# Deep Town vs Forge Ahead

Deep Town and Forge Ahead both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 76% of Deep Town's written reviews are positive against 41% of Forge Ahead's. Forge Ahead's advantage is ratings volume (85K vs 12K) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Deep Town sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Forge Ahead sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Deep Town holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Forge Ahead has 85K ratings behind it against 12K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Deep Town's written reviews are positive against 41% of Forge Ahead's.

Deep Town ships an update every 5 weeks, Forge Ahead monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Deep Town | Forge Ahead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deep-town-mining-idle-games/id1202240058/reviews)** | [4.6 (85K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forge-ahead-be-a-blacksmith/id1485491919/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 12K | **85K** |
| Positive reviews | **75.9% of reviews** | 41.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 229 MB | 254 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Game Veterans](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574181686) | [Lion Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1362220666) |

## What reviewers say

### Deep Town

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deep-town-mining-idle-games/id1202240058)

Manage idle mines, automate resource collection with bots, and build a thriving factory town. Craft valuable items, upgrade buildings, and expand your production line to earn cash and discover new crafting opportunities.

**Highlights:** Automate workflow for idle income, Mine resources offline, Upgrade trading portal for earnings, Assign bots for increased motivation, Smart bot and material management, Manage mines, chemistry, and oil stations, Mine over 15 different resources, Crafting and production buildings

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Special offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fistful of Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Special offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pouch of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $5.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $7.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Unique mechanics
- 💡 Interesting story and lore
- 🚀 Offline progression
- 👍 No forced ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💰 Excessive ads and in-app purchases
- ⏱️ Slow progression
- 🔒 Unreliable save/restore functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Inventory/crafting issues
- Expedition system not working properly
- Inconsistent performance and crashes
- Incorrect/missing game data

**Requested features**

- Ability to queue/batch crafting
- More customization options
- Improved tutorial and onboarding
- Better resource management tools


### Forge Ahead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forge-ahead-be-a-blacksmith/id1485491919)

Mine exotic metals and precious gems, then hammer them into beautifully crafted swords. Run your own armory to display your creations and earn money to unlock even better materials and designs. Enjoy addictive gameplay that lets you earn even when offline.

**Highlights:** Mine exotic metals and gems, Hammer molten metal into swords, Run your own armory, Unlock new materials and designs, Earn money offline, Addictive tap-based mechanics

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tier 1 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Upgrade Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tier 2 Coins | $6.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Tier 3 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Satisfying forging process
- 🚀 Casual time-killer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of clarity on ore values
- 🔍 Repetitive and limited gameplay
- 💸 Excessive ads and monetization
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to store/save forged swords
- Customers not appearing consistently

**Requested features**

- More ore/material variety and selection
- Additional weapon types beyond swords
- Ability to discard unwanted ores
- More detailed progression and upgrades
- Improved customer/quest system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Deep Town free?

Deep Town is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Forge Ahead free?

Forge Ahead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Deep Town or Forge Ahead?

Deep Town is rated higher. Deep Town averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Forge Ahead averages 4.6 from 85K ratings.

### Do Deep Town or Forge Ahead have ads?

Both Deep Town and Forge Ahead show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Deep Town or Forge Ahead?

Deep Town ships an update every 5 weeks, and Forge Ahead monthly. Most recently, Deep Town was updated on November 1, 2026 and Forge Ahead on November 1, 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.*