Review Insights · App Store
Cartographers
BrettspielWelt · 108 ratings · ★ 3.2
3.2
★★★★★
108 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 26 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"game"
17 negative reviews mention this · 65% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Freezes. The game constantly freezes, making it literally unplayable and borderline scam. Do not buy." - midGRAY
2
"play"
8 negative reviews mention this · 31% of all complaints
★★★★★ "NOT MULTIPLAYER. Keep in mind this is SOLO ONLY, aka it does NOT allow multiplayer, not even hot seat. And you won't be able to get a refund either." - H. Bettega
3
"online"
6 negative reviews mention this · 23% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Online should be optional. My login was reset, now I cannot get online because I don’t maintain a bunch of email addresses. Request a method to recover my username without having to create a new login…. I cannot login. It forces me to use create a new account. How …" - Zheiden
4
"buggy"
5 negative reviews mention this · 19% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Buggy enough to make it frustrating. Since there’s no save along the way the bugs make this app horrible 1) no return to last game if the app is unloaded by iOS 2) sometimes tap location bugs out where the tapped location triggers 1-2 tiles below where my finger tapped 3) som…" - quinoje
5
"every"
5 negative reviews mention this · 19% of all complaints
★★★★★ "The monsters are ridiculous. When I play with the physical game and the cards are truly random, I very rarely get more than one monster in a row or two per game. Occasionally, but not almost every time. It ruins the game. Sometimes 3 in a row, usually the last round. …" - Ray, Ray, Ray
6
"cannot"
4 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Online should be optional. My login was reset, now I cannot get online because I don’t maintain a bunch of email addresses. Request a method to recover my username without having to create a new login…. I cannot login. It forces me to use create a new account. How …" - Zheiden
7
"refund"
4 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "NOT MULTIPLAYER. Keep in mind this is SOLO ONLY, aka it does NOT allow multiplayer, not even hot seat. And you won't be able to get a refund either." - H. Bettega
8
"unplayable"
4 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Freezes. The game constantly freezes, making it literally unplayable and borderline scam. Do not buy." - midGRAY
9
"doesn"
4 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Doesn’t work. The game is trash. It’s impossible to select areas desired. Absolute waste of money." - Cad1234$/!
10
"work"
4 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Doesn’t work. The game is trash. It’s impossible to select areas desired. Absolute waste of money." - Cad1234$/!
11
"bugs"
4 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Buggy enough to make it frustrating. Since there’s no save along the way the bugs make this app horrible 1) no return to last game if the app is unloaded by iOS 2) sometimes tap location bugs out where the tapped location triggers 1-2 tiles below where my finger tapped 3) som…" - quinoje
12
"being"
4 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Awful Sound design. The app functions from a gameplay standpoint but this app has the most laughable sound design I’ve ever experienced, to the point it makes the game unenjoyable. First off, there is no background music or ambience. When something triggers in…" - Convicsik
📋 All 26 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Online should be optional
My login was reset, now I cannot get online because I don’t maintain a bunch of email addresses. Request a method to recover my username without having to create a new login….
I cannot login. It forces me to use create a new account.
How am ito restore purchases?
I cannot login. It forces me to use create a new account.
How am ito restore purchases?
NOT MULTIPLAYER
Keep in mind this is SOLO ONLY, aka it does NOT allow multiplayer, not even hot seat. And you won't be able to get a refund either.
Freezes
The game constantly freezes, making it literally unplayable and borderline scam. Do not buy.
Doesn’t work
The game is trash. It’s impossible to select areas desired. Absolute waste of money.
Buggy enough to make it frustrating
Since there’s no save along the way the bugs make this app horrible
1) no return to last game if the app is unloaded by iOS
2) sometimes tap location bugs out where the tapped location triggers 1-2 tiles below where my finger tapped
3) sometimes game gets into a no next card state right after scoring a season
1) no return to last game if the app is unloaded by iOS
2) sometimes tap location bugs out where the tapped location triggers 1-2 tiles below where my finger tapped
3) sometimes game gets into a no next card state right after scoring a season
Unplayable
I could not even properly click the spots on the map that I wanted to “color” in. I can’t believe I had to pay for this and couldn’t even play it.
