Sandbox: Strategy & Tactics－WW

About

"Sandbox: Strategy & Tactics - WW" is a turn-based strategy game set in WW2, where you lead your army to victory in offline battles. The game boasts fabulous gameplay and exceptional visuals, but is marred by annoying ads and lots of bugs. Who wins the war ultimately depends on your strategic and tactical decisions in this sandbox-style game.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Sandbox: Strategy & Tactics－WW screenshot

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,909 reviews

gameplay61 positive mentions

monetization613 negative mentions

monetization
653 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
4%
94%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism from users, primarily due to the overwhelming number of ads that interrupt gameplay. Many players report that ads are intrusive, often covering essential game elements and appearing excessively during critical moments, making the game nearly unplayable without purchasing an ad-free version. While some acknowledge the necessity of ads in a free-to-play model, the consensus is that the frequency and placement of ads detract from the overall gaming experience.
- “Love the game, there are no ads and you're not forced to watch them unless you want to. You can buy countries for a reasonable price, and the Asia map price is fair.”
- “This is probably the best strategy game on mobile; it is playable without microtransactions and still fun.”
- “In-app purchases are fairly priced, and the app isn't a massive drain on the battery.”
- “The amount of ads that have newly been placed has made the game near unplayable.”
- “You honestly spend more time watching ads that you cannot skip than playing the game itself.”
- “The excessive advertisements make the game almost unplayable.”
gameplay
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
44%
10%
The gameplay of the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its strategic mechanics and engaging concepts. However, numerous reviews highlight significant issues such as intrusive ads, lag, and unrealistic mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While some players find the game fun and easy to learn, others criticize its slow pace, lack of depth, and frequent crashes, indicating a need for improvements in stability and user experience.
- “I love the upgrade mechanic, and all the different types of reinforcements, and being able to continue after the objective is all great.”
- “The gameplay is solid and I love the music.”
- “The gameplay is fun and challenging.”
- “Ads interrupt gameplay every time you want to buy troops.”
- “The long gameplay makes you very invested and the fact you can lose it in an instant brings a lot of stress. I wouldn't recommend anyone download this; it isn't good for your anxiety or your health.”
- “Crashes, pretty poor gameplay; the units don't seem to matter with the numbers, just the bar at the bottom...”
story
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
90%
5%
The game's story is primarily driven by a series of missions that players must complete to unlock various countries and technologies, which can be time-consuming and often frustrating due to the difficulty and the need for in-game purchases. While the variety of missions and playable nations adds depth, many players express dissatisfaction with the paywall for certain regions and the repetitive nature of the gameplay, leading to a desire for a more accessible and engaging narrative experience. Overall, the story lacks clarity in mission objectives and progression, making it challenging for players to navigate and enjoy the game fully.
- “Amazing great graphics and storyline where the line between evil and good is beautifully blurred.”
- “I played the mission where you are supposed to occupy Latvia and Estonia as the USSR and ended up taking Europe in a 21-year war!”
- “Hoping for a story mode?”
- “The method to unlock other countries (beating all objectives for all free countries) sounds easy, until you realize there are like 50 missions to complete, just to unlock the next tier of missions, at which point you have to beat the next tier of missions in order to get the free unlock.”
- “Some countries have missions that are almost impossible.”
- “I don't know why this game is called 'sandbox' because I need to play the quests to unlock countries or missions. The first thing I thought about this game was that I could play in my style, like I can play in every country I want to conquer the world, but if you can't do that, please add a 'sandbox mode' and this game will be awesome.”
stability
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of freezing, crashing, and lagging during gameplay. Many players experience interruptions due to ads, which exacerbate the issues, making the game nearly unplayable at times. While some users note improvements after updates, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from persistent bugs and performance problems that detract from the experience.
- “Besides some frame drops when you end your turn, it runs great.”
- “Personally, with my experience on the HTC 816, it runs great and does not use too much battery.”
- “This game is pretty cool; no glitches, no problems installing, and I love the authentic WWII troops.”
- “Overall, it's a great game, but I do have one problem: when I have exactly 11 USA infantry at Berlin, the game just freezes. When I get back in, all of my saved games are gone.”
- “Great game, really great, but it freezes so often that it's completely unplayable.”
- “The game is solid, no doubt that it's great, but the problem is that once I reach a certain point during one game, it freezes and quits. Luckily, I manage to play again, but when it loads the same game again, it quits.”
graphics
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
46%
