Comparison

PlayDeck vs Game Shelf by MindForge

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

Head to head
About

PlayDeck

Features
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Finding your next favorite game shouldn't be hard. PlayDeck makes game discovery fun and effortless — just swipe. HOW IT WORKS Browse through a massive catalog of games presented as beautiful cards. Swipe right to add a game to your list, swipe left to skip. It's that simple. YOUR PERSONAL GAME LIST Every game you swipe right on is saved to your personal list. Come back anytime to see what you've collected and decide what to play next. FAVORITES Found a game you absolutely love? Mark it as a favorite with a single tap and keep your top picks organized separately. GAME DETAILS AT A GLANCE Each card shows you everything you need: rating, genres, platforms, release year, and stunning artwork. Tap any card for full details including developer info, Metacritic score, and description. FEATURES • Swipe-based discovery — intuitive and addictive • Thousands of games from all platforms • Personal game list and favorites • Detailed game information and ratings • Beautiful card-based interface • Dark mode support • Available in 8 languages • Undo last swipe Built for gamers who want to explore beyond the mainstream. Whether you're into RPGs, action games, indie gems, or classic titles — PlayDeck helps you find them all. Powered by RAWG Video Games Database.

About

Game Shelf by MindForge

Features
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MF Game Night takes the friction out of board game night. Vote on what to play, log your games, look up rules, and track it all — right from your phone at the table. Built for real board game groups: - VOTE ON GAMES: Each player gets 4 votes to spread across the group's combined collections. Stack them all on one game you're dying to play, or spread the love. Votes carry forward until a game is played. - LOG PLAYS: Record who played, who won, and optional scores. We make it easy to see what the group has played throughout the years. - RULES AT THE TABLE: PDF rulebooks and rules teach videos for a full teach. When something weird comes up mid-game, ask our AI rules engine a question. It uses actual rulebook text and video transcripts to give you answers you can trust and links out to the source material - FIRST PLAYER PICKER: Random picker. - COLLECT RESOURCES: Earn Wood and Iron by participating — vote, play, watch rules videos, add games to your collection. - YOUR COLLECTION: Browse your game collection, search the MindForge database, and add new games with one tap. Say the name and click to add. MF Game Night connects to the MindForge platform (mindforge.games), home to a growing library of board game video content, reviews, and community tools. Use the app standalone or alongside the website — your data syncs across both.

Screenshots

PlayDeck4 screens
Game Shelf by MindForge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PlayDeck at daily against Game Shelf by MindForge's every 2 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlayDeck ships an update daily, Game Shelf by MindForge every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
PlayDeck versus Game Shelf by MindForge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlayDeckGame Shelf by MindForge
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB48 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperYUECEL CELIKAaron Greunke

In-app purchases

None

PlayDeck

No in-app purchases

None

Game Shelf by MindForge

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PlayDeck free?
PlayDeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Game Shelf by MindForge free?
Game Shelf by MindForge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PlayDeck or Game Shelf by MindForge have ads?
Neither PlayDeck nor Game Shelf by MindForge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PlayDeck or Game Shelf by MindForge?
PlayDeck ships an update daily, and Game Shelf by MindForge every 2 weeks. Most recently, PlayDeck was updated on October 2, 2026 and Game Shelf by MindForge on October 10, 2026.

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