Comparison

Cartographers vs HexaRelic

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

HexaRelic

Features
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■ A Hex Territory Battle Over Ancient Relics HexaRelic is a turn-based strategy game for up to 4 players. Expand your territory across a stone-tablet hex grid, lock ancient relics, and outscore your rivals. 【How to Play】 Each turn, place one tile adjacent to your territory. Surround all 6 cells around a relic to trigger a Lock — earning points, expanding the board, and unlocking bonus placements. The game ends when any player completes 5 locks. The player with the highest total score at that moment wins. 【Scoring】 Majority Lock (4+ of 6 cells yours): +3 pts Full Domination (all 6 cells): +3 pts + Erosion item Chain Bonus: consecutive locks add extra points Territory score is calculated at game end — spreading wide pays off too. 【Items】 · Erosion — overwrite one enemy tile adjacent to yours · Boundary Booster — leap to any empty cell, ignoring adjacency · Mining Drone — converts a minority lock into +1 pt automatically Knowing when to use each item is the key to victory. 【Game Modes】 · Bot Battle (Easy / Hard, up to 3 bots) · Random Match (quick online matchmaking) · Friend Battle (invite and play together) A typical match lasts 5–8 minutes — deep enough to think, short enough to replay. 【Perfect For】 · Fans of strategic tile-placement games · Players who want quick but meaningful PvP · Friends looking for a competitive mobile game together

Screenshots

Cartographers4 screens
HexaRelic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HexaRelic at none against Cartographers's 1. HexaRelic also leads on price ($1.99 vs $3.99). Cartographers's advantage is chart position (#60 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On update cadence, ads 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

Cartographers costs $3.99 and HexaRelic $1.99 up front. Cartographers sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. HexaRelic asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cartographers ships an update every 3 months, HexaRelic every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Cartographers versus HexaRelic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCartographersHexaRelic
Price$3.99$1.99 — better
Rating3.4 (120 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews36.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings120 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#60 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB34 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBrettspielwelt GmbHryogo shimizu

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

HexaRelic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cartographers

One-time1
  • Cartographers Heroes$1.99
None

HexaRelic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cartographers free?
Cartographers costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is HexaRelic free?
HexaRelic costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cartographers or HexaRelic have ads?
Neither Cartographers nor HexaRelic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cartographers or HexaRelic?
Cartographers ships an update every 3 months, and HexaRelic every 2 months. Most recently, Cartographers was updated on October 27, 2026 and HexaRelic on October 25, 2026.

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