Sheepshead vs Cross Cribbage
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sheepshead
Experience a classic trick-taking card game with this single-player version. Play against computer opponents with various game modes, including tournaments and partner variants. Track your progress with detailed statistics and compete on leaderboards.
- Single-player trick-taking card game
- Multiple player modes (3, 4, 5 handed)
- Tournament play
- Partner variants (Called Ace, Jack of Diamonds)
- Leaster and Knocking options
- Detailed play statistics
- GameCenter integration (leaderboards, achievements)
- Large print card option
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Play Sheepshead at any time. Sheepshead is a trick-taking card game. This is a single player version with computer controlled opponents. Sheepshead is played with 7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A in four suits, for a total of 32 cards *** Game Features *** * Supports five handed, four handed, and three handed play modes * Tournaments: The player with the highest score will be delared the winner after ten hands of Sheepshead have been played. * Partner variants of: - Called Ace partner (allows calling of unknown, 10's , or going alone) - Jack of Diamonds - Call up next Jack is enabled by default, this can be disabled in the options menu. In three handed and four handed play the picker does not have a partner. *Leasters: Enable in options menu. If leaster is not enabled and picking is passed by all players, the dealer will pick. * Scoring: Can either be 'Double on the bump' (default) or 'Single on the bump'. * Knocking: Also called rapping or cracking. This can be enabled in the options menu. * Statistics: Keeps track of your play statistics, such as games won, tricks taken, times picked, etc. * GameCenter integration: - Leaderboards: 'High Score' and 'High Tournament Score' - Achievements based on game score and tricks taken * Large Print Cards, if those small cards are just too hard to see! An overview of Sheepshead rules can be found in the support page. ************************************** Double tapping to play a card is supported (it must be enabled in the options menu). If enabled, tapping a card once will select it, and tapping it a second time will play it. This will allow you to change selected cards if you accidentally select the wrong card! Simply tap the correct card, and the first card will be unselected. Tap the second card again to confirm playing it. **************************************
Cross Cribbage
This app reimagines the classic card game cribbage by placing it on a 5x5 grid. Players strategically place cards to form scoring hands across rows and columns, blending familiar cribbage rules with tactical board game elements. It offers both single-player and multiplayer modes for a fresh, replayable experience.
- Grid-based card placement
- Row and column scoring
- Standard cribbage scoring rules
- Single player vs. AI
- Online multiplayer
- Local pass and play
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Cribbage meets strategy board game. Cross Cribbage transforms classic cribbage into a fresh, tactical experience played on a 5x5 grid. Instead of scoring traditional pegging hands, players take turns placing cards to build cribbage “hands” across rows and columns. One player scores the rows, the other scores the columns. Every placement matters. You’re building your own scoring opportunities while blocking your opponent’s best plays. It feels familiar, yet completely new—a blend of cribbage, strategy, and puzzle-solving. How It Works • Each turn, you place a card from your hand onto an empty space • The board fills into 25 cards total, forming cribbage hands in all rows and columns • One player controls scoring for all horizontal hands, the other for all vertical hands • If a player is the dealer for the round, they also score the shaded diagonal crib hand • Standard cribbage scoring applies: 15s, pairs, runs, and flushes • When the board is full, all hands are scored What Makes It Unique • Strategic card placement – every move affects multiple hands • Think ahead on offense and defense • A blend of cribbage, spatial strategy, and light puzzle play • Quick to learn, endlessly replayable Game Modes • Play Online – Invite a friend or play someone new • Local Pass & Play – Share a device with someone nearby • Single Player – Challenge the computer with multiple difficulty levels Features • Beautiful wood-themed board and classic playing cards • Smart scoring visuals and hand breakdowns • Interactive tutorial to learn how to play • Works great on phones and tablets Win Conditions The game ends when a player reaches 121 points—or if both exceed 121 in the same round, the higher score wins. Cross Cribbage is easy to learn if you already know cribbage, and a fun way to discover cribbage if you’ve never played before. Perfect for fans of cribbage, card strategy games, puzzles, or cerebral two-player challenges. Download now and play cribbage like you’ve never played it before!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cross Cribbage at 4.8 against Sheepshead's 3.2. Cross Cribbage also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 36%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Sheepshead's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Cross Cribbage sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sheepshead asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cross Cribbage holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cross Cribbage has 626 ratings behind it against 80, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Sheepshead's written reviews are positive against 72% of Cross Cribbage's.
Sheepshead ships an update every 3 months, Cross Cribbage every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sheepshead | Cross Cribbage |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (80 ratings) | 4.8 (626 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | 72.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 80 | 626 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 64 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Derek Hoffmeister | Mitchell May |
Customer experience
Sheepshead
Cross Cribbage
Bugs and requests
Sheepshead
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Cross Cribbage
Reported bugs
6 issues- App crashes on loading (iOS 12.5.5)
- Random crashes during gameplay
- App won't open since November 2025 update
- Occasional glitches when starting new game
- Disconnection from online gameplay with no reconnect option
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- Screen layout issues affecting card visibility
Requested features
12 requests- Enlarge card number and face size
- Score updates after each card played
- Option to bypass end-of-round scoring summary
- Double-tap to auto-place cards
- Delete resumable games feature
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- Harder difficulty settings
- Player-scored hand option
- Last card played indicator
- Ability to reconnect after disconnect
- Tone/vibrate notification for player turns
- iCloud storage integration for multiplayer
- Same game ID option
In-app purchases
Sheepshead
No in-app purchases
Cross Cribbage
- Remove Ads$4.99
Questions
Is Sheepshead free?
Is Cross Cribbage free?
Which has better reviews, Sheepshead or Cross Cribbage?
Do Sheepshead or Cross Cribbage have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sheepshead or Cross Cribbage?
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