Comparison

Spades vs ShedHead

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Classic card game gameplay
  • AI opponents with multiple difficulties
  • Customizable game rules
  • Detailed game statistics tracking
  • Clean and fast interface
Features
Read full description

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

Spades4 screens
ShedHead4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spades ships an update monthly, ShedHead every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Spades versus ShedHead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpadesShedHead
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.5K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.5K — better4
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB29 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developerfishdog.netKonchan Studios LLC

Customer experience

Spades

All ratings2,541 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral3.3%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews84 reviews
Positive45.2%
Neutral19.0%
Negative35.7%

ShedHead

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

None

Spades

No in-app purchases

None

ShedHead

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spades free?
Spades is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ShedHead free?
ShedHead is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Spades or ShedHead?
ShedHead is rated higher. Spades averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while ShedHead averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Spades or ShedHead have ads?
Both Spades and ShedHead show ads.
Which is updated more often, Spades or ShedHead?
Spades ships an update monthly, and ShedHead every 6 weeks. Most recently, Spades was updated on October 26, 2026 and ShedHead on October 23, 2026.

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