Holocard Cantina vs Payback Arcade
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Holocard Cantina
Engage in thrilling card battles against players worldwide or practice your skills against AI opponents. Discover multiple game variations, earn rewards, and climb leaderboards to prove your mastery in this galactic card game.
- Online multiplayer matches
- Offline AI practice
- Multiple game variants
- Earn in-game rewards
- Climb leaderboards
Read full descriptionHide full description
Step into the galaxy and test your skills in the ultimate card game experience! Challenge players across the galaxy in real-time online matches or hone your strategy offline against clever droid opponents. From fast-paced battles to strategic duels, every hand could shift the balance. Features: - Play online against players worldwide - Practice offline against droids - Multiple game variants in one app - Earn rewards, climb the leaderboards, and prove your place at the table Do you have what it takes to outsmart your rivals and become a cantina legend?
Payback Arcade
Experience a competitive card game of insults and comebacks digitally. Practice solo to master the game, then challenge others online and climb the leaderboards to prove your punchline prowess. Enjoy fast-paced card battles optimized for mobile devices.
- Digital card game adaptation
- Solo practice mode
- Online multiplayer matches
- Leaderboards
- Optimized for phone and iPad
- Save profile and progress with Apple ID
Read full descriptionHide full description
Payback is the fast, chaotic card game where anyone can make a comeback. Be the first to get rid of all your cards. Payback Arcade is the official app of the Payback party card game, with over 15,000 decks delivered in 50+ countries. Learn it in two minutes with the built-in guided tutorial, then play solo against CPU opponents or online against real players. LEARN AS YOU PLAY • A guided tutorial deals you a real game and walks you through it step by step: who goes first, special cards, Fast Draw and the face-down flips. • Tips stay on in your first games, and you can switch table and card help off in Settings. HOW TO PLAY • Play a card equal to or higher than the pile. Play pairs and triples to empty your hand faster. • Can't play? Pick up the pile, or take a chance and flip the top card of the deck. • Four of the same card in a row burns the pile, and you go again. • Clear your hand, then your face-up cards, then your face-down cards. The last three are pure blind luck. SPECIAL CARDS • Burn: destroy the pile and play again. • Ghost: pass your turn without changing the pile. • Skip: skip the next player. • Reset: drop the pile back to zero. • Mirror: send the pile back to whoever acted last. PLAY SOLO • Classic: you against three CPU players. • Duel: go one-on-one with Uncle Ronnie. • Nightmare: face tougher CPU players for bigger points. • Helpful tips in your first games teach you the rules as you play. PLAY ONLINE • Classic: the full Payback experience against real players. • Duel: prove your skill head to head. • Explosive: three matching cards in a row burn the pile. • Bullet: lightning-fast turns for quick games. • Rooms: create a room for any mode, invite friends with its code. If a player drops out, a Substitute keeps their seat until they, or a friend with the code, take it back. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Earn a grade from D to S+ after every game. • Rank up from Bronze to Silver, Gold, Platinum, Master, and Champion. • Compare games played and win rates with the top players. Browse every card in the deck, including previews of the Dark Wizard and Mystery expansions. Want to play in person? Get the physical Payback card game from the official shop. Free to play. Solo games need no account. Online play needs an account: sign in with Apple or create one.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Holocard Cantina at 106 against Payback Arcade's 3. Payback Arcade's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 87%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Payback Arcade holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Holocard Cantina has 106 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Holocard Cantina's written reviews are positive against 100% of Payback Arcade's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Holocard Cantina | Payback Arcade |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (106 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 106 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 150 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GAMES OF THE GALAXY LTD | Great Guy Games, LLC |
Customer experience
Holocard Cantina
Payback Arcade
Bugs and requests
Holocard Cantina
Reported bugs
1 issue- Screen freezes during droid's turn in local games
Requested features
2 requests- Add Pazaak
- Save hosted table settings
Payback Arcade
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Holocard Cantina
No in-app purchases
Payback Arcade
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Holocard Cantina free?
Is Payback Arcade free?
Which has better reviews, Holocard Cantina or Payback Arcade?
Do Holocard Cantina or Payback Arcade have ads?
Which is updated more often, Holocard Cantina or Payback Arcade?
Other comparisons















