Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Magic vs Merge Dragons!

Magic 4.4★ · Free + IAP 40
Winner Merge Dragons!
Merge Dragons! 4.7★ · Free + IAP 85

Merge Dragons! is the clear winner due to its significantly higher user satisfaction and fewer reported critical issues, while Magic struggles with stability and a perceived 'pay-to-win' model.

Full reviews: Magic · Merge Dragons!

Magic, a match-3 game with Magic: The Gathering themes, faces significant user frustration due to frequent crashes, server issues, and a perceived 'pay-to-win' monetization strategy. Merge Dragons! boasts a much higher lifetime rating and a massive user base, suggesting a more stable and enjoyable experience, though specific user reviews for Merge Dragons! were not provided for a direct comparison.

Head to head

Features tieR3R5R8R11
Magic Magic offers a unique blend of Magic: The Gathering lore with match-3 gameplay, including deck building and spell casting, which many users find addictive and a good time-killer R5R8R11. However, some users complain about the lack of offline play and cloud save options R3R15.
Merge Dragons! No specific features of Merge Dragons! are mentioned in the provided reviews, but its high rating and large number of reviews suggest a feature set that resonates well with a broad audience.
Ease of Use edge: MagicR8R12R21R39
Magic Magic is generally considered easy to play and pick up, especially for fans of Magic: The Gathering or match-3 games R8R12R39. Some users initially found the UI a little confusing R21.
Merge Dragons! No specific ease of use feedback for Merge Dragons! is available in the provided reviews.
Reliability edge: Merge Dragons!R4R10R13R25
Magic Magic suffers from significant reliability issues, including frequent crashes, especially during important moments or specific challenges R4R25. Users also report being stuck in update loops, server outages, and problems with the game not loading R10R13. Some users experienced lost progress after updates . The game is also reported not to run on certain devices like the iPod Touch R38.
Merge Dragons! No specific reliability issues for Merge Dragons! are mentioned in the provided reviews, and its very high lifetime rating suggests a generally reliable experience for most users.
Price/Value edge: Merge Dragons!R1R7R12R16
Magic Magic is heavily criticized for its 'pay-to-win' model, with many users feeling forced to spend money to progress or compete effectively R1R7R18R20. In-app purchases for crystals are considered pricey, and rewards have been substantially reduced, making the grind for free players much harder R12R16R18R20. Some items have high price tags, like $100 or £30-50 for mythics and card packs .
Merge Dragons! No specific pricing or value feedback for Merge Dragons! is available in the provided reviews.
Support tieR25R38
Magic One user reported writing to email support for Magic and not receiving a reply R25. Another mentioned that support confirmed the game doesn't run on iPod Touch, but without a prospect of a fix R38.
Merge Dragons! No specific support feedback for Merge Dragons! is available in the provided reviews.
Pick Magic if

You are a dedicated Magic: The Gathering fan who enjoys match-3 mechanics and are willing to tolerate frequent bugs, potential 'pay-to-win' pressures, and a lack of offline play for the unique blend of gameplay R5R11R15.

Pick Merge Dragons! if

You are looking for a highly-rated, generally stable free-to-play game with a large player base and fewer reported critical issues, even without specific review details on its gameplay (lifetime 4.7127, 420427 ratings).

Evidence note: The evidence for Merge Dragons! is thin, relying solely on its high lifetime rating and large number of reviews, as no specific user reviews for this app were provided. The comparison for Magic is robust due to numerous detailed reviews.

