Comparison

Neuroshima Hex vs Cthulhu Realms

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

Head to head
About

Neuroshima Hex

Engage in tactical warfare in a post-apocalyptic world. Choose from four unique factions and battle opponents in a fast-paced, strategic game. Play solo against AI or challenge others in asynchronous multiplayer.

Highlights
  • 4 unique factions with distinct strategies
  • Single-player vs AI
  • Asynchronous cross-platform multiplayer
  • 3 AI difficulty levels
  • In-game tutorial and manual
  • Based on the tabletop board game
Features
Read full description

Control an army struggling for survival in the post-apocalyptic world. Choose one of the 4 unique factions—Moloch, Borgo, The Outpost, The Hegemony—and defeat your opponent in tactical warfare. Play solo against an AI opponent or against a human player in an asynchronous cross-platform multiplayer mode. Prove that you have what it takes to survive: March with the machines of Moloch, leading its army toward setting the new world order. Become Borgo and unite the forces of the mutants who spread terror in the wastelands. Lead The Outpost, humanity's last and only hope, and try to beat the machines in against-the-odds guerrilla warfare. Be the boss of The Hegemony, a land of gangers uncaring about the fate of others, living only for violence and their mad entertainment. Neuroshima Hex is a fast paced, tactical game for 1 or 2 players based on the well known tabletop board game by the same name. The game has been published in 8 languages and enjoyed by fans all over the world. Throughout the years, it has been steadily developed by Portal Games, and now offers as many as 19 different armies. In May 2007 Neuroshima Hex was awarded a special jury distinction for the Best Polish Designer Game published in 2006. FEATURES - Official Neuroshima Hex game with original artwork - 4 different armies with unique strategies (other armies will be made available for purchase with future updates of the app) - For 1 or 2 players - Asynchronous cross-platform multiplayer mode - 3 AI difficulty levels - In-game tutorial & manual - Tons of gameplay - Easy to learn, hard to master Previous version of the Neuroshima Hex app gained a lot of recognition: AWARDS: "iOS Game of the Year" Game Shark "Best Card/Board Game - Runner Up" TouchGen PRESS QUOTES: "With great production values the board game has been translated to perfection." TouchGen (9/10, Editor's Choice) "Would I Buy Again: Absolutely." What's On iPhone (9/10) "Neuroshima Hex is a board game that almost seems like it was destined for the App Store […]" App Spy (4/5) "Neuroshima Hex is hard not to recommend" Games Uncovered (Grade: 'Great') "Creative game world; deep strategy" Slide To Play (3/4) "It's a deeply satisfying game that forces you to have a tactical mind in order to win, and it's incredibly fulfilling when you do." GameZebo (4/5)

About

Cthulhu Realms

This digital card game challenges players to drive opponents insane or maintain more sanity than them by the end of the deck. It features comical art and strategic deck-building mechanics, offering a free-to-play experience with an optional upgrade for expanded features and online play.

Highlights
  • Deck-building mechanics
  • Sanity-based win conditions
  • Comical horror art
  • AI opponent
  • Campaign missions
  • Online multiplayer
  • Pass and Play mode
Features
Read full description

Star Realms has gone insane! Introducing Cthulhu Realms! Are you zany enough to play the crazier and creepier cousin of Star Realms? Download and play today to find out why Cthulhu Realms is so crazily addictive! In Cthulhu Realms, each player tries to drive their opponent insane or have more sanity than their opponents when the deck runs out. "The art in Cthulhu Realms is hilarious and beautifully done, somehow complimenting the horror theme perfectly. The production value is top-notch." — Gameosity "It’s a surprisingly effective package that delivers a great little deck builder with a low price tag. If you can embrace the playful theme, you’ll find a pleasant gem in Cthulhu Realms." — Geek Ken "It certainly is not just another deck-building game, but has original and fresh mechanics that will challenge your brain." — Board Game Maniac How to Play the Game: Each player starts the game with a small deck comprised of initiates, goons and followers. Five cards from the deck form a row of available cards on the table; with more than two players, place three available cards between each pair of players. Each turn, you start with five cards in hand, playing those cards in order to put locations into play, boost your own sanity or reduce that of others, collect conjuring power to acquire new cards, and remove cards from the game. You can use the power of your locations once each turn. At the end of your turn, discard any cards still in hand and all entities and artifacts that you played. If you lose all of your sanity, you're out of the game. If you're the only one at the table who's still sane, you win. Otherwise, the game ends when the deck runs out and whoever has the most sanity wins. Darwin Kastle is the designer of the popular Star Realms Deckbuilding Game, and with the digital release of Cthulhu Realms, he once again provides tons of playability for free, and a one-time upgrade to be able play with your friends and more on any device. Free Version • Drive people insane everywhere - play across devices. • Crazyily addictive deckbuilding game. • Tutorial teaches you how to make people crazy in minutes. • Awesome, comical art. • Play VS the AI. • 8 silly campaign missions! Full Game Additional Features • Play the AI on 2 different difficulty settings. • 8 more fun campaign missions. • Battle your friends face to face with Pass and Play. • Play against many more opponents online. • Challenge a friend to online Player v Player combat Cthulhu Realms is also available at your local game store as a physical card game from Tasty Minstrel Games.

