# Warlands — Turn-based strategy game

> Turn-based strategy game for world domination with unit and territory management. (iPhone/iPad app by W-Cubed Studios, LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/warlands/id493806952 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [W-Cubed Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/493806955)
- Category: Games, Board, Strategy
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.00/5 from 167 App Store ratings · 92 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 23 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-07-11
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/warlands/id493806952/reviews.md

## What is Warlands?

Warlands is a turn-based strategy game where your goal is to destroy your enemies and take over the map until you achieve total world domination. 

You can play up to 7 other people or computers, either on the same device or over the internet.

You are able to place two different types of units (one that is better at attacking, and one that is better at defending), and there are six different types of territory: plains, impassable mountains, treacherous water, defensive towers, cunning forests, and unit production centers.

The free base game comes with three styles of maps in three sizes each.  Additional map packs can be purchased for 99 cents.  Purchase of any map pack removes advertisements.

Full instructions at WarlandsGame.com

---------
Map Packs:

The Divided Lands - Includes spiral, layers, and cubes maps

The High Seas - Includes fire-islands, whirlpool, and water-world maps

The Desolate Country - Includes bases, rapid-growth, and continents maps

## Key features

- Turn-based strategy gameplay
- World domination objective
- Multiplayer (local & online)
- Two unit types (attack/defense)
- Six territory types
- Multiple map styles and sizes

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Map Pack - The Divided Lands | $0.99 | one-time |
| Map Pack - The High Seas | $0.99 | one-time |
| Map Pack - The Desolate Country | $0.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Warlands?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👍 Simple and easy-to-learn mechanics
- 🎮 Fun turn-based strategy gameplay
- 👥 Local multiplayer support with friends
- 🎯 Addictive and engaging gameplay loop
- ⚡ Quick turn notifications for online play
- 🧠 Good strategic depth despite simplicity
- 🎲 Fog of war adds tactical complexity
- 💰 Free-to-play with optional DLC maps
- 🏆 Works well as a time-killer game
- 🤝 Asynchronous multiplayer functionality

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 📱 Game becomes unplayable on startup
- 🎬 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🤖 AI difficulty is inconsistent and unbalanced
- 📊 Limited number of free maps (only 3)
- 🎨 Poor UI/UX design and aesthetics
- 🔧 Menu controls are unintuitive
- ⚙️ Camera movement issues during AI turns
- 🎪 Screen flashing and visual glitches
- 👥 Small player base makes online play difficult
- 🔄 No way to quit matches without completing them
- ⏱️ Slow turn placement and loading times
- 🎭 Lack of visual polish and textures

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Game freezes on home screen at startup
- Buttons unresponsive on launch screen
- App crashes 30 seconds after opening
- Troop placement lag and loading delays
- Screen flashing during enemy turns causing headaches
- Camera launching into blank space when zooming
- Fog of war causing performance issues
- Game crashes when changing match settings
- Hexes not accepting troop placement
- In-app purchase system not working
- DLC maps unable to be purchased
- Notifications not working properly

**Most requested features**

- Custom map creation tool
- Additional unit types (cavalry, faster units)
- Castle and bridge construction mechanics
- Team/alliance gameplay modes
- Campaign mode or story progression
- More maps and game modes
- Faster AI turn speed options
- Real-world map packs (continents, countries)
- Better damage system explanation
- Improved graphics and textures
- Battle music and sound effects
- Discord integration for finding opponents
- Ability to freely move camera during AI turns
- Remove ads option or ad-free purchase
- Team battle functionality
- Larger map sizes

## Recent user reviews (10 of 92)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/warlands/id493806952/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Fun but needs a skip button

*2026-07-25, version 1.23.0*

So tired of waiting for AI, I have adhd and it drives me freaking bonkers having to wait for them to finish their turn. I love this game and would play it all the time IF I didn’t have to wait

### 1/5 — RNG simulator

*2026-06-21, version 1.23.0*

The AI has no logic and will attack randomly, letting the leading army run away with the game.