Frequently asked

Is Magic a pay-to-win game?
Many users report that Magic has become heavily geared towards a 'pay-to-win' model, where spending money on gems and cards provides a significant advantage, making it difficult for free players to progress or compete effectively R1R7R18R20.
Does Magic have cloud save or offline play?
Magic does not appear to have a cloud save or Game Center save option, making it difficult to transfer progress to a new phone R3R30. Additionally, users report that the game cannot be played offline R15.
Are there frequent bugs and crashes in Magic?
Yes, many users report frequent bugs, crashes, and server outages in Magic, often occurring during critical moments in battles or events R4R16R25. Some users also experience issues with the game being stuck in update loops or not loading R10R13.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 50 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R3] Magic 3/5 · GB So far so good: However this app doesn't seem to have a cloud save or Game Centre save option. What if I want to change phone?
  2. [R5] Magic 5/5 · GB Addictive: The combination of MTG and gem matching got me hooked on straight away! Brilliant!
  3. [R8] Magic 5/5 · GB Addictive: An amazing game of MTG, very easy to play lose track of time
  4. [R11] Magic 5/5 · GB Really captures the experience of playing MtG: Very fun game. Effectively a match 3 game very strongly in the theme of mtg, with deck building and casting spells.
  5. [R12] Magic 3/5 · GB Enjoyable: Reasonably easy to play, enjoyable. In-app crystals are a little bit pricey but you can also earn them from playing which helps. Worth a pick me up if you're a magic fan
  6. [R21] Magic 5/5 · GB A very good game: As close to MTG As puzzle quest could be, and as close to Puzzle quest as MTG could be. I've enjoyed playing it even if the UI is a little confusing at first.
  7. [R39] Magic 5/5 · GB Great accompaniment to hearthstone: When I'm away from home I like to play a few games of hearthstone but I recently found this and it's even lighter. You can pick it up and play portrait which is great. You can minimise and reply to texts without breaking gameplay. It's a great app to pick up and play when you have a spare 5 minutes. Highly recommend
  8. [R4] Magic 2/5 · GB Glitch on heroic mode: When I battle Nissa in the heroic challenge and you face Gaia's revenge with evolutionary leap, it keeps crashing whenever that support is destroyed. Please fix it
  9. [R10] Magic 1/5 · GB Won't work. Stuck in update loop: Start game, says there's an update and forces an open of the AppStore. The AppStore doesn't have an update. No way to bypass. Uninstalled.
  10. [R13] Magic 1/5 · GB App sends me to AppStore for update: ...But app stores says I'm upto date and sends me back to App... in a loop right now!!!
  11. [R25] Magic 4/5 · GB Good but...: Hi. Love the game, but keeps kicking me out all the time, and now more with the new update don't let m play at all, I wrote to email support and not even a replay...
  12. [R1] Magic 1/5 · GB Greedy devs get worse with each update: only 1 free card at a time now rather than 3 forcing me to log in every 2 hours. not going to happen think i've hit the end of the road with this - great game but too heavily geared towards pay to win
  13. [R7] Magic 1/5 · GB Just like the real game.: Been playing this for a few months now. Many complaints. The app is very play to win. Somebody that has invested money into getting gems etc. Will have better cards, a better planeswalker, and better ranking than you. All this because they have money to spend. So either you grind forever in the hopes of getting something good. Or just buy everything and win every game wi
  14. [R16] Magic 1/5 · GB This was the best of Mtg and Puzzle Quest...avoid now: I've been playing the game for a year and have decided to downgrade the review to one star. Frequent bugs, a substantial reduction of in-game rewards, and now more expensive purchases. This was fun once...but not any more.
  15. [R38] Magic 1/5 · GB Doesn't run on an iPod Touch - official !!: This game just does not run on an iPod Touch, even when running the latest version of iOS, something that has now finally been confirmed by the game support people. The furthest I got was the screen that invites you to start training. Such a shame! I can't see any real prospect of them fixing this so if you have an iPod Touch don't bother!
  16. [R18] Magic 1/5 · GB Recent update removes enjoyment: I'd read a few reviews before I downloaded this game last month to suggest the game was stacked against players who didn't spend £££'s but found it to be fun nonetheless And a game I was willing to make in app purchases for. The recent update removes any balance and asks for more cash to progress. The daily challenges were fun, but now one comes at a cost to win a
  17. [R20] Magic 1/5 · GB Used to be my favourite game: But now seems to be worse in every way. Prices have only gone up, bugged cards will still rob victories from you, and the ai getting massive cascades, which used to be a necessary balance to make up for the terrible ai, makes a battle against a mythic deck an exercise in frustration. Combine this with having to pay crystals to enter events which used to be a hard won
  18. [R15] Magic 3/5 · GB Cool but some mayor issues: Not being able to play offline is a total bummer. Completely awful.
  19. [R30] Magic 1/5 · GB Only buy if you never plan to upgrade your phone: This is a well written game that hooks into the Magic universe well. The game gives you lots of free things and encourages you to make any in-app purchases. Given how quickly you can rack up these purchases, it is inexcusable that there is no game center integration, local play or a way of properly synchronising your account. To restore your purch

Synthesized from 50 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store