Comparison

Star Realms vs Group Thing

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

Head to head
About

Star Realms

Engage in thrilling space combat with this popular deckbuilding game. Build your deck, outmaneuver opponents, and conquer the galaxy. Offers both single-player campaigns and multiplayer battles.

Highlights
  • Deckbuilding gameplay
  • Player vs Player combat
  • AI battles
  • Campaign mode
  • Online multiplayer
  • Pass and Play mode
Features
Read full description

Star Realms is a hugely popular space combat deckbuilding game. Download and play today to find out why Star Realms is the winner of SXSW 2014 Board Game of the Year, 7 Golden Geek Awards from BoardGameGeek, including Best Mobile Game, and 2 Dice Tower awards! Reviews: "My readers are going to have a seizure about how good Star Realms is." -Owen Faraday, pockettactics.com “Good on all levels, thumbs up!” -Tom Vasel, The Dice Tower “This game is superb! I think it’s a brilliant game. Beautiful artwork, second to none.” -Tim Norris, Grey Elephant Gaming “What can I say? Star Realms is excellent.” - Lenny, ISlaytheDragon.com “I desperately wanted to play again and again. It's just consistently fun every time.” -The Critical Boardgamer Star Realms combines addictive deck building game play with exciting Trading Card Game (TCG) style combat! Designed by Magic the Gathering Hall of Famers Darwin Kastle and Rob Dougherty (of the Ascension Deckbuilding Game), Star Realms provides tons of playability for free, and a one-time upgrade to be able play with your friends and more on any device. Free Version •Universal Application: Play on iPhone, iPod, iPad, iPad Mini, and Ipad Air. •Addictive Deckbuilding Game with Player VS Player Combat. •Tutorial teaches you to play in minutes. •Stunning visuals. •Play VS the AI. •6 mission campaign mode. Full Game Additional Features •Play the AI on 3 different difficulty settings. •9 additional campaign missions. •Battle friends face to face with Pass and Play. •Online play with global rankings. •Challenge a friend online.

About

Group Thing

Spark engaging conversations with curated question packs. Break the ice, explore deeper topics, and create lasting memories with friends, family, or teams. Features trivia and customizable gameplay.

Highlights
  • Curated conversation starter packs
  • Trivia packs for general knowledge and entertainment
  • Customizable gameplay options
  • Sleek and intuitive user interface
  • Group engagement for teams and friends
Features
Read full description

Great for Gatherings! Looking for an easy way to spark engaging conversations? Whether it’s connecting with friends, strengthening team dynamics, or deepening personal relationships, Group Thing has you covered. With thoughtfully curated packs of conversation starters, Group Thing helps you break the ice, dive into deeper topics, and create lasting memories. FEATURES: • Variety of Packs: Explore collections like Deep Connections, Fun & Lighthearted, and Love, each designed to bring people closer through conversation. Dive into topics like childhood memories, personal growth, future dreams, and more! • Trivia Fun: Challenge yourself and your friends with trivia packs covering General Knowledge, Entertainment, History & Culture, and more! • Customizable Gameplay: Choose from different packs and collections, personalize your experience, and enjoy hours of meaningful conversation. • Beautiful UI: Enjoy a sleek, intuitive interface with smooth interactions, designed to make your experience seamless. • Group Engagement: Perfect for teams, friends, family gatherings, or even as a fun date night companion. Why Group Thing? Group Thing is a tool to help you foster real connections, whether you’re building trust within a team, strengthening bonds in a relationship, or simply getting to know someone better. Thought-provoking, fun, and sometimes challenging, each question is crafted to help you open up and discover new things about yourself and others. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Star Realms3 screens
Group Thing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Group Thing at 100% against Star Realms's 57%. Group Thing also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). Star Realms's advantage is ratings volume (4.5K vs 7) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Star Realms sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Group Thing sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Group Thing holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Realms has 4.5K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Star Realms's written reviews are positive against 100% of Group Thing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Star Realms ships an update every 11 days, Group Thing every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Star Realms versus Group Thing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStar RealmsGroup Thing
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.5K ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.5K — better7
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size505 MB14 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperWhite Wizard GamesRubotic, Inc.

Customer experience

Star Realms

All ratings4,448 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews401 reviews
Positive56.9%
Neutral11.0%
Negative32.2%

Group Thing

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Star Realms

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game freezes and crashes on launch
  • Online games getting stuck or timing out
  • Inability to scrap or play certain cards
  • Incorrect card behavior and interactions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add undo/rewind functionality
  • Improve offline/single-player experience
  • Implement better matchmaking and player communication
  • Provide more detailed game statistics and analytics

Group Thing

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Star Realms

One-time12
  • High Alert: Invasion$1.99
  • Crisis: Bases and Battleships Set$1.99
  • Crisis: Events Set$1.99
Show 9 more
  • Crisis: Heroes Set$1.99
  • Crisis: Fleets and Fortresses$1.99
  • Command$1.99
  • Gambit Set$3.99
  • Cosmic Gambit$3.99
  • High Alert: First Strike$3.99
  • Full Version$4.99
  • Colony Wars$4.99
  • Frontiers$4.99
1 purchases

Group Thing

Subscriptions1
  • Group Thing Unlimited3 Days trial$5.991 Month

Questions

Is Star Realms free?
Star Realms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Group Thing free?
Group Thing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Star Realms or Group Thing?
Group Thing is rated higher. Star Realms averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Group Thing averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Star Realms or Group Thing have ads?
Neither Star Realms nor Group Thing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Star Realms or Group Thing?
Star Realms ships an update every 11 days, and Group Thing every 4 days. Most recently, Star Realms was updated on October 24, 2026 and Group Thing on October 13, 2026.

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