Lead Wars vs Firefight
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lead Wars
Experience a turn-based strategy game that recreates the tactile fun of pencil-and-paper war games. Control units by flicking a virtual pencil on a hand-drawn battlefield, employing strategic moves and precise shots to outwit opponents. Enjoy solo campaigns, multiplayer battles, and map creation.
- Online multiplayer (async/real-time)
- 2-player pass 'n' play
- Single-player vs-CPU
- Single-player campaign
- Map creator
- Instant replays
- Visual 'MoveAid' system
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Lead Wars is a turn-based strategy game requiring smart thinking and physical skill. It simulates the real life paper war games played in the days before portable gaming devices which needed only a pencil, some paper and lots of imagination! • Charted #1 Strategy Game in 60 countries! Control a fleet of planes, tanks and artillery units by taking turns to flick a pencil around a hand-drawn battlefield on a piece of paper, making long curve shots and strategic moves to try and outwit and out-skill your opponent. Reviews: • "The execution is what makes Lead Wars shine. Startlingly unique, a fabulous little game." 4.5/5 - MacReview.com • "Surprisingly deep … from a strategic perspective, Lead Wars is a beautiful achievement” 4/5 - iOS Game Of The Day, GamePro.com • "Some battle are easily solved puzzles, while other start to feel more like chess games." 4/5 - PadGadget Recommended! PadGadget.com • "You'll definitely love this game." 4/5 - TouchReviews.net • If you're looking for a great game to play with friends, we suggest grabbing this one … it really shines on the iPad” - Amber Neely, MacNN.com • “A brilliantly implemented game" - iPhone-Experience.com • iTunes review - djflippy: "Lead Wars has a rare quality; the simulation is actually better than that which it simulates." 5/5 Note this is not your typical path-drawing game - this is a simulation of the real life game played with a real pencil. The flick mechanic works just like it does in real life (try it!): Point a pencil straight down onto some paper, holding it by the top with just one finger. While pressing down firmly, slowly tilt the top of the pencil - beyond a critical angle the tip will suddenly slip away leaving a line drawn on the paper. This line determines your move or shot on the battlefield. Lead Wars simulates this mechanic using the touch-screen as if you're touching the top of a real pencil. See videos of the real life game and Lead Wars in action: http://www.youtube.com/DemonStudiosOfficial Main Features: • Online Multiplayer - battle asynchronously or live real-time • 2-player tabletop / pass 'n' play • Single-player vs-CPU • Single-player Campaign - rise up through the Army ranks • Map Creator - create your own battlefields • Instant Replays - replay all moves and shots in latest turn • 27 Game Center Achievements • Game Center Leaderboards • Training missions and 250+ Campaign missions • Visual 'MoveAid' system and tips for beginners • 16 built-in battlefields, store up to 75 custom maps • Have up to 25 local games on the go at once • Have up to 30 Asynchronous online games on the go • Highly configurable Game Setup • Choice of 4 paper styles + 3 pencil leads • Doodle graphics and verbal sounds - just like the real game! Technical Features: • Universal app supporting Retina Display • Share maps via the system Clipboard • Game Center turn alert push notifications* • Auto-rotating interface - play in any orientation • Allows iPod music in the background * Turn alert sounds and settings can be controlled in Settings | Notifications | Game Center The best thing about playing Lead Wars on your iOS device though is you're not having to rub out your previous moves, there's no arguments whether a shot hit or not and no dangerous flying pencils! The physical dexterity required to make your move makes the game challenging but ultimately more fun and rewarding, particularly when you make that near-impossible curve shot around a wall to win the battle!
Firefight
Experience World War II combat with unparalleled detail. This real-time simulation game features realistic physics for vehicles, individually modeled soldiers with vital stats, and dynamic squad interactions. Call in artillery support and engage in strategic battles against sophisticated AI or other players online.
