Comparison

Cartographers vs Parlor

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

Parlor

This app brings the fun of game night to your phone with a variety of social games, including detective mysteries and party classics. It's designed for groups to interact, laugh, and collaborate, offering immersive experiences with custom clues and puzzles.

Highlights
  • Instant party games
  • Immersive mystery experiences
  • Face-to-face group interaction
  • Easy hosting and customization
  • Custom clues with photos and AR
  • Social deduction and creative games
Features
Read full description

Your Pocket Game Night Parlor brings the best parts of game night to your phone. From detective mysteries to party classics, play social games that get everyone talking, laughing, and working together—anywhere, anytime. INSTANT PARTY GAMES Jump into quick social games perfect for any group—bluffing games, creative challenges, deduction puzzles, and more. Fast party games where you bluff, guess, deduce, and debate. No setup, no cleanup, just pure fun. MYSTERIES THAT COME ALIVE Host immersive experiences where your space becomes the game board. Print evidence, and take images to hide clues in real locations, unlock puzzles by scanning objects, and watch friends piece together the mystery. BUILT FOR GROUPS Every game is designed to get people interacting face-to-face. Share theories, vote together, collaborate on puzzles, call out bluffs. Whether you're hosting or playing, everyone's engaged. EASY TO HOST, MAGIC TO PLAY Setting up takes minutes. Choose a game, customize if you want, and invite your crew. Hosts can monitor progress and drop hints in real-time. Players just experience the magic unfolding through their phones. WHAT YOU CAN PLAY - Fast party games for casual hangouts - Social deduction and creative games - Full mystery experiences with interconnected puzzles - Custom clues using photos, videos, sounds, PDFs, and AR Parlor brings people together for memorable, flexible, social fun. Download Parlor. Game night starts now. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://fuyulabs.com/parlor/privacy.html End User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Roadmap - NFC: coming soon. - Ability to create your own stories: coming eventually.

Screenshots

Cartographers4 screens
Parlor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Parlor at Free against Cartographers's $3.99. Parlor also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). Cartographers's advantage is ratings volume (122 vs 1) and chart position (#75 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Parlor is free to download; Cartographers costs $3.99 up front. Cartographers sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Parlor sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Parlor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cartographers has 122 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cartographers ships an update every 3 months, Parlor every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Cartographers versus Parlor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCartographersParlor
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (122 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings122 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#75 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB95 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperBrettspielWeltTifany Pan

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

Parlor

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cartographers

One-time1
  • Cartographers Heroes$1.99
3 purchases

Parlor

One-time3
  • Who Stole My Matcha$3.99
  • The Retrospector$5.99
  • The Rift$5.99

Questions

Is Cartographers free?
Cartographers costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Parlor free?
Parlor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cartographers or Parlor?
Parlor is rated higher. Cartographers averages 3.4 out of 5 from 122 ratings, while Parlor averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Cartographers or Parlor have ads?
Neither Cartographers nor Parlor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cartographers or Parlor?
Cartographers ships an update every 3 months, and Parlor every 4 days. Most recently, Cartographers was updated on November 7, 2026 and Parlor on October 30, 2026.

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