Comparison

Forge Ahead vs Swords 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

Swords Maker

Forge metal, shape it into powerful weapons, and battle enemies in this exciting sword-making runner game. Unlock hundreds of sword combinations and face new challenges at the end of each level.

Highlights
  • Forge metal into swords
  • Shape swords for combat
  • Battle enemies with created swords
  • Unlock hundreds of sword combinations
  • Navigate obstacles
  • Progress through levels with unique swords
Features
Read full description

Are you ready to make amazing swords and fight enemies? Get ready for the best sword runner game ever! Create your sword by forging the metal, give it the right shape and start using it immediately! The stronger your sword is, the easier it will be to fight your enemies. Don’t forget, a different sword awaits you at the end of each level! Are you ready for a big fight at the level end? More importantly, do you have the right weapon? Watch out for the obstacles and try to prepare the strongest possible sword at the end of the level. Hundreds of sword combinations are waiting for you to unlock. This is absolutely the best sword runner game, a little bit challenging but super fun!

Screenshots

Forge Ahead4 screens
Swords Maker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Swords Maker at none against Forge Ahead's shown. Swords Maker also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Forge Ahead's advantage is review sentiment (41% vs 9%) and ratings volume (85K vs 5.7K). 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 Swords Maker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 5.7K, 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 9% of Swords Maker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forge Ahead ships an update monthly, Swords Maker weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Forge Ahead versus Swords Maker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForge AheadSwords Maker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (85K ratings) — better4.4 (5.7K ratings)
Positive reviews41.1% of reviews — better9.1% of reviews
Number of ratings85K — better5.7K
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size254 MB289 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperLion StudiosRollic Games

Customer experience

Forge Ahead

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

Swords Maker

All ratings5,718 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral4.7%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews187 reviews
Positive9.1%
Neutral8.6%
Negative82.4%

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

Swords Maker

From 5.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun game concept
  • 👍 Decent graphics
  • 🚀 Addictive gameplay

Room to improve

  • 💰 Excessive ads
  • 🐛 Game freezes and crashes
  • 🔒 Forced ads even after paying to remove them
  • 🕹️ Difficulty spike and unfair level design
  • 🕹️ Meaningless stats and progression issues

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

Swords Maker

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezes at certain levels
  • Inability to progress past level 17 or 55
  • Permanent loss of unlocked skins

Requested features

3 requests
  • Option to disable ads for a one-time fee
  • Improved level design and difficulty balancing
  • More meaningful progression and stat system

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

Swords Maker

One-time1
  • No Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Forge Ahead free?
Forge Ahead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Swords Maker free?
Swords Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Forge Ahead or Swords Maker?
Forge Ahead is rated higher. Forge Ahead averages 4.6 out of 5 from 85K ratings, while Swords Maker averages 4.4 from 5.7K ratings.
Do Forge Ahead or Swords Maker have ads?
Forge Ahead shows ads; Swords Maker does not.
Which is updated more often, Forge Ahead or Swords Maker?
Forge Ahead ships an update monthly, and Swords Maker weekly. Most recently, Forge Ahead was updated on October 20, 2026 and Swords Maker on October 17, 2026.

Other comparisons