### 5/5 — Great game

*2026-02-03, version 1.23.0*

A lot of fun Ttrpg based battle strategy, map effects units, plus! Been trying to dev a similar type game it’s a great underrated style of game

### 4/5 — Good but could use more

*2025-11-28, version 1.23.0*

This is a nice simple game and I love it however it would be nice if you could construct castles and bridges. Additional units would be nice too such as a cavalry or some other unit that could move twice in one turn.

### 4/5 — My Honest Review

*2025-10-05, version 1.23.0*

As an avid player, I find this to be a fun and simple game with easy-to-learn mechanics, however I would also like to say that it isn’t perfect.

If there is one thing I would say that this game does perfectly, it is nailing a fairly solid tactical war game to play when you’re bored or wanna kill time—because, after all, it’s hard to go wrong with a game as simple as hexagons attacking each other. 

A few things I would like to see:

Add faster speed options with AI turns, add an option where you can freely move the camera during an AI turn without it returning to where the AI madd a move, and PERHAPS make a few more maps freely available (I do understand that may be hard to do due to balancing fewer ads with how many things can be free).

Thank you for reading this.

### 4/5 — Bad AI

*2025-09-27, version 1.23.0*

Fun game and concept but even on HARD the ai is terrible.

### 3/5 — Bad mechanics ugly ui

*2025-09-23, version 1.23.0*

Bad game and only get three maps with main purchase. Go play the battle for polytopia. It’s better and cheaper.

### 5/5 — pretty good

*2025-08-27, version 1.23.0*

simple but pretty fun, custom maps would be a nice addition. 

there is a bug where if you zoom in/out while the camera is moving to show the computers move, it will launch the camera far away into blank space

### 3/5 — Potential

*2025-07-14, version 1.22.0*

While there is a good idea here and somewhat good mechanics, this game has a loooong way to go before it’s actually desirable. 

The controls on the menu are by far my biggest complaint. And the only way to get rid of a boring match on the menu is to go back in and complete the match, no backing out or anything similar.

Keep updating though! And this may become a great game yet.

### 4/5 — Custom maps

*2025-06-18, version 1.22.0*

A really fun game, but I wish we could create our own maps. I get that it might make purchasing the DLCs obsolete, but giving us the option to design our own battlefields as a perk for buying all the expansions would be a nice feature.

## Frequently asked questions about Warlands

### What is Warlands?

Warlands is a turn-based strategy game focused on achieving world domination. Players deploy different unit types across various territories to defeat opponents and conquer the map.

### How many players can play Warlands?

You can play with up to seven other players or computer opponents. The game supports both local play on a single device and online multiplayer.

### What are the different types of units and territories?

There are two types of units: one optimized for attacking and another for defending. The game features six territory types: plains, mountains, water, defensive towers, forests, and unit production centers.

### Is Warlands free to play?

The base game is free and includes three map styles in three sizes. Additional map packs can be purchased for $0.99 each, and buying any map pack also removes advertisements.

### What are the use cases for Warlands?

This app is ideal for players looking for a deep strategic experience, whether playing solo against AI or engaging in competitive matches with friends online or locally. It's designed for those who enjoy planning and tactical decision-making.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.23.0 — 2025-08-05

- Fixed some layout issues
- Fixed some instances where the game would freeze

### 1.22.0 — 2021-07-02

- Improved map animations
- Fixed bugs, and other behind-the-scenes updates

### 1.21.0 — 2018-12-05

- Support for iPhone X, XS, and XR screens
- Added new settings menu option for easier access to certain settings

### 1.20.1 — 2017-05-31

Hello loyal Warlands fans!  Thank you for your continued support.  This new version:
- Removes the obtrusive full-screen advertisements for all users
- Resolves the "This app needs to be updated" alert
- Addresses various crashes
- Adds support for newer screen sizes and devices
- If an online player doesn't take their turn in 14 days, player is removed and the game will pass onto next player

This new version also includes a lot of behind-the-scenes updates.  If you encounter any issues, please reach out to: support@wcubedstudios.com.  Thanks!

### 1.18.1 — 2013-10-17

- Reduced default automatch player amount to 4
- Fixed starting games against players from GameCenter
- Added ability to pause and change speed during remote playback
- Fixed the instructions being cut off in iOS 7, and other UI tweaks
- Fixed several issues with the application crashing and freezing

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## Related topics

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*