# Island Empire vs Cask

The clearest difference is rating: Island Empire at 4.8 against Cask's 4.2. Island Empire also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 75%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Cask's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Island Empire sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Cask sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Island Empire holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Island Empire has 152 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Island Empire's written reviews are positive against 75% of Cask's.

Island Empire ships an update every 3 weeks, Cask every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Island Empire | Cask |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (152 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/island-empire-build-and-conquer/id1552391458/reviews)** | [4.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cask/id6475903846/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **152** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **90.6% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 104 MB | 309 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Michael Haberzeth](https://appshunter.io/developer/1181364084) | [Fernando Pastor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680242377) |

## What reviewers say

### Island Empire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/island-empire-build-and-conquer/id1552391458)

Engage in a turn-based strategy game where you build and expand your island empire. Develop your economy, fortify defenses, train units, and conquer enemy territories through a campaign or multiplayer battles. Enjoy offline play and customizable maps.

**Highlights:** Turn-based strategy gameplay, Empire building and expansion, Economic development and defense, Unit training and conquest, Weekly challenges and random maps, Map editor for custom gameplay, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coins XS | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coins S | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mapeditor | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coins M | $3.99 | one-time |
| Island 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Island 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coins L | $7.99 | one-time |
| Full Game | $8.99 | one-time |
| Coins XL | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great strategy game
- 💡 Challenging and strategic
- 👍 Simple yet complex gameplay
- 👍 Worth paying for
- 👍 Good user-generated content

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Ads can be intrusive
- ⚠️ Difficulty spikes suddenly
- ⚠️ Some users report saving issues
- ⚠️ User-created levels disappearing
- ⚠️ Lack of iCloud backup

**Reported bugs**

- Advertising is now mandatory for some
- Ad to simply go back to the main menu
- Saving issues in battle mode
- User created levels disappearing
- Doesn't show when a user level is completed

**Requested features**

- Save user-generated maps
- Modify user-generated maps
- More buildings and mechanics
- Hardcore mode
- Score system for replayability


### Cask

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cask/id6475903846)

Build a nation from scratch in this real-time strategy game. Collect resources, construct buildings, train armies, and conquer vast continents in engaging 30-minute sessions.

**Highlights:** Resource collection (wood, food, gold), Nation building from scratch, Army training (knights, archers), Real-time strategy combat, Casual 30-minute gameplay sessions, Conquer vast continents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Map Pathways | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tiny Islands | $0.99 | one-time |
| Europe | $1.99 | one-time |
| Latin America | $1.99 | one-time |
| USA | $1.99 | one-time |
| All Maps | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Island Empire free?

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

### Is Cask free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Island Empire or Cask?

Island Empire is rated higher. Island Empire averages 4.8 out of 5 from 152 ratings, while Cask averages 4.2 from 13 ratings.

### Do Island Empire or Cask have ads?

Island Empire shows ads; Cask does not.

### Which is updated more often, Island Empire or Cask?

Island Empire ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cask every 2 months. Most recently, Island Empire was updated on November 3, 2026 and Cask on November 4, 2026.

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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.*