# XenoShyft vs Maracaibo Digital

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Maracaibo Digital at none against XenoShyft's 6. XenoShyft's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months) and price ($4.99 vs $7.99). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

XenoShyft costs $4.99 and Maracaibo Digital $7.99 up front. XenoShyft sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Maracaibo Digital asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.5 for XenoShyft against 3.5 for Maracaibo Digital. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 51 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of XenoShyft's written reviews are positive against 43% of Maracaibo Digital's.

XenoShyft ships an update monthly, Maracaibo Digital every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | XenoShyft | Maracaibo Digital |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $7.99 |
| Rating | **[3.5 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xenoshyft/id981289341/reviews)** | [3.5 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maracaibo-digital/id1518834089/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 28 | **51** |
| Positive reviews | **45.8% of reviews** | 43.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 504 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Twin Sails Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135862620) | [Spiralburst Studio, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1253795262) |

## What reviewers say

### XenoShyft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xenoshyft/id981289341)

Defend your base from relentless alien waves in this cooperative deck-building strategy game. Coordinate with up to three other players to outfit your troops, plan your defenses, and survive nine rounds of intense combat.

**Highlights:** 1-4 player cooperative gameplay, Deck-building mechanics, Base defense strategy, Strategic planning and coordination, Inventive armor and weapon upgrades, Beautifully illustrated universe

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grafting Lab | $0.99 | one-time |
| Psychogenics Lab | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Hive Expansion | $0.99 | one-time |
| NorTec Elite | $1.99 | one-time |
| Forbidden Sciences | $2.99 | one-time |
| Dreadmire | $3.99 | one-time |


### Maracaibo Digital

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maracaibo-digital/id1518834089)

Embark on a swashbuckling adventure across the Caribbean. Upgrade your ship, complete quests, and battle opponents. Strategize with hundreds of unique cards on a dynamic board that changes each round.

**Highlights:** Interactive tutorial, Solo play against Automa, Pass and play multiplayer, Campaign Mode with permanent changes, Includes 'La Armada' expansion cards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Faithful board game adaptation
- 👍 Good tutorial
- 👍 Thematic music
- 👍 Smooth gameplay (when not buggy)
- 👍 Helpful developers (on Discord)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unplayable due to bugs
- 🐛 Screen orientation issues
- 🐛 Missing AI opponents
- 🐛 Limited undo functionality
- 🐛 Poorly managed screen real estate

**Reported bugs**

- App stuck in portrait/landscape orientation
- Game freezes or locks up
- Screen locked, half the game off-screen
- Cannot scroll down to see the bottom of the board
- Card drawing issues

**Requested features**

- Add computer AI opponents
- Implement online multiplayer (real-time and asynchronous)
- Add undo/restart turn functionality
- Include a back button in the tutorial
- Improve handling of larger system fonts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is XenoShyft free?

XenoShyft costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Maracaibo Digital free?

Maracaibo Digital costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, XenoShyft or Maracaibo Digital?

XenoShyft is rated higher. XenoShyft averages 3.5 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while Maracaibo Digital averages 3.5 from 51 ratings.

### Do XenoShyft or Maracaibo Digital have ads?

Neither XenoShyft nor Maracaibo Digital shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, XenoShyft or Maracaibo Digital?

XenoShyft ships an update monthly, and Maracaibo Digital every 7 months. Most recently, XenoShyft was updated on November 1, 2026 and Maracaibo Digital on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*