Too many bugs to be playable
The jist of the game is there and sure there could be many features added, but the bugs make it unplayable. The touch is off so you can't pick boxes you need or it incorrectly picks them making the game unplayable. May have to refund this game. So much potential, but the ball was definitely dropped
Doesn’t work on a phone
My fingers must be too big as it will not work on my phone. I cannot place an object where I want it to and it won’t select the shape the direction I want it to. Waste of $4.
Needs a zoom so you can read things and be able to actually place an object. Wasted 10 minutes trying to put an object in place
Needs a zoom so you can read things and be able to actually place an object. Wasted 10 minutes trying to put an object in place
Utter crap
Wow…how is this app for sale right now? It is incredibly broken. You can’t tap the interface it is nearly impossible and the grid placement is off by a square! I have to tap the square ABOVE the square I want to place. It is painful.
No pass and play.
If they simply state it in the description they wouldn’t get a poor review.
Single player online
I wish it was more clear that this is only single player. That needs to change! Feel like I wasted my money.
The monsters are ridiculous
When I play with the physical game and the cards are truly random, I very rarely get more than one monster in a row or two per game. Occasionally, but not almost every time. It ruins the game. Sometimes 3 in a row, usually the last round. Sometimes early on… You either spend the majority of the game working around the monsters or they all come in the last round where you don’t have time to do anything. Complained about this a year ago. Forgot I had the game, started playing again and was reminded how bad it was. I see that others have complained about it too.
It would be great if it weren’t for the monsters being so ridiculously over done… the other thing that happens a lot is getting ruins spaces right after the monsters where you can’t fill in the spaces properly: Randomly and Occasionally would be fine but this is almost every game.
Also, a true option for multiplayer would be appreciated. I wonder if the developers even pay attention to our pleas given that the same concerns are echoed over and over.
It would be great if it weren’t for the monsters being so ridiculously over done… the other thing that happens a lot is getting ruins spaces right after the monsters where you can’t fill in the spaces properly: Randomly and Occasionally would be fine but this is almost every game.
Also, a true option for multiplayer would be appreciated. I wonder if the developers even pay attention to our pleas given that the same concerns are echoed over and over.
Can’t complete one game
Every time I draw a marshlands card, I can not place tiles on the board. This means I get stuck at that point and can not complete my game. This is so frustrating. I would like a refund as this is currently unplayable. I’m using iPhone 12.
App is very buggy
Just started a game and 3 times the game stopped responding.
I had to close the app, swipe to remove the preview pane, and start over again
I had to close the app, swipe to remove the preview pane, and start over again
Janky
Very janky app
2024 and still no ipad orientation?
I bought it and was excited to play it .. on my ipad .. that is mounted to my magic keyboard …
.. too bad the game is in the dark ages and doesn’t orient to landscape .. I’m not even going to try to play this game.
Fix this.
.. too bad the game is in the dark ages and doesn’t orient to landscape .. I’m not even going to try to play this game.
Fix this.
Awful Sound design
The app functions from a gameplay standpoint but this app has the most laughable sound design I’ve ever experienced, to the point it makes the game unenjoyable. First off, there is no background music or ambience. When something triggers in the game it will play these really bad audio samples that don’t fit the theme of the game at all and we’re clearly bought or resourced from a generic music collection. The worst offender which is lol hilarious is the music that plays when points are being counted, which for some bizarre reason is like a foreboding synth wave track that sounds like it came from a 1980s B rate slasher movie. Like why would you play that music for scoring lol. Very amateur effort. Would not recommend.
