# Hero Realms vs Root Board Game

The clearest difference is price: Hero Realms at Free against Root Board Game's $9.99. Root Board Game's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (5.9K vs 219). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Hero Realms is free to download; Root Board Game costs $9.99 up front. Hero Realms sells 13 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 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Root Board Game has 5.9K ratings behind it against 219, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Hero Realms's written reviews are positive against 77% of Root Board Game's.

Hero Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, Root Board Game every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hero Realms | Root Board Game |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (219 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-realms/id1396367189/reviews) | **[4.9 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-board-game/id1439262206/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 219 | **5.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 60.2% of reviews | **77.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#10** |
| Size | 432 MB | 505 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [White Wizard Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/893447128) | [Dire Wolf Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/815343758) |

## What reviewers say

### Hero Realms

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hero-realms/id1396367189)

Engage in strategic deckbuilding combat, recruiting champions and using gold to acquire new cards. Battle opponents online or cooperatively against AI, with a single-player campaign available. Level up your hero and unlock new classes and missions.

**Highlights:** Deckbuilding combat, Recruit champions, Online PVP, Cooperative online play, Single player campaign, Hero leveling system

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 80 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| 200 gems | $2.29 | one-time |
| Four Journeys Campaign | $3.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hero Realms: Call to Arms | $4.99 | one-time |
| Journeys Expansions | $4.99 | one-time |
| Journeys Promo Expansion | $4.99 | one-time |
| Dungeons Expansion | $7.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hero Realms Base Set | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6500 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| 14000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game mechanics
- 🚀 Smooth and polished app
- 💡 Diverse game modes (PvP, co-op, campaign)
- 👍 Faithful adaptation of the physical card game
- 💡 Character progression and leveling system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Lack of local multiplayer (pass-and-play)
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for additional content
- 🌐 Lack of language support (e.g., no French, Spanish)
- 🔍 Unclear tutorial and explanations of game mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to play online
- Inability to access purchased content
- Freezing and black screen issues
- Incorrect character level progression
- Matchmaking problems and long wait times

**Requested features**

- Add more expansions and additional content
- Implement a friends list and social features
- Improve the campaign mode with more levels and challenges
- Add an option to check the contents of your deck before playing
- Implement a turn timer to prevent players from stalling


### Root Board Game

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

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Paid · Board, #43 Top Paid · Strategy, #114 Top Paid · Games, #186 Top Paid, #199 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 Hero Realms free?

Hero Realms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Root Board Game free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hero Realms or Root Board Game?

Root Board Game is rated higher. Hero Realms averages 4.3 out of 5 from 219 ratings, while Root Board Game averages 4.9 from 5.9K ratings.

### Do Hero Realms or Root Board Game have ads?

Neither Hero Realms nor Root Board Game shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hero Realms or Root Board Game?

Hero Realms ships an update every 2 weeks, and Root Board Game every 4 days. Most recently, Hero Realms was updated on October 21, 2026 and Root Board Game on October 22, 2026.

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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.*