SkullScore vs Payback Arcade
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SkullScore
This app serves as a digital scorecard for the card game Skull King. It supports player customization, multiple players, and various expansion packs, offering detailed standings to track game progress.
- Player customization
- 2-8 player support
- Rascal scoring with modifiers
- Legendary Expansion support
- Pirate abilities tracking
- Variable card counts
- Detailed standings view
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Includes support for: - Player customization - 2 to 8 players - Rascal scoring (with optional modifiers) - Legendary Expansion (White Whale, Kraken, Loot cards) - Pirate abilities - Variable card counts - Detailed standings view to see the epic comebacks and tragic chokes! - Local copy for the Skull King rules
Payback Arcade
Experience a competitive card game of insults and comebacks digitally. Practice solo to master the game, then challenge others online and climb the leaderboards to prove your punchline prowess. Enjoy fast-paced card battles optimized for mobile devices.
- Digital card game adaptation
- Solo practice mode
- Online multiplayer matches
- Leaderboards
- Optimized for phone and iPad
- Save profile and progress with Apple ID
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Payback is the fast, chaotic card game where anyone can make a comeback. Be the first to get rid of all your cards. Payback Arcade is the official app of the Payback party card game, with over 15,000 decks delivered in 50+ countries. Learn it in two minutes, then play solo against CPU opponents or online against real players. HOW TO PLAY • Play a card equal to or higher than the pile. Play pairs and triples to empty your hand faster. • Can't play? Pick up the pile, or take a chance and flip the top card of the deck. • Four of the same card in a row burns the pile, and you go again. • Clear your hand, then your face-up cards, then your face-down cards. The last three are pure blind luck. SPECIAL CARDS • Burn: destroy the pile and play again. • Ghost: pass your turn without changing the pile. • Skip: skip the next player. • Reset: drop the pile back to zero. • Mirror: send the pile back to whoever acted last. PLAY SOLO • Classic: you against three CPU players. • Duel: go one-on-one with Uncle Ronnie. • Nightmare: face tougher CPU players for bigger points. • Helpful tips in your first games teach you the rules as you play. PLAY ONLINE • Quick Play: jump straight into a match, no account needed. • Classic: the full Payback experience against real players. • Duel: prove your skill head to head. • Explosive: three matching cards in a row burn the pile. • Bullet: lightning-fast turns for quick games. • Rooms: create a room for any mode, invite friends with a code or link, and rematch instantly. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Earn a grade from D to S+ after every game. • Rank up from Bronze to Silver, Gold, Platinum, Master, and Champion. • Compare games played and win rates with the top players. Browse every card in the deck, including previews of the Dark Wizard and Mystery expansions. Want to play in person? Get the physical Payback card game from the official shop. Free to play. Sign in with Apple, create an account, or play as a guest.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Payback Arcade at 5.0 against SkullScore's 4.4. Payback Arcade also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). SkullScore's advantage is ratings volume (41 vs 3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. SkullScore sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Payback Arcade asks for nothing beyond the download.
Payback Arcade holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkullScore has 41 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of SkullScore's written reviews are positive against 100% of Payback Arcade's.
SkullScore ships an update every 3 weeks, Payback Arcade every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SkullScore | Payback Arcade |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (41 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 41 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zac Johnson | Great Guy Games, LLC |
Customer experience
SkullScore
Payback Arcade
In-app purchases
SkullScore
- Small Tip$0.99
- Medium Tip$2.99
- Large$4.99
Payback Arcade
No in-app purchases