Software not all that
It would be great if the software worked better, but it needs more work before it is a descent app. I am returning it. 2 stars for the gameplay itself working fine.
Good game - probably five stars when they fix all the problems
1. I have registration issues almost every time I sign into the game. 2. Every time he ruins card comes up my game freezes and it’s over I need to reset the game hope one of those cards doesn’t come up.
I’m using a late 2019 iPad Pro so I know it’s not my iPad
I’m using a late 2019 iPad Pro so I know it’s not my iPad
Okay to learn the basics...
It’s good if you are thinking about learning how the game works and if you are thinking about buying the physical copy. Don’t expect anything more than that.
Issues it has:
-No online play or pass and play - you are just basically playing solo trying to beat your previous scores.
-As people have mentioned, monster randomization and placement has no variety through the AI.
-Sound design is seriously lacking.
-It is buggy sometimes.
-No tutorial - you have to read the rules to know what's going on.
It is fun to play and the visuals are good, but the app just feels rushed and unpolished.
Issues it has:
-No online play or pass and play - you are just basically playing solo trying to beat your previous scores.
-As people have mentioned, monster randomization and placement has no variety through the AI.
-Sound design is seriously lacking.
-It is buggy sometimes.
-No tutorial - you have to read the rules to know what's going on.
It is fun to play and the visuals are good, but the app just feels rushed and unpolished.
Needs work
Only one mode available unless logged in. But to create an account, you need to read German. And even if you do create an account, multiple reviews reveal the online aspect is buggy.
The game itself is implemented well, so hopefully they fix the other issues. I honestly don’t know how they passed Apple review in the current state.
The game itself is implemented well, so hopefully they fix the other issues. I honestly don’t know how they passed Apple review in the current state.
Player Registration is STILL broken!
It won't recognize my previously registered identity nor allow me to create a new one and I'm thus blocked from a lot of the game's promised content. I'll demand a refund if not updated in a timely manner.
Issues with App
I own this board game, and it’s a super fun game! Having said that, I think this app has some issues translating it to a digital play format.
1 - The App no longer lets me sign in. When I first opened it I made a login name and linked my e-mail to my login name. It worked fine. But a couple of days later, the app seems to have forgotten my login name, shows me as OFFLINE, and whenever I place in my e-mail it no longer sends me a confirmation e-mail to log in. This means I don’t have access to compete in the tournaments or look at any of my personal standings of the few games I had played before. I wish there would be a login button or something to allow me to log back in.
2 - There is an odd lag for scoring. Every time I play, even though I am supposedly “OFFLINE” (according to the game itself) it takes a little while to register my final scores at the end of the round. I know with games like these there usually is a (very small) pause time between finishing the round and scoring, but the lag almost feels like an old computer that is about to crash. It is a bit annoying as other app games I have do not have this response time lag and do not behave this way.
3 - There is no way to check on many rules on how to play the game while you’re playing. Fortunately I am familiar with the game itself, but I can see this being a big issue if you do not know the game very well. This may prevent many people from wanting to play the game online or buying this app.
4 - If you accidentally close the app mid-game, you cannot return to it. This is not playing live against opponents. The whole time I was just playing against myself. The app is in solo-mode always! So why does it not just keep or save the game half-way through it or however much you have advanced? I don’t understand.
I really hope these issues can be solved as I would like to continue playing this game online.
1 - The App no longer lets me sign in. When I first opened it I made a login name and linked my e-mail to my login name. It worked fine. But a couple of days later, the app seems to have forgotten my login name, shows me as OFFLINE, and whenever I place in my e-mail it no longer sends me a confirmation e-mail to log in. This means I don’t have access to compete in the tournaments or look at any of my personal standings of the few games I had played before. I wish there would be a login button or something to allow me to log back in.
