# Blackbird! vs Rook

The clearest difference is price: Rook at Free against Blackbird!'s $2.99. Rook also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Blackbird!'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Rook is free to download; Blackbird! costs $2.99 up front. Blackbird! sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Rook asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Blackbird! against 4.8 for Rook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7K and 6.9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Blackbird!'s written reviews are positive against 62% of Rook's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackbird! | Rook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbird/id563960217/reviews) | **[4.8 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rook/id789382449/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | 6.9K |
| Positive reviews | **71.3% of reviews** | 61.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 38 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [R. Don Wilson](https://appshunter.io/developer/563960220) | [fishdog.net](https://appshunter.io/developer/337519299) |

## What reviewers say

### Blackbird!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbird/id563960217)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Paid · Casino, #24 Top Paid · Card (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Christmas Theme | $0.99 | one-time |
| Independence Day Theme | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun game
- 👍 Customizable rules
- 👍 Accurate to real Rook game
- 👍 Great for practicing Rook skills
- 👍 Brings back nostalgic memories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Partner AI plays poorly
- 🐛 Opponents seem to have unfair advantage
- 🐛 Inability to continue saved games
- 🐛 Rook card not played correctly
- 🐛 Buggy multiplayer experience

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

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


### Rook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rook/id789382449)

Experience a strategic trick-taking card game with a unique deck and bidding system. Play with friends or AI, aiming to reach a target score by winning tricks and naming trump suits. Features color-blind friendly cards and customizable rules.

**Highlights:** Trick-taking gameplay, Unique card deck (5-14), Bidding for trump suit, Color-blind friendly cards, Customizable rules, AI opponents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and enjoyable game
- 👍 Challenging and makes the mind work
- 👍 Brings back childhood memories
- 👍 Great implementation of Rook game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 AI partner makes poor decisions and gets team set
- 🐛 Unfair distribution of cards favoring the opponent team
- 🐛 Opponents can renege and play off-suit trumps
- 🐛 Frustrating bidding by AI partner

**Reported bugs**

- AI partner plays trumps incorrectly
- Scoring calculator issues and negative scores
- Inability to skip the rest of the hand after outcome is decided
- Irritating background music that cannot be turned off

**Requested features**

- Online multiplayer mode to play with friends
- More customization options for game rules
- Ability to play with full deck (2-14) and 4-card kitty
- Option to start bidding lower
- Ability to 'shoot the moon'


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blackbird! free?

Blackbird! costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Rook free?

Rook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Blackbird! or Rook?

Rook is rated higher. Blackbird! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while Rook averages 4.8 from 6.9K ratings.

### Do Blackbird! or Rook have ads?

Rook shows ads; Blackbird! does not.

### Which is updated more often, Blackbird! or Rook?

Blackbird! ships an update every 2 months, and Rook every 2 months. Most recently, Blackbird! was updated on September 23, 2026 and Rook on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*