- Realistic tank physics and movement
- 3D modeled ballistics and ricochets
- Individual soldier stats (rank, health, fatigue)
- Dynamic squad AI for ammo and medical support
- Call-in off-board artillery support
- Multiplayer versus AI or friends online
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Firefight is a World War II real-time simulation game with more AI and attention to detail than any other game in its genre to date. Tanks are modelled with a physics engine and have gears, rev counters and speedos, and steer themselves with brake levers to give them realistic looking tracked vehicle movement. Each bullet, shell or piece of shrapnel is modelled in 3D and ricochets realistically off sloping surfaces. You can see each infantryman's rank, name, weapon, ammunition remaining, heart rate and fatigue levels. Machine gunners will call for ammunition when they're running low and other squad members will rush over with spare ammo if they are carrying any. Wounded men call for medics who will sprint over to administer first aid. Off-board artillery can be called in but will have to fire several ranging shots before the full 8 gun battery opens fire simultaneously. Play against either the sophisticated built-in AI, or a friend over the internet. For a video showing the game in action see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysRtdalURDw
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Firefight at Free against Lead Wars's $2.99. Firefight also leads on ratings volume (2.1K vs 48) and review sentiment (79% vs 60%). Lead Wars's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On rating, 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
Firefight is free to download; Lead Wars costs $2.99 up front. Firefight sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Lead Wars asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Lead Wars against 4.3 for Firefight. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Firefight has 2.1K ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Lead Wars's written reviews are positive against 79% of Firefight's.
Lead Wars ships an update every 2 months, Firefight every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.
| Parameter | Lead Wars | Firefight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (48 ratings) | 4.3 (2.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 59.6% of reviews | 78.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 48 | 2.1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 954 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | DemonStudios | Sean O'Connor |
Customer experience
Lead Wars
Firefight
User reviews
Lead Wars
From 48 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great game!
- 👍 Reminds me of my childhood
- 👍 Fantastic strategy game with a twist
- 👍 Awesome little game
- 👍 Excellent in-depth game
Room to improve
- 🐛 Absolutely Impossible
- 🐛 AI is too good. Unfair
- 🐛 Horrid controls
- 🐛 Waste of money
- 🐛 The way you move units and shoot is just bad
Firefight
From 2.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Constantly updated
- 👍 Detailed and immersive
- 🚀 Excellent replay value
- 👍 Realistic combat simulation
- 👍 Impressive attention to detail
Room to improve
- 🐛 Tank AI issues
- 🐛 Troops not responsive to orders
- 🐛 Visibility issues with terrain
- 🔒 Paywall for most content
Bugs and requests
Lead Wars
Reported bugs
5 issues- Freezes on second shot
- Game often crashes when restarting a level
- Inconsistent behavior when moving over water
- Occasional crashes
- Incompatible with older devices
Requested features
10 requests- Add more stuff like people
- Add boats, cargo planes, soldiers, and helicopters
- Add a random map option for multiplayer
- Add more units like ships and helicopters
- Add ability to resize sprites in map editor
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- Add stats screen showing wins/losses, total units destroyed, etc.
- Add a full map view and the ability to instant replay the last turn of action
- Add more game types (Capture The Flag, destroy enemy HQ, etc.)
- Add asynchronous online play
- Add ability to flip in-game menu buttons upside down for hotseat play
Firefight
Reported bugs
4 issues- Tanks turning away from targets
- Troops not moving under fire
- Inability to see hidden enemies
- Inconsistent unit performance
Requested features
8 requests- Defensive missions
- Sandbox/custom battle mode
- Medic/support units
- Expanded campaigns (Eastern Front, Pacific, etc.)
- Multiplayer functionality
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Map editor
- More varied game modes
- Ability to control individual squad members
In-app purchases
Lead Wars
No in-app purchases
Firefight
- Autoire-Saint-Martin$2.99
- Bléneau Railway Station$2.99
- Remilly Town$2.99
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Trichon Canal$2.99
- Launois Valley$2.99
- Hill 112$2.99
- Villers-Bocage$2.99
- Russian Tanks$4.99
- Western Front Maps$9.99
- Eastern Front maps$9.99
- Pacific Front Maps$9.99
- Modern City Maps$9.99








