Istanbul: Digital Edition Mocha & Baksheesh expansion launches on iOS and Android
Coffee enters the bazaar
- Mocha & Baksheesh adds coffee mechanics and fresh board locations
- Base game updated to version 1.2.3 with stability and QoL fixes
- Limited-time 20% discount available on Android
Is that coffee I smell? Istanbul: Digital Edition has just rolled out its Mocha & Baksheesh expansion on Steam, iOS, and Android, adding fresh locations to one of the most respected digital board game adaptations around. If you’ve already memorised the optimal ruby routes in the base version, this is your excuse to start second-guessing them.
Mocha & Baksheesh builds directly on the core loop that made Istanbul a favourite in the first place. You’re still guiding your merchant and four assistants across 16 locations, carefully dropping helpers off to handle transactions while you plan your next move.
But the expansion introduces new spaces and mechanics that subtly shift how you approach efficiency. Coffee becomes part of the economic dance, and as with everything in Istanbul, timing is everything.
The underlying goal still remains delightfully simple – take an action, leave an assistant behind, and don’t strand yourself without support. Every route across the board is a calculation. Every ruby feels earned.
Alongside the DLC, the base game has been updated to version 1.2.3 across all platforms. The patch focuses on performance improvements, stability tweaks, controller fixes, and a handful of QoL additions, including a reduce motion option and better camera centring. Nothing flashy, but exactly the sort of improvement that matters in a strategy game built on clarity.
To celebrate the launch, there’s a limited-time 20% discount on Steam and Android through March 12th, while the App Store discount applies to the in-app purchase through March 5th.
If you’ve somehow never tried it, Istanbul remains a meticulous, thoughtful adaptation of the original board game, complete with AI difficulty options, cross-platform multiplayer, and pass-and-play modes.
And if you’re in the mood for more tabletop classics on your phone, have a look at our list of the best digital board games on iOS.
