Comparison

Blackbird! vs Hearts XT

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

Head to head
About

Blackbird!

Experience a classic trick-taking card game with customizable rules and competitive AI. Bid strategically, take tricks, and achieve your goals to win. Track your progress with detailed statistics and unlock achievements.

Highlights
  • Classic trick-taking gameplay
  • Customizable rule sets
  • AI opponents
  • Achievement system
  • Detailed statistics tracking
  • Multiple rule variations
Features
Read full description

This game is similar to the classic ROOK® card game*. Play the classic trick-taking game you remember, with the rules you grew up playing. Bid for the chance to call trump, work with your computer partner to take point cards, and make your bid without getting set. PLAY YOUR WAY Start with Kentucky Discard or Western Wyoming rules, or customize the game to match the way your family plays. Blackbird supports a wide variety of rule options, including: • 1s worth 15 points • Low, high, or 10.5 Blackbird • Playing without the Blackbird • Allowing the Blackbird to be played at any time • Winning bidder leads • Red 1 worth 30 points • Adjustable winning score • Bonus for taking the most tricks • Different nest and bidding rules • And more CHOOSE YOUR CHALLENGE Play against computer players at Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulty. You can even choose separate difficulty levels for your opponents and your partner. Easy players make some of the mistakes a beginner might make. Medium provides a balanced challenge, while Hard uses a more advanced strategy to think through possible hidden cards before bidding and playing. The computer plays by the same information you do. It doesn't peek at hidden cards. LEARN AS YOU PLAY New to the game or need a refresher? Helpful tips introduce the game as you play and explain what's happening without getting in your way. TRACK HOW YOU PLAY See detailed statistics for your games, with results tracked separately by difficulty level. Complete achievements and see how your play develops over time. Whether you grew up playing with family, learned at church, or just love trick-taking card games, Blackbird lets you play the version you remember. * This app is not endorsed by or affiliated with Hasbro, Inc. ROOK® is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc.

About

Hearts XT

Experience the classic card game Hearts with intelligent AI opponents or connect with friends online. Customize your game with various backgrounds, characters, and difficulty levels. Features include statistics, hints, and automatic saving.

Highlights
  • Smart computer opponents
  • Online multiplayer with friends
  • Customizable game backgrounds and characters
  • Scalable difficulty levels
  • Assistance for beginners (Undo, Hints, Rules)
  • Automatic save functionality
  • User and computer player statistics
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Enjoy the popular card game classic Hearts with smart computer opponents or online with your friends. ** Hearts XT is free of ads ** Play with smart computer opponents: - Play anytime, anywhere. - Smart and challenging computer opponents. - Scalable level of difficulty. Many entertaining game options: - Adjust the app to your playing speed. - Choose from realistic game background scenes. - Customize from a selection of characters to play with. - Use your own pictures. Play online with friends: - No signup required. - Mixed mode possible with friends and computer. Many more features: - User and computer player statistics. - With assistance to help beginners having fun with Hearts: Undo, Hints, Hearts Rules. - Automatic save when you get a phone call or exit the app. Hearts is also known under alternative names as Rickety Kate, Black Lady, Black Maria, Black Widow, Queen of Spades, Black Queen and Black Cat. --- Hearts is a game of skill. Playing Hearts is not "gambling". This game does not offer "real money gambling" or an opportunity to win real money or prizes. Practice or success at social casino gaming does not imply future success at "real money gambling". (*) Terms of use for Online-Services see www.hearts-app.com/terms_of_use.en.html More at hearts-app.com Look forward to many hours of fun with Hearts!

Screenshots

Blackbird!4 screens
Hearts XT4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hearts XT at none against Blackbird!'s 2. Hearts XT also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 70%). Blackbird!'s advantage is ratings volume (7K vs 26) and price ($2.99 vs $5.99). On rating, ads, monetization model 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

Blackbird! costs $2.99 and Hearts XT $5.99 up front. Blackbird! sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Hearts XT asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Blackbird! against 4.7 for Hearts XT. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blackbird! has 7K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Blackbird!'s written reviews are positive against 90% of Hearts XT's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blackbird! ships an update every 2 months, Hearts XT every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Blackbird! versus Hearts XT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackbird!Hearts XT
Price$2.99 — better$5.99
Rating4.7 (7K ratings) — better4.7 (26 ratings)
Positive reviews69.9% of reviews90.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7K — better26
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#18 — better#111
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB110 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperR. Don WilsonIsar Interactive GmbH & Co. KG

Customer experience

Blackbird!

All ratings7,006 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral3.0%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews183 reviews
Positive69.9%
Neutral13.7%
Negative16.4%

Hearts XT

All ratings26 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

Bugs and requests

Blackbird!

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Forced to take bid even when undesirable
  • Inability to reverse trump or discard mistakes
  • Inconsistent card dealing
  • Multiplayer crashes and glitches
  • Themes and settings not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Multiplayer mode to play with friends
  • Option to call your own partner
  • Ability to shoot the moon
  • Customizable nest size
  • More rule variations

Hearts XT

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Blackbird!

One-time2
  • Christmas Theme$0.99
  • Independence Day Theme$0.99
None

Hearts XT

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blackbird! free?
Blackbird! costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Hearts XT free?
Hearts XT costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blackbird! or Hearts XT?
Blackbird! is rated higher. Blackbird! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while Hearts XT averages 4.7 from 26 ratings.
Do Blackbird! or Hearts XT have ads?
Neither Blackbird! nor Hearts XT shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blackbird! or Hearts XT?
Blackbird! ships an update every 2 months, and Hearts XT every 4 months. Most recently, Blackbird! was updated on November 6, 2026 and Hearts XT on November 6, 2026.
Which is more popular, Blackbird! or Hearts XT?
Blackbird! currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and Hearts XT at #111. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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