Comparison

Lead Wars vs Firefight

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Online multiplayer (async/real-time)
  • 2-player pass 'n' play
  • Single-player vs-CPU
  • Single-player campaign
  • Map creator
  • Instant replays
  • Visual 'MoveAid' system
Features
Read full description

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!

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Lead Wars4 screens
Firefight4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lead Wars ships an update every 2 months, Firefight every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Lead Wars versus Firefight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLead WarsFirefight
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (48 ratings)4.3 (2.1K ratings)
Positive reviews59.6% of reviews78.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings482.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB954 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDemonStudiosSean O'Connor

Customer experience

Lead Wars

All ratings48 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews453 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral8.6%
Negative31.8%

Firefight

All ratings2,089 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral6.6%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews627 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral9.3%
Negative11.8%

User reviews

Lead Wars

From 48 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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
Show 5 more
  • 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 more
  • Map editor
  • More varied game modes
  • Ability to control individual squad members

In-app purchases

None

Lead Wars

No in-app purchases

12 purchases

Firefight

One-time12
  • Autoire-Saint-Martin$2.99
  • Bléneau Railway Station$2.99
  • Remilly Town$2.99
Show 9 more
  • 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

Questions

Is Lead Wars free?
Lead Wars costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Firefight free?
Firefight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lead Wars or Firefight?
Lead Wars and Firefight are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 48 and 2.1K ratings respectively.
Do Lead Wars or Firefight have ads?
Neither Lead Wars nor Firefight shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lead Wars or Firefight?
Lead Wars ships an update every 2 months, and Firefight every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lead Wars was updated on October 2, 2026 and Firefight on October 2, 2026.

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