Comparison

Cartographers vs Mindbug Online

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

Head to head
About

Cartographers

Become a royal cartographer tasked with mapping newly reclaimed lands for the Kingdom of Nalos. Fulfill royal edicts, strategically draw your territory, and outmaneuver rival outposts to gain the most reputation. Experience this tactical flip & write game digitally with multiple modes and global leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Map reclaimed northern lands
  • Fulfill royal edicts
  • Outmaneuver rival outposts
  • Tactical flip & write gameplay
  • Multiple game modes
  • Global weekly highscorelists
  • Collect achievements
Features
Read full description

The official Flip & Write companion to the board game hit! Step into the shoes of a royal cartographer and surveyor commissioned by Queen Gimnax. Your mission: explore, stake out, and immortalize the wild northern lands on parchment. In this strategic card game, you decide how to shape your territory—but beware: you are not alone in the wilderness! An Epic Adventure in the Roll Player Universe Cartographers brings the fascinating mechanics of the modern board game directly to your smartphone. Experience the tactical Flip & Write principle that has thrilled critics and fans worldwide and was nominated for the prestigious Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseur Game of the Year) in 2020. Strategy Through Ever-Changing Decrees At the heart of this board game are four royal decrees. These are recombined in every match, making each game a unique puzzle. You must constantly adapt your strategy to squeeze the maximum score out of your lands: Diverse Scoring: Earn fame through the Gloomy Wood by skillfully enclosing forest patches, or use the Golden Granary to place farm fields on valuable ruins. Tactical Placement: In the Magician's Valley, score points by placing water and farmland near mighty mountains. Every hamlet and settlement must be cleverly planned to meet the Queen’s shifting demands. Seasonal Cycle: Priorities change through Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Only those who plan ahead will be named Master Cartographer at the end of the year. The Gameplay is Simple Flip: Each round, a new card is revealed, showing you landscapes and shapes. Write: Skillfully place these areas on your map. Use the space optimally to fulfill the conditions of the decrees. Score: Collect valuable reputation points, but watch out for monster ambushes! Monsters in the Borderlands A cartographer must be brave! The monsters never sleep. At regular intervals, you will encounter ambushes that thwart your plans. Monster fields will be discovered on your map—surround them quickly to minimize the damage to your reputation. Why You’ll Love "Cartographers": Official Adaptation: The faithful digital version of the popular board game by Thunderworks Games. Weekly Challenges: Compete with players from all over the world in global highscore lists. A new scenario awaits you every week! Three Game Modes: Choose between different difficulty levels and randomness factors—from relaxed puzzling to hardcore strategy. Achievements & Ranks: Collect achievements and rise from apprentice to legendary Royal Cartographer. Solo Fun & Competition: Perfect for a quick round in between or a deep strategic experience. Awards for the Original: 2020 – Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee 2019 – Golden Geek Best Solo Board Game Nominee 2019 – Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee 2019 – Cardboard Republic Socializer Laurel Nominee Are you ready to expand the borders of the realm? Grab your quill, draw your cards, and master the ultimate Flip & Write adventure. Whether you're a fan of board games, logic puzzles, or fantasy strategy, Cartographers offers tactical depth right in your pocket. Download the official app now and begin your journey through the northern lands!

About

Mindbug Online

Experience a unique and streamlined card battler designed by the creator of Magic: The Gathering. This skill-based dueling game features powerful cards, fast matches, and infinite strategies with a groundbreaking mechanic that lets you control opponent creatures. It's accessible yet deeply challenging, with no pay-to-win elements.

Highlights
  • Streamlined card battler mechanics
  • Skill-based dueling
  • Groundbreaking creature control
  • Fast and intense matches
  • Infinite strategic possibilities
  • No pay-to-win
Features
Read full description

Start playing Mindbug Online today - the new ultimate card battler! Mindbug distills all the excitement of strategy card games and transforms it into the most streamlined card battler of the multiverse. Accessible and fair, yet extremely challenging and deep. Mindbug is a skill-based dueling card game that feels utterly different from all the other card games you've played before. From Richard Garfield – Creator of Magic the Gathering With Richard Garfield (Creator of Magic: The Gathering) as one of the designers, this game has been designed with more than 30 years of card game experience and combined with a groundbreaking and innovative new game mechanic. Crazy Card Abilities – OMG this is OP In Mindbug, each card is insanely powerful. There are no weak cards, and it feels like all your options are completely overpowered. Every single decision in this game matters. Turn the tables with a single move. It’s all up to you and your skill. Fast and Intense Matches A game of Mindbug can be played in less than 5 minutes, making it perfect for when you have a few minutes to spare. But don’t be fooled by its quickness – the strategic depth will blow your mind. Infinite Strategies Even though Mindbug is extremely easy to learn, the game will keep surprising you with new and exciting challenges and combos. The unique Mindbug mechanic allows you to control your opponents’ creatures and leads to unique decision-making that requires even veteran card game players to adjust their traditional playstyle. Not a collectible card game – No Pay to win! Mindbug is not a trading card game. There are no loot boxes, no random cards, and no pay-to-win. If you buy a card set, you can play with it as much as you want. What are you waiting for earthling? Show your incredible skill and turn your opponents’ strongest creatures into your own advantage! Play Mindbug Online Now!

