Comparison

Qwirkle vs Cartographers

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

Head to head
About

Qwirkle

Experience the award-winning board game Qwirkle on your mobile device. Strategize by matching tiles based on color and shape to score points. Enjoy solo play, online multiplayer, and pass-and-play modes with customizable options and engaging animations.

Highlights
  • Solo, Online, and Pass and Play modes
  • Up to 4 players
  • 4 difficulty levels
  • Achievements and Leaderboards
  • Customizable backgrounds and tile colors
  • Tutorial and Help sections
Currently charting
Read full description

Challenging and thoroughly addictive! Now you can play the original award winning board game Qwirkle on your iPad and iPhone! Qwirkle is MindWare's best-selling board game, with over 7 million copies sold worldwide. Through the years, Qwirkle has received numerous awards including Mensa, Parents' Choice, Major Fun and the Spiel des Jahres, Germany's coveted Game of the Year award. FEATURES: - Solo, Online, and Pass and Play modes all support up to 4 players. - 4 levels of difficulty, from easy to expert. - Includes Achievements and Leaderboards through Game Center. - Customize your experience - choose your favorite background to play on. - Play with classic Qwirkle colors or personalize your tiles with custom colors. - Exciting animations and playful music enhance the Qwirkle experience! - Tutorial and Help sections get you playing fast and easy! WHO WILL YOU PLAY? - Play solo against 4 levels of robot, from easy to expert. - For family game night, use Pass and Play mode to play together on a single device. - Challenge your friends to play online through Game Center. - Find new online opponents through auto-match in Game Center. Find out more about Qwirkle on the MindWare website: https://www.mindware.orientaltrading.com/qwirkle-a2-32016.fltr Want to share your thoughts on the digital version of Qwirkle directly with the developers? Email us at mindware@mindware.com with your comments! We'd love to have your input about what you like and ideas for improvements. We look forward to your feedback! Happy Qwirkling!

About

Cartographers

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
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The official Flip & Write companion to the board game hit! Step into the shoes of a royal cartographer and surveyor commissioned by Queen Gimnax. Your mission: explore, stake out, and immortalize the wild northern lands on parchment. In this strategic card game, you decide how to shape your territory—but beware: you are not alone in the wilderness! An Epic Adventure in the Roll Player Universe Cartographers brings the fascinating mechanics of the modern board game directly to your smartphone. Experience the tactical Flip & Write principle that has thrilled critics and fans worldwide and was nominated for the prestigious Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseur Game of the Year) in 2020. Strategy Through Ever-Changing Decrees At the heart of this board game are four royal decrees. These are recombined in every match, making each game a unique puzzle. You must constantly adapt your strategy to squeeze the maximum score out of your lands: Diverse Scoring: Earn fame through the Gloomy Wood by skillfully enclosing forest patches, or use the Golden Granary to place farm fields on valuable ruins. Tactical Placement: In the Magician's Valley, score points by placing water and farmland near mighty mountains. Every hamlet and settlement must be cleverly planned to meet the Queen’s shifting demands. Seasonal Cycle: Priorities change through Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Only those who plan ahead will be named Master Cartographer at the end of the year. The Gameplay is Simple Flip: Each round, a new card is revealed, showing you landscapes and shapes. Write: Skillfully place these areas on your map. Use the space optimally to fulfill the conditions of the decrees. Score: Collect valuable reputation points, but watch out for monster ambushes! Monsters in the Borderlands A cartographer must be brave! The monsters never sleep. At regular intervals, you will encounter ambushes that thwart your plans. Monster fields will be discovered on your map—surround them quickly to minimize the damage to your reputation. Why You’ll Love "Cartographers": Official Adaptation: The faithful digital version of the popular board game by Thunderworks Games. Weekly Challenges: Compete with players from all over the world in global highscore lists. A new scenario awaits you every week! Three Game Modes: Choose between different difficulty levels and randomness factors—from relaxed puzzling to hardcore strategy. Achievements & Ranks: Collect achievements and rise from apprentice to legendary Royal Cartographer. Solo Fun & Competition: Perfect for a quick round in between or a deep strategic experience. Awards for the Original: 2020 – Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee 2019 – Golden Geek Best Solo Board Game Nominee 2019 – Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee 2019 – Cardboard Republic Socializer Laurel Nominee Are you ready to expand the borders of the realm? Grab your quill, draw your cards, and master the ultimate Flip & Write adventure. Whether you're a fan of board games, logic puzzles, or fantasy strategy, Cartographers offers tactical depth right in your pocket. Download the official app now and begin your journey through the northern lands!

Screenshots

Qwirkle4 screens
Cartographers4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Qwirkle at 4.5 against Cartographers's 3.4. Qwirkle also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 121). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and chart position 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

Qwirkle costs $2.99 and Cartographers $3.99 up front. Cartographers sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Qwirkle asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Qwirkle holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Qwirkle has 1.9K ratings behind it against 121, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 36% and 36% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Qwirkle versus Cartographers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQwirkleCartographers
Price$2.99 — better$3.99
Rating4.5 (1.9K ratings) — better3.4 (121 ratings)
Positive reviews35.9% of reviews36.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.9K — better121
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#31 — better#40
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB47 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMindWareBrettspielwelt GmbH

Customer experience

Qwirkle

All ratings1,806 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews555 reviews
Positive35.9%
Neutral17.8%
Negative46.3%

Cartographers

All ratings113 ratings
Positive52.2%
Neutral15.9%
Negative31.9%
Written reviews163 reviews
Positive36.2%
Neutral19.6%
Negative44.2%

User reviews

Qwirkle

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun game
  • 👍 Great translation to digital
  • 👍 Entertaining
  • 👍 Good for the mind
  • 👍 Addictive

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy app
  • 🐛 Clunky interface
  • 🐛 Freezing issues
  • 🐛 Buggy online play
  • 🐛 Unreliable notifications

Cartographers

From 121 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Qwirkle

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Games disappearing or not loading properly
  • Inability to start new games with friends
  • Tiles/bag not functioning correctly
  • Moves not registering properly
  • Crashes and freezes

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add chat/messaging feature
  • Improve online game invitations and management
  • Add notifications for turns
  • Improve scoring display and accuracy
  • Add more customization options
Show 1 more
  • Improve robot/AI difficulty balancing

Cartographers

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

In-app purchases

None

Qwirkle

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cartographers

One-time1
  • Cartographers Heroes$1.99

Questions

Is Qwirkle free?
Qwirkle costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cartographers free?
Cartographers costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Qwirkle or Cartographers?
Qwirkle is rated higher. Qwirkle averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Cartographers averages 3.4 from 121 ratings.
Do Qwirkle or Cartographers have ads?
Neither Qwirkle nor Cartographers shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Qwirkle or Cartographers?
Qwirkle ships an update every 3 months, and Cartographers every 3 months. Most recently, Qwirkle was updated on November 1, 2026 and Cartographers on November 3, 2026.
Which is more popular, Qwirkle or Cartographers?
Qwirkle currently peaks at #31 in the App Store charts, and Cartographers at #40. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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