Comparison

Back Wars vs Countryballs at War

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Back Wars

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
Read full description

When an army travels back in time to rule the world 1,000 years in advance, they get more than they bargained for from their primitive counterparts! Lead the resistance with hundreds of warriors from different cultures all over the world. Focus on one individual or step back to command an entire army at your fingertips. Combining world-dominating strategy with fully interactive battles, this game offers the best of both worlds! And just when you think it's over, history might just repeat itself... UPGRADES The game is mostly free to play, but you can upgrade to take control of your experience - choosing which side and how much territory to start with. You can also blow off steam with fantasy battles between any 2 cultures - and as many warriors as your device can handle! For what it's worth, you can also edit every character in the world - but please note that this game uses up to 1,000 of them that are regularly replaced. CONTROLS When controlling a specific character, this game offers either the "Classic" 1-handed control system or "Dual Wield" where each hand is controlled separately. If you are not already familiar with these from previous games in the series, you can pause the action at any time by hitting the dateline and then study the "Controls" guide. Also look out for in-game hints from scrolls or books that you can read. In this game, you can change which member of the team you are controlling at any time by either tapping the health meter or literally pointing to them on the battlefield. By tapping the arrows at the bottom of the screen, you can also activate "Commander" mode where you step back and direct any active member of your team by simply swiping from their location to another. Whether you intend them to relocate, fight an enemy, or pick up an object, they will try to make sense of your instructions. But please bear in mind that they can only do so at their convenience and may have other priorities! Whatever device or control method you are using, you can always zoom in or out by pinching at the centre of the screen. MAP The main "Campaign" game mode requires you to increase your territory by moving units from one area to any connected one. You can either "fortify" an existing territory or attempt to seize a rival territory. Note that only 50% of the units in a territory will be available to travel - which necessarily makes it harder to invade than it is to defend. The population of any inhabited territory may grow after each round, so it is important to control as many as possible. Notice that units will also gradually heal over time, so it is a good idea to work with different locations each turn. PERFORMANCE Please note that this is the largest scale game I have made yet, and may require a high-end device to run at 100%. Consider keeping the "Population" low to reduce the number of characters on screen, or tone down other features in the "Display" options. I regret there is more to this game than I could ever explain here, so I hope you enjoy figuring some things out for yourself!

About

Countryballs at War

Engage in a grand strategy wargame where you lead a countryball nation to world domination. Combine turn-based empire building with real-time battles, diplomacy, and unique unit upgrades. Conquer territories and rise as the ultimate superpower in this offline single-player experience.

Highlights
  • Diplomacy and conquest
  • Turn-based strategy planning
  • Real-time battles
  • Unique countryball units and upgrades
  • Dynamic world events
  • All countries playable
  • Offline single-player
Features
Read full description

Countryballs at War is a grand strategy wargame where you take control of a countryball nation and fight for world domination. Combine turn-based empire building with real-time battles, expand your territory, and rise as the ultimate superpower! Key Features Diplomacy & Conquest Declare war or form alliances with other nations. Sign peace treaties, send alliance requests, and even puppet weakened countries to expand your influence. Choose your allies wisely – rivals will attempt to capture your territories and defeat your nation! Turn-Based Strategy Plan each move carefully. Every turn, you receive a limited number of Attack Points for military actions and Diplomacy Points for negotiations. Use them wisely to conquer territory or sway other nations before ending the turn. Invest in Academies to increase these point limits and gain a strategic edge. Real-Time Battles Lead your armies on the battlefield in live combat. Send units across enemy borders and coordinate attacks in real time. Call your allies for backup to turn the tide of battle, and outsmart your enemies with superior tactics to achieve victory on the field! Unique Units & Upgrades Unlock and upgrade special units unique to each country. Build infantry, tanks, artillery and more in your Barracks and Artillery Depot. Each countryball nation has unique military units and strengths – develop your forces and prepare for new units coming in future updates. World Events & Challenges Stay alert for dynamic world events like the Pirate Invasion, where pirates attack coastal territories. These random challenges will test your strategic planning – be ready to defend your ports and borders at any moment. All Countries Playable Choose any countryball to lead! Every country is available to play, though some start out locked. Explore the map to find hidden countryballs and unlock new playable nations. (Use the “Get Hint!” button in-game if you need clues to find them.) Offline Single-Player Enjoy all the strategic depth anytime – no internet required. Countryballs at War is fully playable offline and offers a robust single-player experience, perfect for strategy enthusiasts on the go. Community & Support The game is updated frequently with new content, units, and improvements. Join our community on Discord to discuss strategies, share feedback, and get the latest news (link below). If you enjoy Countryballs at War, please support us by leaving a rating and review – your feedback helps us continue improving the game! Discord: https://discord.gg/Fx2D6MQZkC Have fun leading your country to victory in Countryballs at War! Credits Map Music: "Gates of Glory" by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com) – Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Screenshots