Screenshots

Neuroshima Hex4 screens
Cthulhu Realms3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Cthulhu Realms at Free against Neuroshima Hex's $6.99. Neuroshima Hex's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 38%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

Cthulhu Realms is free to download; Neuroshima Hex costs $6.99 up front. Neuroshima Hex sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Cthulhu Realms sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cthulhu Realms holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 73 and 64 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Neuroshima Hex's written reviews are positive against 38% of Cthulhu Realms's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Neuroshima Hex ships an update every 2 weeks, Cthulhu Realms every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Neuroshima Hex versus Cthulhu Realms: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeuroshima HexCthulhu Realms
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating3.0 (73 ratings)3.2 (64 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better37.6% of reviews
Number of ratings73 — better64
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size208 MB206 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperPortal GamesWhite Wizard Games

Customer experience

Neuroshima Hex

All ratings73 ratings
Positive46.6%
Neutral5.5%
Negative47.9%
Written reviews1,005 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative18.7%

Cthulhu Realms

All ratings64 ratings
Positive46.9%
Neutral9.4%
Negative43.8%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive37.6%
Neutral11.8%
Negative50.6%

User reviews

Neuroshima Hex

From 73 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent strategy game
  • 👍 Great implementation of board game
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Intuitive controls
  • 👍 Challenging AI

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🐛 Slow AI turns
  • 🔒 Missing online multiplayer
  • 👎 Expensive in-app purchases for new armies
  • 👎 Cluttered UI

Cthulhu Realms

From 64 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun gameplay
  • 👍 Humorous storyline
  • 👍 Cool art
  • 👍 Good digital version
  • 👍 Enjoyable card game

Room to improve

  • 😞 Confusing game
  • 😞 Not fullscreen on iPad
  • 😞 Not ported to iPhone well
  • 😞 In-app purchase not on all devices
  • 😞 Extremely complicated

Bugs and requests

Neuroshima Hex

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Inability to discard tiles
  • Incorrect scoring for certain damage
  • Broken 3 and 4 player modes
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Online multiplayer
  • Campaign or story mode
  • Ability to view unit details during gameplay
  • Restore previously purchased content
  • More balanced factions
Show 1 more
  • Faster AI turns

Cthulhu Realms

Reported bugs

43 issues
  • Not fullscreen on iPad 10
  • Words cutoff on Face ID iPhones
  • Cannot login
  • No way to contact support
  • In-app purchase says available on all devices but not so
Show 38 more
  • User name doesn't show up
  • Cannot play online
  • Cannot play missions or vs AI
  • App is completely broken
  • Tap on campaign - nothing
  • Tap on single match - nothing
  • Everything now broken
  • Update broke everything
  • Campaign, vs AI, Tutorial non-responsive
  • Stopped working
  • Update broken
  • Cannot start a game
  • June2018 update problem
  • 'Start game' button not working
  • Update broken on iPad and iPhone 7
  • Won't let me buy full version
  • Server error on online play
  • Online play has never given a match
  • UI could be improved
  • Online play implemented well
  • App badge and notifications when it is your turn
  • Game lags with perfect graphics
  • Push notifications don't appear
  • Badge notifications appear after opening app
  • Online doesn't work
  • Purchased full version, won't let me play online
  • App doesn't remember purchase
  • Constantly logging out
  • Broken, please fix
  • Bought but won't recognize it
  • Broken-purchased and won't unlock or restore
  • Still can't make the purchase for full game
  • Broke, doesn't allow purchases
  • Loses connection often
  • Notification bug
  • Bug that app doesn't remember I bought the in-app purchase
  • Keep having to rebuy the game
  • Account creation bug

Requested features

12 requests
  • More campaign content
  • More levels
  • Rank ladders for online play
  • Fix current stats
  • Turn off background movement
Show 7 more
  • Add pass & play feature
  • Improve UI for readability
  • Fix online connection issues
  • Allow real-time games with friends
  • Fix notifications
  • Allow multiple online accounts per purchase
  • Fix account creation bug

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Neuroshima Hex

One-time10
  • New York$4.99
  • Smart$4.99
  • Vegas$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Steel Police$4.99
  • Mississippi$4.99
  • Neojungle$4.99
  • Dancer$4.99
  • Sharrash$4.99
  • Doomsday Machine$4.99
  • The Bundle of Five Armies$29.99
1 purchases

Cthulhu Realms

One-time1
  • Main Expansion$4.99

Questions

Is Neuroshima Hex free?
Neuroshima Hex costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Cthulhu Realms free?
Cthulhu Realms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Neuroshima Hex or Cthulhu Realms?
Cthulhu Realms is rated higher. Neuroshima Hex averages 3.0 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Cthulhu Realms averages 3.2 from 64 ratings.
Do Neuroshima Hex or Cthulhu Realms have ads?
Neither Neuroshima Hex nor Cthulhu Realms shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Neuroshima Hex or Cthulhu Realms?
Neuroshima Hex ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cthulhu Realms every 5 weeks. Most recently, Neuroshima Hex was updated on November 1, 2026 and Cthulhu Realms on November 1, 2026.

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