Comparison

Root Board Game vs Walk on Thin Ice

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

Head to head
About

Root Board Game

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
Read full description

Play the digital adaptation of the beloved tabletop board game. Root is a game of adventure and war where 2 to 4 players battle for control of a vast wilderness. The nefarious Marquise de Cat has seized the great woodland, intent on harvesting its riches. Under her rule, the many creatures of the forest have banded together. This Alliance will seek to strengthen its resources and subvert the rule of Cats. In this effort, the Alliance may enlist the help of the wandering Vagabonds who are able to move through the more dangerous woodland paths. Though some may sympathize with the Alliance’s hopes and dreams, these wanderers are old enough to remember the great birds of prey who once controlled the woods. Meanwhile, at the edge of the region, the proud, squabbling Eyrie have found a new commander who they hope will lead their faction to resume their ancient birthright. The stage is set for a contest that will decide the fate of the great woodland. It is up to the players to decide which group will ultimately take root.

About

Walk on Thin Ice

Features
Read full description

You're an explorer stranded on a frozen lake, and the only way home is a ship somewhere ahead of you. There's just one problem: every tile you step on starts to crack, and after enough cracks it melts into open water. Walk somewhere once, and you might be walking there for the last time. Walk on Thin Ice is a minimalist puzzle game about planning your own escape route before you seal it off yourself. Every level is a small grid, a handful of moves, and one goal — but the ice remembers everywhere you've been, and a path that looks safe on your first step can strand you three moves later. DAILY PUZZLE A new puzzle every day of the year, 365 in all. Open the calendar, pick a day, and get an optional reminder that takes you straight to that day's puzzle. HOW TO PLAY - Move one tile at a time — up, down, left, or right — by swiping or tapping an adjacent tile. Tap a farther tile instead and you'll walk the whole path there in one go. - Every tile cracks a little more each time you step onto it. After a few cracks, it turns to water — stand on it when that happens, and you're done. - Reach the ship to complete the level. Fewer moves earns more stars. - Made a mistake? Undo up to 5 moves, or restart the level from scratch. HAZARDS - Rock — blocks your path outright, unless you're carrying a pickaxe to mine through it. - Fire — cracks every tile around it, every single turn, whether you're nearby or not. - Wind — sweeps you one or more extra tiles in the direction it's blowing, cracking everything it carries you across. Ride it right and it's a shortcut; misjudge it and it's how you strand yourself. GEAR - Pickaxe — a one-time use that breaks through a single rock. - Snowshoes — four charges that stop badly-cracked ice from cracking any further while you cross it. - Compass — once you've found it, a needle on your HUD always points the way to the ship, even across ice you haven't explored yet. - SOS flare — some crossings hide the ship until you signal for it; find the flare and it appears. - CO2 canister — freezes a crumbling tile rock-solid right before it would've dropped you into the water, three uses per canister. - Wooden scraps — build a permanent bridge across open water, one plank at a time. - Ski poles — plant them once and the wind can crack the ice under you, but it can't push you around anymore. ANIMALS Arctic animals are hiding across the six expeditions: foxes and owls, reindeer and polar bears, seals, walruses, orcas and more. Step onto one on the ice and it slips away, leaving fresh ice behind. Animals out on the water need a wooden-scraps plank to reach: bridge over and they are free. Expeditions bundle levels into themed sets with their own painted landscape, difficulty curve, star ratings, and achievements to unlock as you go. Later expeditions branch — choose a path, discover a dead end or two along the way, and every branch you've found stays open for next time. No timers, no penalties for thinking — just you, the ice, and the choices you can't take back. Play your way: on iPad in landscape, the level list and the live puzzle sit side by side. Prefer a different look? Switch to the Anime tile theme in Settings.

Screenshots

Root Board Game4 screens
Walk on Thin Ice4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Walk on Thin Ice at Free against Root Board Game's $9.99. Root Board Game's advantage is chart position (#10 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Walk on Thin Ice is free to download; Root Board Game costs $9.99 up front. Root Board Game sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Walk on Thin Ice sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Root Board Game versus Walk on Thin Ice: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRoot Board GameWalk on Thin Ice
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (5.9K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings5.9K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#10 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size505 MB240 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperDire Wolf Digitalyury chebiryak

Bugs and requests

Root Board Game

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

6 requests
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Add more customization options for game setup

Walk on Thin Ice

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Root Board Game

One-time6
  • The Clockwork Expansion$5.99
  • Exiles & Partisans & Vagabonds$7.99
  • The Riverfolk Expansion$9.99
Show 3 more
  • Root: The Underworld Expansion$9.99
  • Root: The Marauder Expansion$9.99
  • Hirelings & Landmarks$9.99
3 purchases

Walk on Thin Ice

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is Root Board Game free?
Root Board Game costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Walk on Thin Ice free?
Walk on Thin Ice is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Root Board Game or Walk on Thin Ice have ads?
Neither Root Board Game nor Walk on Thin Ice shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Root Board Game or Walk on Thin Ice?
Root Board Game ships an update every 4 days, and Walk on Thin Ice every 4 days. Most recently, Root Board Game was updated on October 26, 2026 and Walk on Thin Ice on October 20, 2026.

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