Comparison

Terraforming Assistant vs Ice House 42

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

Head to head
About

Terraforming Assistant

This app acts as a digital player mat for the board game Terraforming Mars. It automates game setup, tracks resources and tag counts, and allows you to review and restore game states.

Highlights
  • Automatic generation advancement adjustments
  • Automatic resource setup by corporation
  • View transaction history
  • Restore game state
  • Track tag counts
Features
Read full description

Replace your physical Terraforming Mars player mat with this easy to use tool. Features include: - Automatic generation advancement adjustments - Automatic resource setup by corporation (including all expansion and promo corporations) - View history of all transactions/adjustments - Restore game state to any point in history - Track tag counts Terraforming Assistant is an unofficial companion to the board game Terraforming Mars. Terraforming Mars is the creation of FryxGames and Stronghold Games. Special thanks to Steven Hunnicutt and https://icons8.com/.

About

Ice House 42

Experience authentic Texas 42 dominoes on your iPhone and iPad. This game features true double-six domino play with full bidding and trump selection. It includes AI opponents and partner, plus customizable house rules for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Authentic double-six domino play
  • Full bidding and trump selection
  • AI partner and opponents
  • Customizable house rules
  • Offline play
  • Tutorials and trick review
Features
Read full description

Welcome to the ice house. Ice House 42 is authentic Texas 42, the beloved trick-taking game played with a double-six domino set, not cards. Built for iPhone and iPad. Bid, name your trump, and team up with your AI partner to outsmart AI opponents that make you earn every mark. NEW TO 42? START WITH 42 SCHOOL Learn the game before the family gets together. 42 School is free inside the app: seven short lessons that take you from your first domino to playing a full hand, with quick practice questions after every new idea. - Meet the Dominoes: pips, doubles, and why every domino belongs to two suits - The Goal and the Count: tricks, the count dominoes, 42 points, and marks - Leading and Following - Trump: how to spot every trump in your hand - The Auction: what a bid promises, the 30 minimum, and when to pass - Play a Hand - Winning Habits Texas 42 has been played at kitchen tables and ice houses across Texas for over a century. We built Ice House 42 to honor it: every rule done right, wrapped in brass, felt, and a little neon. THE GAME - Double-six domino play; 7 tricks, 42 points, first partnership to 7 marks wins - Full bidding and trump selection (blanks through sixes, doubles, and follow-me) - A partner and two opponents driven by AI that bids, reads the table, and punishes mistakes EVERY HOUSE RULE - Special contracts: Splash, Plunge, and Sevens - Nello in all three flavors: doubles high, low, and suited - Forced-bid and tournament (no forced bid) options - Turn variants on and off to match the way your family plays BUILT TO LEARN AND MASTER - 42 School: seven free lessons for brand-new players - A full Rulebook for quick reference - Trick Review to study every hand after it's played - Statistics tracking your bids, contracts, and defensive record over time PLAY YOUR WAY - Beautiful in both portrait and landscape, on iPhone and iPad - Plays offline. No account required. - Made for newcomers and old hands alike Whether you grew up playing 42 or you're picking up your first domino, pull up a stool. The table's set.

Screenshots

Terraforming Assistant4 screens
Ice House 424 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Terraforming Assistant at none against Ice House 42's 1. Terraforming Assistant also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.9 vs 4.4). Ice House 42's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). On price, ratings volume, 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. Ice House 42 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Terraforming Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Terraforming Assistant holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Terraforming Assistant's written reviews are positive against 75% of Ice House 42's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Terraforming Assistant ships an update every 6 months, Ice House 42 weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Terraforming Assistant versus Ice House 42: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTerraforming AssistantIce House 42
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (28 ratings) — better4.4 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews94.4% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings28 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlan YouAldridge Operations, LLC

Customer experience

Terraforming Assistant

All ratings28 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral3.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive94.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative0.0%

Ice House 42

All ratings17 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral11.8%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Terraforming Assistant

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Ice House 42

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$9.99

Questions

Is Terraforming Assistant free?
Terraforming Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ice House 42 free?
Ice House 42 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Terraforming Assistant or Ice House 42?
Terraforming Assistant is rated higher. Terraforming Assistant averages 4.9 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while Ice House 42 averages 4.4 from 17 ratings.
Do Terraforming Assistant or Ice House 42 have ads?
Ice House 42 shows ads; Terraforming Assistant does not.
Which is updated more often, Terraforming Assistant or Ice House 42?
Terraforming Assistant ships an update every 6 months, and Ice House 42 weekly. Most recently, Terraforming Assistant was updated on November 2, 2026 and Ice House 42 on November 10, 2026.

Other comparisons