Rithmomachia vs Pirate Cribbage
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Rithmomachia
A digital adaptation of an ancient European board game, this app recreates a strategic battle of numbers and pieces. It offers a unique gameplay experience inspired by chess, with capture mechanics tied to numerical values on each piece.
- Ancient European board game adaptation
- Number-based capture mechanics
- Chess-like strategy
- Double-sized board
- Historical game recreation
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Rithmomachia, also known as The Philosophers' Game, was an early European board game which peaked in popularity in about the 15th century. The earliest known description of it dates from the eleventh century. Some sources indicate it's date of origin to be much earlier, possibly even having a Greek origin. A literal translation of the name is "The Battle of the Numbers". The game is much like chess, except the board is double the size and most methods of capture depend on numbers inscribed on each piece.
Pirate Cribbage
A card game where players risk their hand to increase their score each turn. Compete against AI opponents or friends in a head-to-head cribbage challenge.
- Risk-reward gameplay
- Play against AI
- Pass-and-play multiplayer
- Card distribution strategy
- Score-increasing turns
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LIMITED TIME BONUS. Play The Pirate for free, no need for an in-app purchase. Arrg matey. PIRATE CRIBBAGE is a game for brave souls who take great risks for high rewards. Draw 5 cards and distribute any or all of them to set of three hands. Draw as many times as you like but your total score must increase each turn or you forfeit your turn and your booty. Play against the Parrot or the skilled Pirate. You can even play against your so-called friends using pass-and-play.
Screenshots
Verdict
Rithmomachia and Pirate Cribbage both sit at 3.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 50% of Pirate Cribbage's written reviews are positive against 0% of Rithmomachia's. Pirate Cribbage also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 38 months). Rithmomachia's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On rating, ratings volume, 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
Pirate Cribbage is free to download; Rithmomachia costs $1.99 up front. Pirate Cribbage sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Rithmomachia asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.0 for Rithmomachia against 3.0 for Pirate Cribbage. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 0% of Rithmomachia's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pirate Cribbage's.
Rithmomachia ships an update every 38 months, Pirate Cribbage every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Rithmomachia | Pirate Cribbage |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (5 ratings) | 3.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Random5 LLC | MmpApps Corp. |
Customer experience
Rithmomachia
Pirate Cribbage
In-app purchases
Rithmomachia
No in-app purchases
Pirate Cribbage
- Unlock Pirate & Pass-and-Play$0.99
- Disable Ads$1.99
Questions
Is Rithmomachia free?
Is Pirate Cribbage free?
Which has better reviews, Rithmomachia or Pirate Cribbage?
Do Rithmomachia or Pirate Cribbage have ads?
Which is updated more often, Rithmomachia or Pirate Cribbage?
Other comparisons
