Comparison

Water Physics Simulation vs Sand Trace

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

Head to head
About

Water Physics Simulation

Explore three distinct physics simulations: build and navigate ships, experiment with bomb explosions and water behavior in a sandbox, or observe the interactions of various elements. This free app offers creative building and destructive fun.

Highlights
  • Water and liquid simulations
  • Ship building and raft survival
  • Bomb explosions and destruction sandbox
  • Real-time sandbox with powder/dust particles
  • Build and control custom boats
  • Create and destroy structures
Features
Read full description

Do you like liquid simulations? Do you like the flow behavior of water? Do you like bomb explosions? If yes, then you will have much fun with the Physics Sandbox app. [by gaming-apps.com] Three physics simulations in One: 1. Shipping / Raft Survival: You can build your own ship or use a pre-builted boat and try to survive, if you go on a raft trip with your boat now. 2. Powder Game: If one use the real-time sandbox, then you can play with our bomb simulator or simulate diverse states of waterbody under different influences in every areas of the room. Furthermore you can build for example a house and let it explode later. 3. Liquid simulator: One can watch various structures, ships, buildings, dust etc. and they interact together in different forms, if you insert prefabricated user-actions like a spawner... into the Simulation. Features: - this game is free! - a) sandbox, build for examle a wall and throw bombs to it (Powder Game) - b) raft survival (shipping mode) - c) 24 prefabricated level designs (simulation mode) - construct your own boat with 13 different single parts of a ship - 6 prefabricated levels in the section "shipping" - one can add to a own constructed boat 4 prefabricated - furthermore: 5 bombs types + 5 upgrades per bomb with different explosions - 4000 water particles (soft bodies /powder/ dust) - watch the general behavior of fluid, e.g. pressure, flow behavior, spread in the observation room, special effects, etc. - build and control your boat - create various structures like a house, a seesaw, a tower ... be creative And now have fun with our free physics game everybody! by gaming-apps.com This game is free, but shows ads.

About

Sand Trace

Features
Read full description

Drop sand, pour water, ignite fire, and watch real physics come to life. Sand Trace is a pixel-art physics simulator where you paint with 16 different materials and watch them interact in surprising ways. WHAT YOU CAN CREATE - Drop sand, stone, and glass to build structures - Pour water, oil, and acid to watch fluids flow - Ignite wood, oil, and plants to set off massive fires - Spawn lava to melt ice and turn water to stone - Launch missiles and detonate explosives for chain reactions - Electrify water with lightning bolts - Grow forests by placing plants near water - Heat sand into glass for permanent structures 16 MATERIALS, 40+ INTERACTIONS Every material has unique physics. Sand falls and piles up. Water flows and extinguishes fire. Lava melts ice and hardens into stone. Acid corrodes nearly everything. Lightning electrifies water in a spreading chain. Oil floats on water and burns with thick smoke. Plants grow toward water and catch fire easily. Discover every interaction through experimentation. PIXEL-ART WORLD Watch your creations come alive in a crisp, retro-style pixel grid. Every grain of sand, every drop of water, and every spark of fire is simulated individually for a satisfying, tactile experience. PRESET SCENES Jump right in with 5 handcrafted scenes: - Volcano: Watch lava flow and interact with water - Rain: Peaceful rainfall on a landscape - Acid Rain: Destructive downpour that corrodes everything - Forest Fire: A blazing wildfire spreading through trees - Aquarium: A tranquil underwater scene SAVE, RECORD, SHARE - Save and load your creations anytime - Record MP4 videos of your simulations - Take screenshots to share your pixel-art worlds - Works on both iPhone and iPad with responsive layout Download Sand Trace today and start experimenting with physics.

Screenshots

Water Physics Simulation4 screens
Sand Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sand Trace at none against Water Physics Simulation's 5. Sand Trace also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Water Physics Simulation sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Sand Trace asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Water Physics Simulation ships an update every 2 months, Sand Trace fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Water Physics Simulation versus Sand Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWater Physics SimulationSand Trace
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (4.6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings4.6K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB22 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperLukas OertelHSIANG-YU HUANG

Bugs and requests

Water Physics Simulation

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Ships not sinking properly
  • Spawned objects floating upwards
  • Connectivity issues causing crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more disaster tools (e.g., lava, fire, earthquakes)
  • Increase water capacity for free users
  • Implement realistic ship sinking mechanics
  • Add more customization options (e.g., background, color schemes)
  • Improve camera controls and zooming

Sand Trace

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Water Physics Simulation

One-time5
  • No Ads$0.99
  • Increase waterlimit by 10000$3.99
  • Increase waterlimit by 20000$5.99
Show 2 more
  • Pro Package$8.99
  • Increase water by 50000$12.99
None

Sand Trace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Water Physics Simulation free?
Water Physics Simulation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sand Trace free?
Sand Trace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Water Physics Simulation or Sand Trace have ads?
Both Water Physics Simulation and Sand Trace show ads.
Which is updated more often, Water Physics Simulation or Sand Trace?
Water Physics Simulation ships an update every 2 months, and Sand Trace fortnightly. Most recently, Water Physics Simulation was updated on October 13, 2026 and Sand Trace on October 2, 2026.

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