# Terraforming Mars vs Root Board Game

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Root Board Game at 77% against Terraforming Mars's 45%. Root Board Game also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). Terraforming Mars's advantage is price ($8.99 vs $9.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Terraforming Mars costs $8.99 and Root Board Game $9.99 up front. Terraforming Mars sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Root Board Game sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Root Board Game holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.6K and 5.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Terraforming Mars's written reviews are positive against 77% of Root Board Game's.

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, Root Board Game every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Terraforming Mars | Root Board Game |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$8.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030/reviews) | **[4.9 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-board-game/id1439262206/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.6K** | 5.9K |
| Positive reviews | 45.1% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #35 | **#8** |
| Size | 353 MB | 505 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Twin Sails Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135862620) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Terraforming Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030)

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Paid · Board, #108 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Lead a corporation to terraform Mars by building cities, forests, and oceans. Manage resources, complete objectives, and increase your Terraform Rating to make the planet habitable. Compete against rivals and lead humanity into a new era.

**Highlights:** Official board game adaptation, Play against AI or up to 5 players, Online and offline multiplayer, Corporate Era variant, Solo challenge mode, Expansions available for new content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Original Promo Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Terraforming Mars - Prelude | $3.99 | one-time |
| Hellas & Elysium | $3.99 | one-time |
| Venus Next | $3.99 | one-time |
| Colonies | $3.99 | one-time |
| Big Box Promo Pack | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faithful adaptation of board game
- 👍 Great UI and animations
- 🕹️ Smooth solo gameplay
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🕹️ Unreliable multiplayer experience
- 🕰️ Long load times to resume games
- 🤯 Confusing multiplayer features
- 🤖 Weak AI opponents

**Reported bugs**

- Science tags not counted properly
- Power infrastructure card not functioning
- Inability to place tiles in some cases
- Saved games not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Undo button for actions
- Ability to see final game metrics
- Notifications for turn updates
- Ability to track win/loss records
- More expansion content


### Root Board Game

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-board-game/id1439262206)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · Board, #31 Top Paid · Strategy, #86 Top Paid · Games, #135 Top Paid, #173 Top Grossing · Board (US App Store)

Experience a digital adaptation of a popular tabletop board game. Engage in strategic woodland warfare as 2 to 4 players vie for control of a vast wilderness, leading diverse factions to victory.

**Highlights:** Digital board game adaptation, Adventure and war gameplay, 2-4 player battles, Faction control mechanics, Wilderness exploration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Clockwork Expansion | $5.99 | one-time |
| Exiles & Partisans & Vagabonds | $7.99 | one-time |
| The Riverfolk Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Root: The Underworld Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Root: The Marauder Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hirelings & Landmarks | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful adaptation of the board game
- 🎨 Charming visuals and animations
- 🕹️ Smooth gameplay
- 🧠 Helpful tutorials for learning the game
- 🕹️ Great way to practice and learn the game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🕹️ AI could be improved, makes questionable decisions
- 🕹️ Lack of undo button frustrating
- 🕹️ Replaying opponent moves can be tedious
- 🕹️ Animations can be slow, need option to speed up

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes during gameplay
- Issues with async game notifications and state
- Bugs with specific faction mechanics (e.g. Vagabond)

**Requested features**

- Add undo button
- Implement option to skip/speed up opponent moves
- Include expansion factions and maps
- Add match history and player stats tracking
- Improve async game notifications and stability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Terraforming Mars free?

Terraforming Mars costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Root Board Game free?

Root Board Game costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Terraforming Mars or Root Board Game?

Root Board Game is rated higher. Terraforming Mars averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.6K ratings, while Root Board Game averages 4.9 from 5.9K ratings.

### Do Terraforming Mars or Root Board Game have ads?

Neither Terraforming Mars nor Root Board Game shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Terraforming Mars or Root Board Game?

Terraforming Mars ships an update every 3 weeks, and Root Board Game every 4 days. Most recently, Terraforming Mars was updated on November 1, 2026 and Root Board Game on October 30, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Terraforming Mars or Root Board Game?

Terraforming Mars currently peaks at #35 in the App Store charts, and Root Board Game at #8. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*