Comparison

Game Buzzer vs Istanbul

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

Head to head
About

Game Buzzer

Host your own game shows or trivia nights with this head-to-head buzzer app. It features an answer timer and scorekeeping to manage competitive play.

Highlights
  • Head-to-head buzzer functionality
  • Answer timer
  • Score keeping
  • Game show hosting
  • Pub trivia support
  • VS game racing
Features
Currently charting
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Head to head game buzzer complete with answer timer and score keeping capabilities. Great for hosting your own gameshow, pub trivia or any vs game that requires a race to buzz in first!

About

Istanbul

Compete as a merchant to collect rubies by trading goods and managing assistants across a bustling bazaar. Strategically move your merchant and assistants through various locations, each offering unique actions. Plan your moves carefully to outmaneuver opponents and achieve victory in this acclaimed board game adaptation.

Highlights
  • Collect rubies by trading goods
  • Manage merchant and assistants
  • Explore 16 bazaar locations
  • Increase wheelbarrow capacity
  • Acquire special abilities
  • Play against AI or friends
  • Cross-platform online multiplayer
Features
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The official digital adaptation of one of the best board games in history – Istanbul. Istanbul is, without a doubt, one of the best board games to have ever been published. The long list of its awards and honors speaks for itself: 2015 Nederlandse Spellenprijs Best Expert Game Nominee 2014 Swiss Gamers Award Winner 2014 Meeples' Choice Nominee 2014 Kennerspiel des Jahres Winner 2014 International Gamers Award - General Strategy: Multi-player Nominee 2014 Hra roku Nominee 2014 Gouden Ludo Winner 2014 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee 2014 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee 2014 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee In our 2018 digital version we have maintained all of the features that made Istanbul the fan favorite that it is, but also expanded upon it with a number of tools and features only available on the digital platform. We maintained the authentic board game feeling with the convenience you can expect from an electronic device. So what is the game about? Can you be the first merchant to collect a certain number of rubies? • Run, collect and trade goods across the bazaar • Take control over your assistants • Increase your wheelbarrow capacity • Acquire special abilities to increase the advantage over your competitors • Buy rubies or trade goods for them In Istanbul, you lead a group of one merchant and his four assistants through 16 locations in the bazaar. In each such a location, you can carry out a specific action. The challenge, however, is that to take an action, you must move your merchant and an assistant there, then leave the assistant behind to handle all the details while you focus on larger matters. If you want to use that assistant again later, your merchant must return to that location to pick him up. Thus, you must plan ahead carefully to avoid being left with no assistants and thus unable to do anything… What can you expect? • Official Istanbul game - 100% original rules • Adaptation of TOP 100 board game of all time by BGG ranking • Play with AI, with friends or both • Great artwork by Andreas Resch • Languages: English, German, Dutch, Polish, French, Korean, Japanese, Chinese Simplified, Spanish • Pass and play mode • Cross-platform online multiplayer with synchronous and asynchronous modes • Opponents' last moves replay • 3 levels of difficulty AIs with individual strategies • Preset or random generated game boards • Atmospheric music and sounds • Unique, original board game experience • Intuitive gameplay • Colorblind mode • Over 70 achievements • iPhone X support

Screenshots

Game Buzzer2 screens
Istanbul4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Istanbul at 73% against Game Buzzer's 29%. Istanbul also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.9) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 12 months). Game Buzzer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and price ($1.99 vs $6.99). On 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

Game Buzzer costs $1.99 and Istanbul $6.99 up front. Istanbul sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Game Buzzer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Istanbul holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Istanbul has 458 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Game Buzzer's written reviews are positive against 73% of Istanbul's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Game Buzzer ships an update every 12 months, Istanbul every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Game Buzzer versus Istanbul: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGame BuzzerIstanbul
Price$1.99 — better$6.99
Rating1.9 (9 ratings)4.7 (458 ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.4% of reviews72.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9458 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#65 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB451 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCube8, LLCAcram Digital

Customer experience

Game Buzzer

All ratings9 ratings
Positive22.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative77.8%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive29.4%
Neutral5.9%
Negative64.7%

Istanbul

All ratings452 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive72.8%
Neutral9.3%
Negative17.9%

Bugs and requests

Game Buzzer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Istanbul

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Certain cards/tiles not working as intended
  • Game crashing or freezing during play
  • Online/multiplayer functionality issues
  • Tutorial getting stuck or not working properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add the Mocha & Baksheesh and Letters & Seals expansions
  • Implement a companion tool to randomize the board setup
  • Add push notifications for online game turns
  • Support for more languages

In-app purchases

None

Game Buzzer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Istanbul

One-time1
  • Mocha & Baksheesh$5.99

Questions

Is Game Buzzer free?
Game Buzzer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Istanbul free?
Istanbul costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Game Buzzer or Istanbul?
Istanbul is rated higher. Game Buzzer averages 1.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Istanbul averages 4.7 from 458 ratings.
Do Game Buzzer or Istanbul have ads?
Neither Game Buzzer nor Istanbul shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Game Buzzer or Istanbul?
Game Buzzer ships an update every 12 months, and Istanbul every 6 weeks. Most recently, Game Buzzer was updated on November 1, 2026 and Istanbul on November 3, 2026.

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