Comparison

ChainForge vs Sandtopia

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

Head to head
About

ChainForge

Features
Read full description

A rune drops. A link forms. Then the whole Forge erupts. ChainForge is a fast, tactical cascade puzzler where every placement can ignite a spectacular chain reaction. Connect 3 or more matching runes, bend the queue to your plan, and survive rising pressure as each arena changes the board beneath you. • Ten distinct arenas, ending in the permanent Ultimate Forge • Daily challenge with a streak worth protecting • Prisms, bombs, lightning, volatile runes and sealed hazards • Mid-run upgrades that reshape your strategy • Game Center leaderboards for endless and daily scores • Shareable score cards built for friendly rivalries • Haptics, sound controls and an illustrated rules guide Levels 1–3 are completely free. Unlock the full game once to enter levels 4–10 forever. No ads. No subscription. Your progress stays on your iPhone. The Forge rewards nerve, timing and one more perfect cascade. How long can your chain survive?

About

Sandtopia

Features
Read full description

Sandtopia is a falling sand block puzzle. Drop a block into the glass box and it breaks apart into sand. When sand of one colour reaches from the left wall to the right wall, it sweeps away in a single stroke, everything above it collapses, and the chain combo keeps going. One good placement can change the whole screen. ā–  Simple rules Pick one of three cards and drop it where you want. There is no rotation. You only choose the spot. The run ends when the sand touches the red line. Watch an ad to clear the sand at the bottom and keep playing. The higher your score, the more colours appear, and the harder the box gets to read. A shape that reaches only one wall glows to hint the way. ā–  Daily Challenge and rankings Everyone gets the same card order each day. Take up to three runs, keep your best score, and compete inside a group of fifty players who played that same day. Every score is re-simulated on our server from your moves, so the board stays honest. Weekly and country leaderboards too. ā–  Make it yours Change the look with sand skins and glass box themes. Collect them from capsules or buy them directly, and take the season pass for a new set of rewards every month. ā–  Made for - Fans of block puzzle, drop puzzle, colour match and sand blast chain games - Short one-handed sessions of casual brain training - A relaxing, satisfying puzzle that also works offline - Competing with friends on the same daily board No account needed to start. Link Apple or Google only when you want your progress to follow you to another device. Rankings use an anonymous nickname. Capsule odds are published in the shop and at https://thingineeer.github.io/sandtopia/odds/. The season pass is a monthly subscription you can cancel any time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://thingineeer.github.io/sandtopia/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://thingineeer.github.io/sandtopia/privacy/

Screenshots

ChainForge3 screens
Sandtopia4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ChainForge at none against Sandtopia's shown. Sandtopia's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. ChainForge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sandtopia sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 2 level
ChainForge versus Sandtopia: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChainForgeSandtopia
PriceFreeFree
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB36 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperEmmanuel BORGESMyeongJin Lee

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ChainForge

One-time1
  • Full Forge$4.99
9 purchases

Sandtopia

Subscriptions2
  • Season Pass$4.991 Month
  • Season Pass Plus$9.991 Month
One-time7
  • 100 Gems$0.99
  • No Ads$3.99
  • 550 Gems$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Starter Pack$5.99
  • 1,200 Gems$9.99
  • 3,000 Gems$19.99
  • 8,000 Gems$49.99

Questions

Is ChainForge free?
ChainForge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sandtopia free?
Sandtopia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ChainForge or Sandtopia have ads?
Sandtopia shows ads; ChainForge does not.

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