow capacity • Acquire special abilities to increase the advantage over your competitors • Buy rubies or trade goods for them In Istanbul, you lead a group of one merchant and his four assistants through 16 locations in the bazaar. In each such a location, you can carry out a specific action. The challenge, however, is that to take an action, you must move your merchant and an assistant there, then leave the assistant behind to handle all the details while you focus on larger matters. If you want to use that assistant again later, your merchant must return to that location to pick him up. Thus, you must plan ahead carefully to avoid being left with no assistants and thus unable to do anything… What can you expect? • Official Istanbul game - 100% original rules • Adaptation of TOP 100 board game of all time by BGG ranking • Play with AI, with friends or both • Great artwork by Andreas Resch • Languages: English, German, Dutch, Polish, French, Korean, Japanese, Chinese Simplified, Spanish • Pass and play mode • Cross-platform online multiplayer with synchronous and asynchronous modes • Opponents' last moves replay • 3 levels of difficulty AIs with individual strategies • Preset or random generated game boards • Atmospheric music and sounds • Unique, original board game experience • Intuitive gameplay • Colorblind mode • Over 70 achievements • iPhone X support
DeckHunter
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NEW: Full Palworld TCG support — every card from Dawn of Palpagos, scan your cards, build decks and see exactly what you're missing. I want to make sure you love the app before paying so get a 30 Day free trial with a new yearly subscription or a 7 day free trial with a monthly subscription, cancel before the end of the trail and theres no charge! See exactly what cards you're missing to complete any deck, across One Piece TCG, Gundam TCG, Riftbound TCG and Palworld TCG. Scan your cards, import any decklist, and instantly know what you own vs. what you still need. COLLECTION MANAGEMENT (FREE) - Track cards across Palworld TCG, One Piece TCG, Gundam TCG and Riftbound TCG - Scan physical cards with your camera to instantly identify them and add them to your collection - Monitor collection completion - Search and organize your entire collection - More games coming soon Try the full subscription free: 7 days on the monthly plan, 30 days on the yearly plan. Cancel anytime before the trial ends at no charge. PREMIUM FEATURES INCLUDE: ADVANCED DECK TOOLS - Import any decklist from anywhere - Instant analysis against your collection - See exactly what cards you need to buy/trade - Guided deck building with game-specific rules - Tournament registration sheet generation - Unlimited deck creation and storage TRADING NETWORK - Find local players who have cards you need - Add cards to your trade binder for others to discover - Connect via Discord or Instagram handles - Turn missing cards into completed decks faster MARKET INSIGHTS - "Most Wanted" card tracking and alerts - Daily card price updates and market trends - Real-time collection value tracking - Generate shareable want lists in one tap BUILT BY TCG PLAYERS, FOR TCG PLAYERS Every feature solves real problems we've faced as competitive players and collectors. Start with free collection tracking, then unlock the complete toolkit with your trial. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION - Monthly and yearly plans available - Free trial periods included for new users - Cancel anytime in Apple ID settings - All premium features unlock instantly Privacy Policy: https://deckhunter.app/privacy/index.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Download free, track your collection, and discover what DeckHunter Premium can do during your trial. DeckHunter is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pocketpair, Bushiroad, Bandai or Riot Games.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: DeckHunter at Free against Istanbul's $6.99. DeckHunter also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 6 weeks). Istanbul's advantage is chart position (#73 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
DeckHunter is free to download; Istanbul costs $6.99 up front. Istanbul sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and DeckHunter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Istanbul ships an update every 6 weeks, DeckHunter every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Istanbul | DeckHunter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (458 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 458 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #73 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 451 MB | 270 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Acram Digital | Linking Lotus Ltd |
Bugs and requests
Istanbul
Reported bugs
4 issues- Certain cards/tiles not working as intended
- Game crashing or freezing during play
- Online/multiplayer functionality issues
- Tutorial getting stuck or not working properly
Requested features
4 requests- Add the Mocha & Baksheesh and Letters & Seals expansions
- Implement a companion tool to randomize the board setup
- Add push notifications for online game turns
- Support for more languages
DeckHunter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Istanbul
- Mocha & Baksheesh$5.99
DeckHunter
- Premium Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Premium Yearly1 Month trial$24.991 Year
Questions
Is Istanbul free?
Is DeckHunter free?
Do Istanbul or DeckHunter have ads?
Which is updated more often, Istanbul or DeckHunter?
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