Comparison

Forge Ahead vs Sword Maker

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

Head to head
About

Forge Ahead

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
Read full description

Strap on your boots and forge ahead! Mine metals, hammer them into shape, and forge the best swords you can! This is not your normal simulation game. Break rocks to discover exotic gems. Forge them into beautiful swords and show them off in your armory. The better the materials you find, the more money you make! The more money you make, the better the swords you can unlock. You will be the envy of every blacksmith in the kingdom. Stop what you are doing now, it’s hammer time! Game Features: 1. Simple but addicting mechanics Tap away at the rocks. Discover precious metals. Hammer the molten metal into sharp shiny swords. 2. Run your own Armory Show off the swords you craft on the weapons rack. Can you make the best? 3. Keep them coming! Keep finding new gems to make better swords. The better the sword the more you make! 4. Earn offline No need to always be on. You still earn money as you are signed off. Discover your inner blacksmith and forge the best swords. Watch the molten metal cool off into your beautiful creations. Good luck putting down Forge Ahead! Visit https://lionstudios.cc/contact-us/ if have any feedback, need help on beating a level or have any awesome ideas you would like to see in the game! From the Studio that brought you Happy Glass, Flip Trickster and Love Balls! Follow us to get news and updates on our other Award Winning titles; https://lionstudios.cc/ Facebook.com/LionStudios.cc Instagram.com/LionStudioscc Twitter.com/LionStudiosCC Youtube.com/c/LionStudiosCC

About

Sword Maker

Design and craft unique swords of various shapes and sizes. Experience realistic grinding mechanics on your mobile device. Unlock new possibilities and enhance your creations.

Highlights
  • Craft swords of all shapes and sizes
  • Realistic grinding experience
  • Doubles cash reward (premium)
  • Removes all ads (premium)
  • Provides 1 free daily chest (premium)
Features
Read full description

Are you ready to sharpen your blade? Craft your legendary sword right now! Make as many swords as you can, of all shapes and sizes. Enjoy the real grinding experience on the screen of your phone. SUBSCRIPTION PRICING AND TERMS Subscription options Weekly Premium offers a weekly subscription for $7.99 after a 3-day free trial. It doubles your cash reward, removes all ads and provides 1 free daily chest. End of trial period and subscription renewal This price is established for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Canceling trial period or subscription You can turn off the auto-renew for the subscription whenever you want in the settings if your iTunes account. Check https://support.apple.com/HT202039. When your current trial/subscription period expires, you will be unsubscribed. The current active subscription period cannot be canceled. After your subscription expires, you will no longer be able to use elements offered in your chosen Subscription Option. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us at support@playgendary.com Privacy Policy: http://www.playgendary.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: http://www.playgendary.com/terms-of-use/

Screenshots

Forge Ahead4 screens
Sword Maker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Sword Maker at none against Forge Ahead's shown. Sword Maker also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). Forge Ahead's advantage is review sentiment (41% vs 13%) and ratings volume (85K vs 17K). On price, rating, 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. Forge Ahead sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Sword Maker sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Forge Ahead holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Forge Ahead has 85K ratings behind it against 17K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Forge Ahead's written reviews are positive against 13% of Sword Maker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forge Ahead ships an update monthly, Sword Maker every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Forge Ahead versus Sword Maker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForge AheadSword Maker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (85K ratings) — better4.4 (17K ratings)
Positive reviews41.1% of reviews — better13.1% of reviews
Number of ratings85K — better17K
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size254 MB219 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLion StudiosPlaygendary Limited

Customer experience

Forge Ahead

All ratings85,042 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews559 reviews
Positive41.1%
Neutral16.5%
Negative42.4%

Sword Maker

All ratings16,632 ratings
Positive83.8%
Neutral4.9%
Negative11.2%
Written reviews251 reviews
Positive13.1%
Neutral6.4%
Negative80.5%

User reviews

Forge Ahead

From 85K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Sword Maker

From 17K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🙂 Fun game concept
  • 👍 Decent gameplay
  • 💡 Customization options

Room to improve

  • 🤬 Excessive ads
  • 🐛 Choppy controls
  • 🤔 Lack of challenge

Bugs and requests

Forge Ahead

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Inability to store/save forged swords
  • Customers not appearing consistently

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Sword Maker

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game crashes frequently
  • Deleted player progress

Requested features

3 requests
  • More sword designs
  • Ability to make mistakes
  • Reduce ads or add paid option

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Forge Ahead

One-time6
  • Tier 1 Coins$4.99
  • Remove Ads$4.99
  • Remove Upgrade Ads$4.99
Show 3 more
  • Tier 2 Coins$6.99
  • Starter Pack$8.99
  • Tier 3 Coins$9.99
1 purchases

Sword Maker

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly Premium3 Days trial$7.997 Days

Questions

Is Forge Ahead free?
Forge Ahead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sword Maker free?
Sword Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Forge Ahead or Sword Maker?
Forge Ahead is rated higher. Forge Ahead averages 4.6 out of 5 from 85K ratings, while Sword Maker averages 4.4 from 17K ratings.
Do Forge Ahead or Sword Maker have ads?
Forge Ahead shows ads; Sword Maker does not.
Which is updated more often, Forge Ahead or Sword Maker?
Forge Ahead ships an update monthly, and Sword Maker every 2 weeks. Most recently, Forge Ahead was updated on October 3, 2026 and Sword Maker on October 2, 2026.

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