Sheepshead vs Sheepshead Gold
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. **************************************
Sheepshead Gold
Experience a challenging five-player card game on your mobile device. Play against skilled computer opponents with adjustable difficulty and enjoy offline play. Rules are included for new players.
- Five-player card game
- Skilled computer opponents
- Adjustable skill level
- Offline play supported
- Includes game rules
- Portrait and landscape orientation
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Welcome to Sheepshead Gold! Enjoy one of the world’s most interesting and challenging card games, Sheepshead (or, if you prefer, Schafkopf), anytime, anywhere. Play against four skilled computer opponents in this five-player version of the game. New to Sheepshead? No problem, give it a try and you are sure to find it quite addictive and entertaining! Sheepshead rules are included. • Supports iPhone and iPad • No ads! • No in-app purchases necessary for full enjoyment • Support for either Jack of Diamonds or Call an Ace partner modes, with an intuitive user interface for choosing partner in Call an Ace mode. • Intelligent computer play, with adjustable skill level • Crack/Recrack option • Play even when offline • Works with your iPhone or iPad in either portrait or landscape orientation Comments and suggestions for new features are encouraged. Please submit them to the Sheepshead Gold support email: sheepsheadgold@gmail.com Animals stickers created by Stickers - Flaticon: https://www.flaticon.com/free-stickers/animals
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Sheepshead Gold at none against Sheepshead's shown. Sheepshead Gold also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Sheepshead's advantage is rating (3.3 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (82 vs 8). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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.
Sheepshead holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sheepshead has 82 ratings behind it against 8, 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 30% of Sheepshead Gold's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sheepshead | Sheepshead Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (82 ratings) — better | 3.0 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews — better | 30.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 82 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Derek Hoffmeister | Brian Tinberg |
Customer experience
Sheepshead
Sheepshead Gold
Bugs and requests
Sheepshead
Reported bugs
13 issues- App freezes when picking a hand
- Game locks up
- App freezes when starting a new game
- App constantly crashes during tournaments
- Takes user to an ad page and won't let back in
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- Screen goes black after a number of games
- App freezes when changing options (e.g., player count)
- Game resets hand if returning to main menu mid-hand
- AI makes consistently stupid plays
- Computer player trumping incorrectly
- Picker trumping the called suit
- AI overshoots partners
- AI always backs into trump
Requested features
10 requests- Deal cards randomly like a real game
- Improve AI logic for more realistic play
- Fix issues with calling loners
- Adjust scoring for picker not taking a trick
- Allow card rearrangement in hand
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Option to reset points to zero in normal play
- Improve Leaster programming
- Don't replay hands in tournaments
- Fix issue with not being able to bury blind in stick the dealer
- Turn on large print cards
Sheepshead Gold
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sheepshead
No in-app purchases
Sheepshead Gold
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sheepshead free?
Is Sheepshead Gold free?
Which has better reviews, Sheepshead or Sheepshead Gold?
Do Sheepshead or Sheepshead Gold have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sheepshead or Sheepshead Gold?
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