# Terraforming Assistant vs Ice House 42

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.

Both are free to download. Ice House 42 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Terraforming Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Terraforming Assistant | Ice House 42 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-assistant/id1419254320/reviews)** | [4.4 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ice-house-42/id6780944165/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **28** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | **94.4% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alan You](https://appshunter.io/developer/1419254319) | [Aldridge Operations, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780944167) |

## What reviewers say

### Terraforming Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-assistant/id1419254320)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ice House 42

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ice-house-42/id6780944165)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*