2 - There is an odd lag for scoring. Every time I play, even though I am supposedly “OFFLINE” (according to the game itself) it takes a little while to register my final scores at the end of the round. I know with games like these there usually is a (very small) pause time between finishing the round and scoring, but the lag almost feels like an old computer that is about to crash. It is a bit annoying as other app games I have do not have this response time lag and do not behave this way.
3 - There is no way to check on many rules on how to play the game while you’re playing. Fortunately I am familiar with the game itself, but I can see this being a big issue if you do not know the game very well. This may prevent many people from wanting to play the game online or buying this app.
4 - If you accidentally close the app mid-game, you cannot return to it. This is not playing live against opponents. The whole time I was just playing against myself. The app is in solo-mode always! So why does it not just keep or save the game half-way through it or however much you have advanced? I don’t understand.
I really hope these issues can be solved as I would like to continue playing this game online.
Good but Extremely Buggy
I’m enjoying this game, but I’m taking one star off for each of the following that severely impact enjoyment and performance.
1. The registration system stinks. It worked the first time and then required reregistration a day later. Turns out you have to register EVERY TIME the app is booted fresh (in other words, if you ever see the bootup screen for the game, the registration is wiped out and has to be redone). Not being registered means you can’t be online with the game to participate in the weekly event or have your scores recorded in your personal score list. To top it off, currently, the registration system will no longer even send the registration code to my email (and no it’s not getting sent to my spam my mistake, I checked), so I can’t be online with the game at all. I wished they used the Apple Game Center system instead. You should only have to register ONE TIME at most.
2. If you have to exit the current game, you cannot resume your game. You have to start all over. Note, I’m not referring to temporarily going to the home screen or an app or two.
3. When in a game, you can’t access the rule book without exiting the current game. Hopefully, this won’t bug me as much when I’m comfortable with the rules. Also, exiting the game is extremely unintuitive and difficult to understand how to do. Maybe the developer has done this to discourage users from exiting because it wipes the current game out and you cannot resume it.
I’m certain and hopeful these bugs and interface design mistakes can be fixed soon, so if you’re reading this review in a few months, it might be fixed. I’ll try to remember to update my review if these bugs are fixed. Despite, my bad review, the game has extreme potential. I recommend purchase if you have an interest in the board game to help support the developers to get the bugs fixed. It’s still fun, mostly, but I’m PO’d by not being able to track my scores.
1. The registration system stinks. It worked the first time and then required reregistration a day later. Turns out you have to register EVERY TIME the app is booted fresh (in other words, if you ever see the bootup screen for the game, the registration is wiped out and has to be redone). Not being registered means you can’t be online with the game to participate in the weekly event or have your scores recorded in your personal score list. To top it off, currently, the registration system will no longer even send the registration code to my email (and no it’s not getting sent to my spam my mistake, I checked), so I can’t be online with the game at all. I wished they used the Apple Game Center system instead. You should only have to register ONE TIME at most.
2. If you have to exit the current game, you cannot resume your game. You have to start all over. Note, I’m not referring to temporarily going to the home screen or an app or two.
3. When in a game, you can’t access the rule book without exiting the current game. Hopefully, this won’t bug me as much when I’m comfortable with the rules. Also, exiting the game is extremely unintuitive and difficult to understand how to do. Maybe the developer has done this to discourage users from exiting because it wipes the current game out and you cannot resume it.
I’m certain and hopeful these bugs and interface design mistakes can be fixed soon, so if you’re reading this review in a few months, it might be fixed. I’ll try to remember to update my review if these bugs are fixed. Despite, my bad review, the game has extreme potential. I recommend purchase if you have an interest in the board game to help support the developers to get the bugs fixed. It’s still fun, mostly, but I’m PO’d by not being able to track my scores.
bare minimum
There is no in game menu to restart, no multiplayer pass and play, the game has bugs with map selection.
Slow, clunky
A quick game like this shouldn’t drag. Feels like an old app
Sentiment summary
50%
Positive (4-5★)
17%
Neutral (3★)
33%
Negative (1-2★)