# Back Wars vs MA 1

The clearest difference is rating: MA 1 at 4.3 against Back Wars's 3.6. MA 1 also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 13 months). Back Wars's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 14.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Back Wars sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MA 1 sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MA 1 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 773 and 823 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Back Wars's written reviews are positive against 48% of MA 1's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Back Wars ships an update every 13 months, MA 1 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Back Wars | MA 1 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (773 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/back-wars/id1406814938/reviews) | **[4.3 (823 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ma-1-president-simulator/id1501305792/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 773 | **823** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 48.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 80 MB | 625 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [MDickie Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/498978165) | [OXIWYLE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1173670374) |

## What reviewers say

### Back Wars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/back-wars/id1406814938)

Lead a historical resistance against a time-traveling army. Command hundreds of warriors from diverse cultures, focusing on individual heroes or vast armies. Experience strategic world domination combined with interactive battles.

**Highlights:** Lead diverse warrior armies, Command individual units or entire armies, Interactive real-time battles, Territory conquest and defense, Customizable controls (1-handed, dual wield), Fantasy battle mode, Character editing

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| King Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and challenging gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept with past, present, and future factions
- 🚀 Engaging campaign mode

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🔢 Unbalanced difficulty progression
- ⚔️ Unfair weapon advantages for certain factions
- 🐅 Annoying animal attacks
- ⏱️ Slow character recovery time

**Reported bugs**

- Game takeover by AI during battles
- Inability to customize characters
- Disappearing weapons and items
- Forced retreats due to map boundaries

**Requested features**

- Add ability to choose faction
- Improve weapon and character balance
- Reduce dialogue interruptions during battles
- Implement friendly fire option
- Optimize performance and reduce lag


### MA 1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ma-1-president-simulator/id1501305792)

Lead any modern nation as its president in this geopolitical strategy game. Manage your country's economy, military, and diplomacy to expand your territory and prove your leadership. Make crucial decisions about laws, religion, and taxes to ensure your civilization's prosperity.

**Highlights:** Lead any modern state, Manage economy and military, Engage in diplomacy and trade, Enact laws and choose religion, Develop new technologies, Build military infrastructure

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7-Day Subscription | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| 600 crystals | $0.99 | one-time |
| Nuclear program | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Accelerated Time | $0.99 | one-time |
| +1 000 000 gold | $1.99 | one-time |
| +10 000 gold per day | $2.99 | one-time |
| Easy start for any state | $4.99 | one-time |
| Presidential set | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gem Madness | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Addictive gameplay
- 🌍 Realistic geopolitical simulation
- 🕹️ Engaging strategic elements
- 👍 Enjoyable overall experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Monetization issues and pay-to-win elements
- 🕰️ Slow progression and tedious resource management
- 🤯 Confusing or unclear mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes after exiting and trying to reopen
- Freezing and black screen issues on certain devices
- Negative resource values and other data inconsistencies
- Inability to save progress or restore purchases

**Requested features**

- Add more countries and political systems
- Improve user interface and accessibility
- Introduce multiplayer and alliance features
- Expand event system and historical scenarios


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Back Wars free?

Back Wars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MA 1 free?

MA 1 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Back Wars or MA 1?

MA 1 is rated higher. Back Wars averages 3.6 out of 5 from 773 ratings, while MA 1 averages 4.3 from 823 ratings.

### Do Back Wars or MA 1 have ads?

MA 1 shows ads; Back Wars does not.

### Which is updated more often, Back Wars or MA 1?

Back Wars ships an update every 13 months, and MA 1 every 2 weeks. Most recently, Back Wars was updated on November 9, 2026 and MA 1 on November 7, 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.*
