Build a Fire vs Sandbox City
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Build a Fire
Master the art of fire-making in this survival simulation game. Slide your fingers in a zigzag motion to rub sticks and ignite a flame. Avoid mistakes to become a true survival expert.
- Realistic fire ignition mechanics
- Zigzag sliding control
- Survival simulation gameplay
- Master fire-making skills
- Engaging challenge
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Let's build a fire for your life. Start a Fire – Can You Master the Art of Fire Making? Ever watched a survival show and thought, "I want to try making fire!"? Now’s your chance! How to Play: Slide your fingers downward in a zigzag motion to rub the stick. When you reach the bottom, lift your finger and start again from the top. Keep going until smoke rises and the fire ignites! Be careful! If you slide up without lifting your finger, the stick will turn sideways! Can you create fire like a true survival expert? Try it now!
Sandbox City
Explore an open-world city filled with pedestrians, zombies, and traffic. Engage in combat with various weapons, drive numerous AI vehicles, and earn money to upgrade your gear. Customize graphics and settings to your preference to prevent a zombie apocalypse.
- Open-world city exploration
- Combat with various weapons
- Drive multiple AI vehicles
- Earn in-game currency
- Customize game settings
- Zombie survival
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Welcome to Sandbox City! Run and drive freely through a lively city full of pedestrians, zombies, and traffic in first or third person. Punch zombies or run them over to save the people of Sandbox City. Equip yourself to survive with weapons such as the MP-40, grenades, baseball bats, and more. Jump into different AI vehicles, including taxis, police cars, ambulances, vans, and more. Earn money by taking down enemies in melee, from range, or behind the wheel. Spend it in the Shop to unlock better gear. Tune the game for your device and preferences. Graphics quality, shadows, view distance, anti-aliasing, and post effects can be changed at any time. Prevent the zombie apocalypse! Defend the city at all costs! And join the community on Discord from the main menu.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sandbox City at 4.6 against Build a Fire's 2.8. Sandbox City also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 31%) and ratings volume (9.2K vs 33). Build a Fire's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence 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. Sandbox City sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Build a Fire asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sandbox City holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sandbox City has 9.2K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Build a Fire's written reviews are positive against 71% of Sandbox City's.
Build a Fire ships an update monthly, Sandbox City every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Build a Fire | Sandbox City |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (33 ratings) | 4.6 (9.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.4% of reviews | 70.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33 | 9.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 208 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | cocolo-bit Inc. | Yilmaz Kiymaz |
Customer experience
Build a Fire
Sandbox City
Bugs and requests
Build a Fire
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Sandbox City
Reported bugs
3 issues- Glitches when using guns
- Pedestrians getting stuck in objects
- Inconsistent vehicle physics
Requested features
6 requests- More weapons and combat options
- Ability to enter buildings
- Larger map and more locations
- Multiplayer mode
- Customizable player characters
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- Improved AI behavior
In-app purchases
Build a Fire
No in-app purchases
Sandbox City
- Man (Hoodie) Character Skin$0.99
- Man (Jacket) Character Skin$0.99
- Man (Police) Character Skin$0.99
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- Sedan$0.99
- Police Car$0.99
- SUV$0.99
- Van$0.99
- Small Money Pile$0.99
- Large Money Pile$3.99
- Remove Ads$4.99
Questions
Is Build a Fire free?
Is Sandbox City free?
Which has better reviews, Build a Fire or Sandbox City?
Do Build a Fire or Sandbox City have ads?
Which is updated more often, Build a Fire or Sandbox City?
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