# Dead Man's Draw vs Cartographers

The clearest difference is price: Dead Man's Draw at Free against Cartographers's $3.99. Dead Man's Draw also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (65% vs 36%). Cartographers's advantage is chart position (#25 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Dead Man's Draw is free to download; Cartographers costs $3.99 up front. Dead Man's Draw sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Cartographers sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dead Man's Draw holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 427 and 123 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Dead Man's Draw's written reviews are positive against 36% of Cartographers's.

Dead Man's Draw ships an update fortnightly, Cartographers every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dead Man's Draw | Cartographers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (427 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-mans-draw/id584916423/reviews)** | [3.4 (123 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cartographers/id1515991485/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **427** | 123 |
| Positive reviews | **65.1% of reviews** | 36.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#25** |
| Size | 45 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Stardock](https://appshunter.io/developer/573591924) | [Brettspielwelt GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1063292497) |

## What reviewers say

### Dead Man's Draw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-mans-draw/id584916423)

A strategic card game where players balance risk and reward by drawing cards. Chain combos, unlock treasures, and use mystic jewel powers to win. Offers over 50 tournaments with ongoing additions.

**Highlights:** Easy to learn, challenging to master, Chain card combos for points, Win gold and unlock treasures, Exploit mystic jewel powers, Earn special rewards, 50+ distinct tournaments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4,000 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3,000 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| 12,000 Gold | $2.99 | one-time |
| Plunderer Trait | $2.99 | one-time |
| Davy Jones' Locker Trait | $2.99 | one-time |
| 9,000 Gold | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gold Multiplier | $4.99 | one-time |
| 30,000 Gold | $5.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| 35,000 Gold | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🚀 Smooth and polished app
- 💡 Unique pirate-themed card game
- 👍 Easy to learn, with increasing complexity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🤑 Aggressive in-app purchases
- 🐢 Slow progression without spending money
- 🔨 Abandoned by developers, no updates

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes after every match
- Card abilities not functioning properly
- Progress reset after app reinstalls
- Extremely fast AI opponent turns

**Requested features**

- Online multiplayer mode
- More gameplay variety and levels
- Ability to save progress across devices
- Option to disable in-app purchases


### Cartographers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cartographers/id1515991485)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Paid · Card, #29 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Become a royal cartographer tasked with mapping newly reclaimed lands for the Kingdom of Nalos. Fulfill royal edicts, strategically draw your territory, and outmaneuver rival outposts to gain the most reputation. Experience this tactical flip & write game digitally with multiple modes and global leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Map reclaimed northern lands, Fulfill royal edicts, Outmaneuver rival outposts, Tactical flip & write gameplay, Multiple game modes, Global weekly highscorelists, Collect achievements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cartographers Heroes | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful adaptation of the board game
- 🚀 Great solo experience
- 💡 Helpful visual cues for gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 🔒 Login and account issues
- 🔋 Performance and battery drain problems
- 👎 Lacking key features like multiplayer

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes
- Incorrect tile placement and scoring
- Inconsistent save/resume functionality
- Registration and login problems

**Requested features**

- Add online/local multiplayer modes
- Implement undo/rollback functionality
- Improve tutorial and in-game help
- Add support for expansions and new maps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dead Man's Draw free?

Dead Man's Draw is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cartographers free?

Cartographers costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dead Man's Draw or Cartographers?

Dead Man's Draw is rated higher. Dead Man's Draw averages 4.3 out of 5 from 427 ratings, while Cartographers averages 3.4 from 123 ratings.

### Do Dead Man's Draw or Cartographers have ads?

Neither Dead Man's Draw nor Cartographers shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dead Man's Draw or Cartographers?

Dead Man's Draw ships an update fortnightly, and Cartographers every 3 months. Most recently, Dead Man's Draw was updated on November 1, 2026 and Cartographers on November 11, 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.*