Solar Smash 2D vs Sand Trace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Solar Smash 2D
Explore unique destruction mechanics in a space-themed sandbox. Break planets into pieces, control spaceships in epic battles, or design your own celestial bodies with custom physics.
- Unique destruction mechanics
- Break planets into pieces
- Physics-based planet movement
- Control and spawn spaceships
- Create space battles
- Draw custom planets
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Solar Smash 2D is a spin off from the original Solar Smash by the same developers, this game was designed to allow for different technology to be utilised and allow for unique destruction mechanics. It features the ability to break planets into pieces and each planet will float and move with its own physics, players can control or spawn in spaceships and create huge space battles, or you can draw in your own planet with any design you want. Indonesia (IGRS) Age Rating: 13+
Sand Trace
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sand Trace at none against Solar Smash 2D's 1. Sand Trace also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Solar Smash 2D sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sand Trace asks for nothing beyond the download.
Solar Smash 2D ships an update every 2 months, Sand Trace fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Solar Smash 2D | Sand Trace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (14K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 14K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 252 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PARADYME LIMITED | HSIANG-YU HUANG |
Bugs and requests
Solar Smash 2D
Reported bugs
3 issues- Movement controls disappear when switching maps
- Soft-lock when controlling ships and resetting world
- Gem counter bug showing incorrect values
Requested features
6 requests- Add more ships and factions to spawn
- Allow controlling of larger ships and bosses
- Implement faction relationship editor
- Add pause, slow-motion, and speed up controls
- Expand custom planet creation tools
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- Introduce multiplayer mode
Sand Trace
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Solar Smash 2D
- AdFree$3.99
Sand Trace
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Solar Smash 2D free?
Is Sand Trace free?
Do Solar Smash 2D or Sand Trace have ads?
Which is updated more often, Solar Smash 2D or Sand Trace?
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