Screenshots

Cartographers4 screens
Mindbug Online4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Mindbug Online at Free against Cartographers's $3.99. Mindbug Online also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.3) and review sentiment (64% vs 36%). Cartographers's advantage is chart position (#57 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Mindbug Online is free to download; Cartographers costs $3.99 up front. Cartographers sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Mindbug Online sells 21 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mindbug Online holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 113 and 42 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Cartographers's written reviews are positive against 64% of Mindbug Online's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cartographers ships an update every 3 months, Mindbug Online every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Cartographers versus Mindbug Online: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCartographersMindbug Online
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.3 (113 ratings)4.7 (42 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.2% of reviews63.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings113 — better42
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#57 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB1.7 GB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBrettspielWeltKissaki Studios

Customer experience

Cartographers

All ratings113 ratings
Positive52.2%
Neutral15.9%
Negative31.9%
Written reviews163 reviews
Positive36.2%
Neutral19.6%
Negative44.2%

Mindbug Online

All ratings42 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive63.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative32.8%

User reviews

Cartographers

From 113 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Faithful adaptation of the board game
  • 🚀 Great solo experience
  • 💡 Helpful visual cues for gameplay

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
  • 🔒 Login and account issues
  • 🔋 Performance and battery drain problems
  • 👎 Lacking key features like multiplayer

Mindbug Online

From 42 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Excellent game
  • ⚖️ Balanced gameplay
  • 🔍 Depth and strategy
  • 💰 Fair monetization
  • 🕹️ Enjoyable gameplay

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🕰️ Slow animations
  • 🤖 Inconsistent AI
  • 🔍 Lack of customization
  • 🔒 Poor customer support

Bugs and requests

Cartographers

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game freezes and crashes
  • Incorrect tile placement and scoring
  • Inconsistent save/resume functionality
  • Registration and login problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add online/local multiplayer modes
  • Implement undo/rollback functionality
  • Improve tutorial and in-game help
  • Add support for expansions and new maps

Mindbug Online

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Tutorial issues
  • Infinite battle loop
  • Purchasing issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to pick opponents
  • Faster gameplay option
  • More customization options

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cartographers

One-time1
  • Cartographers Heroes$1.99
21 purchases

Mindbug Online

One-time21
  • 300 Gold$0.99
  • 1000 Gold$2.99
  • 500 DNA$4.99
Show 18 more
  • Battlefruit Kingdom Set$8.99
  • Beyond Evolution Set$8.99
  • Beyond Eternity Set$8.99
  • Mr Green Reward Path$8.99
  • Mr Pink Season Pass$8.99
  • First Contact Set + Add-On$8.99
  • 5000 Gold$11.99
  • Battlefruit Galaxy + Mindbugs$12.99
  • Mindbug x King of Tokyo Card Set$12.99
  • Battlefruit Kingdom + Mindbugs$12.99
  • Christmas Bundle$14.99
  • FC Set + Mr Green$14.99
  • First Contact Bundle$14.99
  • 2400 DNA$19.99
  • Battlefruit + Both Mindbugs$22.99
  • FC Set + Mr Pink + Mr Green$22.99
  • 20000 Gold$34.99
  • 6000 DNA$49.99

Questions

Is Cartographers free?
Cartographers costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Mindbug Online free?
Mindbug Online is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cartographers or Mindbug Online?
Mindbug Online is rated higher. Cartographers averages 3.3 out of 5 from 113 ratings, while Mindbug Online averages 4.7 from 42 ratings.
Do Cartographers or Mindbug Online have ads?
Neither Cartographers nor Mindbug Online shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cartographers or Mindbug Online?
Cartographers ships an update every 3 months, and Mindbug Online every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cartographers was updated on October 17, 2026 and Mindbug Online on October 15, 2026.

Other comparisons