Comparison

Forge Ahead vs Idle Lumberjack 2

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

Idle Lumberjack 2

Chop down various trees, sell the lumber, and purchase upgrades to enhance your operations. Discover rare golden trees for bonus rewards and ensure you return to sell wood for rapid progression. Enjoy this engaging idle game experience.

Highlights
  • Chop various tree types
  • Sell lumber for currency
  • Purchase upgrades
  • Discover golden trees
  • Fast-paced progression
  • Idle gameplay
Read full description

Chop the trees, sell them and buy upgrades! There are different types of trees. The further you go the more expensive trees you get. You can also find magical golden trees which contain bonuses. Don't forget to return and sell the wood for your fast-paced progression. Have fun! :)

Screenshots

Forge Ahead4 screens
Idle Lumberjack 24 screens

Verdict

The call

Forge Ahead and Idle Lumberjack 2 both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 41% of Forge Ahead's written reviews are positive against 30% of Idle Lumberjack 2's. Forge Ahead also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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 Idle Lumberjack 2 sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Forge Ahead against 4.6 for Idle Lumberjack 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 85K and 77K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Forge Ahead's written reviews are positive against 30% of Idle Lumberjack 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Forge Ahead versus Idle Lumberjack 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForge AheadIdle Lumberjack 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (85K ratings)4.6 (77K ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.1% of reviews — better29.7% of reviews
Number of ratings85K — better77K
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size254 MB229 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperLion StudiosPlayphoria ltd.

Customer experience

Forge Ahead

All ratings85,042 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews560 reviews
Positive41.1%
Neutral16.4%
Negative42.5%

Idle Lumberjack 2

All ratings77,474 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral4.0%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews1,160 reviews
Positive29.7%
Neutral10.9%
Negative59.4%

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

Idle Lumberjack 2

From 77K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Satisfying gameplay
  • 💤 Calming and relaxing
  • 🦊 Enjoyable pet feature

Room to improve

  • 🔥 Excessive ads
  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
  • 🐛 Crashes and glitches
  • 🔒 Limited customization

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

Idle Lumberjack 2

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezing and progress loss
  • Glitches with power-ups and upgrades
  • Inconsistent tree chopping mechanics

Requested features

4 requests
  • More progression and new content
  • Offline progress tracking
  • Character customization options
  • Reduce ad frequency

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
10 purchases

Idle Lumberjack 2

Subscriptions2
  • Wizard's Powers3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Wizard's Powers$4.997 Days
One-time8
  • Gold(Discount)$1.99
  • Seeds (Discount)$1.99
  • Coins (Discount)$1.99
Show 5 more
  • No Ads$2.99
  • Gold$2.99
  • Bonus$2.99
  • Coins$2.99
  • Seeds$2.99

Questions

Is Forge Ahead free?
Forge Ahead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Idle Lumberjack 2 free?
Idle Lumberjack 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Forge Ahead or Idle Lumberjack 2?
Idle Lumberjack 2 is rated higher. Forge Ahead averages 4.6 out of 5 from 85K ratings, while Idle Lumberjack 2 averages 4.6 from 77K ratings.
Do Forge Ahead or Idle Lumberjack 2 have ads?
Both Forge Ahead and Idle Lumberjack 2 show ads.
Which is updated more often, Forge Ahead or Idle Lumberjack 2?
Forge Ahead ships an update monthly, and Idle Lumberjack 2 monthly. Most recently, Forge Ahead was updated on November 1, 2026 and Idle Lumberjack 2 on November 1, 2026.

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