# Cards +1 vs Nova Island

Cards +1 and Nova Island both sit at 4.2 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Cards +1's written reviews are positive against 60% of Nova Island's. Cards +1 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 68) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). Nova Island's advantage is ratings volume (237 vs 5). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nova Island sells 66 one-off in-app purchases. Cards +1 asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Cards +1 against 4.3 for Nova Island. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nova Island has 237 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Cards +1's written reviews are positive against 60% of Nova Island's.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cards +1 | Nova Island |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cards-plus-1/id1421739142/reviews) | **[4.3 (237 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-island/id1526357111/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **237** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 60.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | — | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 262 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Christophe Coyard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1411999676) | [Thirteen Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526357113) |

## What reviewers say

### Cards +1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cards-plus-1/id1421739142)

Tap cards to increase their value and create combinations. Strategically use special cards to extend your gameplay and achieve higher scores. This free puzzle game offers simple mechanics with surprising depth.

**Highlights:** Tap cards to increase value, Create card combinations, Strategic gameplay, Special cards with unique effects, Score-based progression, Completely free

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Nova Island

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-island/id1526357111)

Engage in strategic card battles with cute anime-inspired characters. Collect friends, powers, and skins while competing in PvP matches or embarking on an adventure. Build decks and master unique playstyles.

**Highlights:** Collectible card battles, Strategic deck building, PvP and PvE modes, Character collection, Cosmetic customization, Daily challenges, Draft mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (66)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 90 Island Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| Researcher’s Starter Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Bundle 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Bundle 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 4th Anniversary Emotes Bundle1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Halloween Juice Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| Max Halloween Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| Artillery Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Doodle Branehart Emote | $0.99 | one-time |
| 75 Island Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Power Outage Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Researcher's Starter Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Boiz Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Rerun Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sprynk Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hackmaster Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Escape Pod Activate | $1.99 | one-time |
| Novas Special BF | $1.99 | one-time |
| Food Emote Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cosmicosi Legendary Skin | $1.99 | one-time |
| Cannonball Level Up | $1.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Party Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mage Rerun | $2.99 | one-time |
| Oddball Filthy Clean Skin | $2.99 | one-time |
| Giving Tree Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |
| Giving Tree Level Up | $2.99 | one-time |
| New Season Novium Special | $2.99 | one-time |
| Greenhouse Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Daily Login Bonus | $3.99 | one-time |
| Rainbow Gemma Skin | $3.99 | one-time |
| Gemma Activate | $3.99 | one-time |
| EOY Winter Skins 2024 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Sparki | $3.99 | one-time |
| Nova Tree Giving Tree | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cosmicosi Activate | $3.99 | one-time |
| Crystal Kitten | $3.99 | one-time |
| Arcade Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ghost Blazer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Candy Weade | $3.99 | one-time |
| Frankenjazzy | $3.99 | one-time |
| 575 Island Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| ULTIMATE Welcome Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Party Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bloom King BC Special | $4.99 | one-time |
| 80s Sparki | $4.99 | one-time |
| Observatory Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 225 Island Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| Intranet Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Activation Starter Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| One Cent and IP | $6.99 | one-time |
| Khrys and Flutter | $6.99 | one-time |
| Crystal Cats | $8.99 | one-time |
| 1175 Island Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| Nova Tree Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle 5 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Boost Pack C | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hooligan Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Boost Pack B | $9.99 | one-time |
| 480 Island Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ancient 9 Skins | $14.99 | one-time |
| EOY Credits Special 2024 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Island Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| Super Boost Pack C | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1020 Island Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2155 Island Credits | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 Appealing art style and animations
- 💰 Completely free-to-play, no pay-to-win
- 🕹️ Engaging strategic depth
- 🌟 Underrated and deserves more attention

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎲 Excessive reliance on RNG
- 🔁 Repetitive and swingy gameplay
- 🕰️ Slow progression and grindy unlock system
- ⚖️ Unbalanced card/character power levels
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and connectivity issues

**Reported bugs**

- Soft-locking tutorial
- Inconsistent performance on some devices

**Requested features**

- Offline mode or paid full version
- Ability to play with friends
- More character/card customization options
- Improved tutorial and onboarding experience


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cards +1 free?

Cards +1 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Nova Island free?

Nova Island is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cards +1 or Nova Island?

Nova Island is rated higher. Cards +1 averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Nova Island averages 4.3 from 237 ratings.

### Do Cards +1 or Nova Island have ads?

Neither Cards +1 nor Nova Island shows ads.

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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.*