Back Wars4 screens
Countryballs at War4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Countryballs at War at 4.3 against Back Wars's 3.6. Countryballs at War also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 13 months). Back Wars's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Back Wars sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countryballs at War sells 17 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Countryballs at War holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 768 and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Back Wars's written reviews are positive against 83% of Countryballs at War's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Back Wars ships an update every 13 months, Countryballs at War every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Back Wars versus Countryballs at War: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBack WarsCountryballs at War
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (768 ratings)4.3 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews82.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7681.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB223 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperMDickie LimitedSHN Games

Customer experience

Back Wars

All ratings768 ratings
Positive60.9%
Neutral8.1%
Negative31.0%
Written reviews190 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral13.2%
Negative36.8%

Countryballs at War

All ratings1,543 ratings
Positive82.5%
Neutral6.9%
Negative10.6%
Written reviews579 reviews
Positive82.7%
Neutral8.5%
Negative8.8%

User reviews

Back Wars

From 768 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Countryballs at War

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun game
  • 🚀 Great gameplay
  • 💡 Interesting historical campaigns
  • 🎨 Unique Countryball art style

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Lack of new content/updates
  • 🔍 Repetitive gameplay
  • 🔍 Difficulty balance issues
  • 🔍 Excessive ads
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches

Bugs and requests

Back Wars

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Countryballs at War

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Progress/data loss issues
  • Freezing/crashing during battles
  • Diplomatic screens not working properly
  • Inconsistent resource production

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more historical campaigns (e.g. WW1, WW2)
  • Implement multiplayer mode
  • Allow custom map/scenario creation
  • Improve diplomacy and alliance system
  • Expand troop/unit variety

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Back Wars

One-time1
  • King Upgrade$2.99
17 purchases

Countryballs at War

One-time17
  • Superpower I$0.99
  • 80 Gems$0.99
  • Starter Pack$0.99
Show 14 more
  • Superpower Pack$2.99
  • Welcome Back Pack$2.99
  • Country Premium Pass$2.99
  • Superpower II$3.99
  • Unlock Custom Hats!$3.99
  • Progress Flash$4.99
  • 500 Gems$4.99
  • Unlock All!$7.99
  • Remove Ads$9.99
  • Superpower III$9.99
  • Value Pack$9.99
  • 2,500 Gems$14.99
  • Premium Pack$19.99
  • 6,500 Gems$29.99

Questions

Is Back Wars free?
Back Wars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Countryballs at War free?
Countryballs at War is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Back Wars or Countryballs at War?
Countryballs at War is rated higher. Back Wars averages 3.6 out of 5 from 768 ratings, while Countryballs at War averages 4.3 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Back Wars or Countryballs at War have ads?
Countryballs at War shows ads; Back Wars does not.
Which is updated more often, Back Wars or Countryballs at War?
Back Wars ships an update every 13 months, and Countryballs at War every 6 weeks. Most recently, Back Wars was updated on September 8, 2026 and Countryballs at War on September 22, 2026.

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