Spades vs ShedHead
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Spades
A digital adaptation of the classic trick-taking card game. Play solo or with partners, bidding on the number of tricks you can win. Customize game rules, opponent difficulty, and visual elements.
- 3 or 4 player solo modes
- 4 player partnership mode
- Customizable bid and lead rules
- Adjustable AI opponent aggression
- Table and card appearance customization
- In-app instructions
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Spades is a trick-taking card game that can be played with 3 players solo, 4 players solo, or 4 players with partners (2 teams of 2). A standard 52-card deck is dealt, then players bid the number of tricks they can take. The goal is to take as many tricks as were bid. When playing with partners, North/South is one team, West/East is the other, and teammates' bids and tricks are combined, so one player's underbid can compensate for his teammate's overbid. This app allows you to configure number of players and teams, the appearance of the table and cards, rules about nil bids and when spades can be lead. There are instructions included in the app, as well as a setting to make your robot opponents less aggressive or more aggressive.
ShedHead
Experience the classic card game of Shed, also known as Palace or Karma, on your mobile device. Be the first to discard all your cards through strategic play, with AI opponents and customizable rules.
- Classic card game gameplay
- AI opponents with multiple difficulties
- Customizable game rules
- Detailed game statistics tracking
- Clean and fast interface
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Welcome to ShedHead™, the ultimate mobile version of the classic card game loved by backpackers and travelers worldwide. Whether you know it as Shed, Palace, Karma, or something else, ShedHead™ brings the fast-paced, addictive strategy right to your pocket. The rules are simple, but the strategy is deep: be the first to get rid of all your cards—starting with your hand, then your face-up cards, and finally those mysterious face-down cards. One wrong move and you’ll be picking up the whole pile! Why you’ll love ShedHead™: Play Your Way: Challenge our smart AI with three difficulty levels—Easy, Medium, and Hard. Perfect for beginners learning the ropes or veterans looking for a serious challenge. Classic & Custom Rules: Enjoy the authentic gameplay you know and love. Looking for an extra test? Toggle the "Strict Sevens" variation to spice up your strategy. Track Your Progress: Keep an eye on your growth with detailed game-level and summary statistics. Whether you’re chasing a new high score or a massive win streak, ShedHead™ keeps record of your achievements. Clean & Fast Interface: Designed for quick sessions, ShedHead™ features smooth animations and an intuitive layout so you can focus on the cards, not the menus.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Spades at 2.5K against ShedHead's 4. Spades also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). ShedHead's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). 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.
ShedHead holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spades has 2.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Spades ships an update monthly, ShedHead every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Spades | ShedHead |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.5K ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | fishdog.net | Konchan Studios LLC |
Customer experience
Spades
ShedHead
Bugs and requests
Spades
Reported bugs
4 issues- Scoring discrepancies
- Cards blocked by ads
- Freezing on last card
- Sounds always on after update
Requested features
3 requests- Allow confirmation for bidding entry box
- Automatic play for last card in suit
- Implement bid 10 get 200 feature
ShedHead
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Spades
No in-app purchases
ShedHead
No in-app purchases