8%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed feedback from users. While some praise the visuals as good or even exceptional, many others express concerns about lag, low resolution, and the need for improvements. Users frequently request updates to enhance the graphics and address performance issues, particularly during gameplay.
- “Great tactics and graphics, liked it very much.”
- “The graphics are nice, the AI feels competent, and the overall concept is well developed.”
- “This game is the best game on earth, good graphics and nice experience with these guys.”
- “The game is ok, but the fact that graphics are extremely laggy, and it's hard to zoom in or out, or to just scroll around the map, kind of ruins it.”
- “Worst game ever, its graphics are crazy bad.”
- “This game has worse graphics than the World Conqueror series, and they bombard you with pop-up ads!”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
65%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the gameplay experience, with many players expressing a strong appreciation for its fitting atmosphere and addictive quality. However, there are frequent complaints about music cutting out during ads, its repetitive nature, and a desire for more diverse tracks, including specific requests for songs from artists like Two Steps from Hell. Overall, while the soundtrack is a highlight, players are seeking improvements in its consistency and variety.
- “The gameplay is solid and I love the music.”
- “Soundtrack makes it more addicting.”
- “Music adds to the atmosphere and has a sinister tune to it.”
- “The music sometimes cuts out.”
- “Hey, I have played the game and I find it very interesting. I would like to report a bug: it seems that every time an ad pops up or you watch it to earn resources, it will make the audio of the game stop playing. I really like the music, and it also gets annoying since the music makes the game more interesting.”
- “Every time I asked for reinforcements, it would play an ad and even shut my background music off... so annoying.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The optimization of the game has received largely negative feedback, with users reporting significant performance issues such as lag, unresponsiveness, and crashes, particularly on mobile devices. While some players noted improvements after updates, many still find the game poorly optimized and burdened by a problematic monetization model that detracts from the overall experience.
- “The last update has definitely improved performance, but it still crashes eventually.”
- “The game runs smoothly on my phone and my tablet, only that it lags out completely when I skip the enemy turn.”
- “The game is very good, but maybe it's too demanding to run smoothly on smartphone hardware.”
- “Pay for countries, pay for objectives, no sandbox in a game titled sandbox, pay for save slots... past 1 save slot oh ok so this game is a poorly optimized and produced scam.”
- “Unoptimized pay-to-win game.”
- “Its laggy and unresponsive and probably needs truckloads of code work to improve performance.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and annoying, particularly due to the limitation of completing only one objective at a time, which can lead to a repetitive experience. While many appreciate the game's overall quality and fun factor, the grind can detract from enjoyment, especially when compounded by issues like data loss.
- “Like for example, one objective is to capture Paris and another different objective is to conquer 30 provinces, but it's so annoying that I can only complete one objective at a time, making it so grindy.”
- “Gets a little tedious after a while.”
- “It's just tedious.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
43%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many users noting the variety of objectives and the sense of achievement from unlocking new content. However, some players express frustration over the need for in-game purchases to access all missions and factions, which can limit the experience. Despite this, the game is still considered entertaining and worth playing for its replay value.
- “The different objectives give great replay value and a sense of achievement when unlocking new countries and objectives.”
- “Very entertaining with lots of replay value.”
- “This adds nearly infinite replayability.”
- “This game is okay, but Herocraft, can you please add the ability to make alliances and diplomacy options? It would expand the gameplay even more with more playable situations.”
- “The lack of variety in missions makes it hard to want to replay the game after finishing it once.”
- “Once you've completed the main storyline, there's not much incentive to go back and play again.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find it genuinely funny and appreciate its comedic elements, others view it as a mere advertising gimmick rather than a source of entertainment. Overall, the humor seems to resonate with certain players, particularly in its satirical take on historical themes.
- “The whole concept of the game is a hilarious joke for advertising purposes.”
- “I like this game; it's so funny!”
- “😂😂😂 I'm laughing at the jokes in this game! XD”
- “The game tries to be funny, but the jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
- “I expected some laughs, but the humor is stale and unoriginal.”
- “The attempts at humor are cringeworthy and detract from the overall experience.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a tense and engaging ambiance, enhanced by a sinister musical score that contributes to the overall experience. However, some users feel that certain elements detract from this atmosphere, impacting the game's immersive quality.
- “The atmosphere is tense and keeps you engaged.”
- “The music enhances the atmosphere with its sinister tune.”
- “It ruins the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The atmosphere is tense and it keeps you entertained.”
- “Music adds to the atmosphere and has a sinister tune to it.”