Head-to-head
Total Battle vs Boom Beach
Total Battle
45
Winner
Boom Beach
Boom Beach
60
For a more consistent and less frustrating experience, Boom Beach is generally the better choice, despite its recent issues with complexity and monetization, as Total Battle struggles significantly with misleading advertising and aggressive pay-to-win mechanics.
Full reviews: Total Battle · Boom Beach
Total Battle is frequently criticized for misleading advertising, presenting itself as a shooting game but being a complex, pay-to-win strategy game. Boom Beach, while a long-standing favorite, has seen recent updates that have made it more complicated and prone to 'pay-to-play' accusations, alongside technical issues and poor customer support.
Head to head
Total Battle Total Battle is often criticized for not matching its advertisements, which depict a simple shooting game, while the actual game is a complex strategy and world-building experience R1R3R19R22. Players find it confusing with too many steps and storylines R6R16. However, some users enjoy the strategic depth, clan system, and multiple ongoing activities R11R12.
Boom Beach Boom Beach has a long history, with many users enjoying its core gameplay for years . However, recent updates have introduced new complexities like squad leaders, gadgets, and feeding bunkers, which some long-term players find overwhelming and unnecessary . There are also requests for new statues and radar upgrades .
Total Battle Total Battle is frequently described as complicated and confusing, especially for new players R6R16. Progression is severely hampered by long wait times for upgrades (up to five days for stone, R9, R30, , , ) unless players spend money. Many feel forced to pay to advance R5R9R15R16.
Boom Beach Boom Beach also faces criticism for slow progression and high upgrade costs, with some players noting it takes 'forever' to upgrade anything . The game is increasingly seen as 'pay to play' or a 'money grab' to advance . Matchmaking is a significant issue, with players frequently attacked by opponents many levels higher .
Total Battle Total Battle users report issues with the app restarting frequently R27 and significant glitching and crashing, especially during new events R39. There are also reports of missing items or inability to progress due to game errors, like a missing second mansion R7R42.
Boom Beach Boom Beach has experienced severe technical issues, with recent updates causing the app to crash for many users, making it unplayable on various iOS devices . Some players have also reported losing resources or entire accounts after updates .
Total Battle Total Battle is widely criticized as a 'pay-to-play' or 'pay-to-win' game, with many users feeling that significant spending is required to enjoy or advance R5R9R15R16. In-game purchases are described as 'astronomical' and 'not cheap' R9R33.
Boom Beach Boom Beach, while free-to-play, is increasingly perceived as a 'money grab' or 'pay to play' game, where advancement requires significant cash investment . Some long-term players even pay monthly subscriptions for perks .
Total Battle Total Battle's support team is described as lacking, with users reporting unanswered questions and being locked out of accounts without explanation after spending money R40. The in-game community can be hostile, with chat devolving into 'trash talk' and fears of being 'bullied out' of clans R10R12R34.
Boom Beach Boom Beach's customer support is heavily criticized as automated, unhelpful, and unresponsive, with users unable to recover lost accounts or get assistance with technical issues . There are also reports of hackers and a lack of in-game reporting tools . The game has issues with inactive task force leaders who cannot be demoted .
Pick Total Battle if
you enjoy complex strategy and world-building games, are willing to spend money to advance, and appreciate a game with many simultaneous activities and challenges R11.
Pick Boom Beach if
you are a long-time fan of the game's core mechanics and are willing to navigate recent complexities and potential monetization pressures, or if you prioritize a game with a generally higher lifetime rating and a large player base .
Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews related to 'pay-to-play' mechanics and recent updates. Total Battle's negative reviews are heavily skewed by misleading advertising, while Boom Beach's recent negativity stems from updates that have altered long-standing gameplay and introduced technical issues.
Frequently asked
Is Total Battle a pay-to-win game?
Does Boom Beach have too many ads?
What reviewers actually said
Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.
- [R1] Total Battle Fake game: I downloaded the game cause the ad looked fun, but the game was stupid. Please no one buy this. I’m begging.
- [R3] Total Battle Not quite what is advertised: The game play is all over the map. What you see in ads is fun, until you’re completely blocked from playing because you have to complete these insane tasks. Just let us play the game. Oh and you need WiFi/service. It’s an A for effort, but a big pass for me sadly.
- [R6] Total Battle Kinda fun: So basically, your game is pretty fun and I like the feature where you can like move side to side and like get people and try to defeat the monsters but I think the game is a little complicated overall because it’s telling me to like teleport like I’m a new player, but it’s telling me to teleport and build portals and upgrade these houses and I’ll do all this other stuff. I kinda just w
- [R11] Total Battle Love this game: I like that this game has many different things going on at once. I love that they have challenges, and a lesson on how to be patient too! If I were u I would definitely try this game!
- [R5] Total Battle Fun: Total Battle is one of the more fun games I’ve played in a while. You have to spend real money if you want to advance quickly but the prices are not too bad.
- [R9] Total Battle The ultimate pay-to-play&win game: If you don’t mind paying tons of money, this game can be fun. I definitely think they hired some psychologists to figure out how to get people to spend money in a game. The first day they give you all the perks, after that you have to start paying for them and it is not cheap…at all. If you’re exceedingly patient and don’t mind waiting five days between actions
- [R15] Total Battle Pricey: Great entertainer, but it’s pricey when it comes to the supplies you need.
- [R7] Total Battle Sucks: Spent way to much time to repair two mansions but there was only one. Delete!! Delete!!! Delete!!
- [R27] Total Battle Refreshes App too often: I like to navigate away while waiting for tasks to complete. When I don’t go back after two minutes, it restarts the game over again. And it’s TWO load screens. So annoying. Also I’m pretty much at the point where I need to start paying to see more results. So I think it’s run its course.
- [R39] Total Battle Glitching like mad: The game has been glitching like CRAZY - so draining to play these day having to come in and out and then again. Today the game crashed maybe 30+ times, what’s going on? Everytime there’s a new event you have all of this slow down. So exhausting. When the game runs well, it can be fine. But honestly you have to pay a lot to get the good stuff and also to stay in the game. Would
- [R42] Total Battle Build a second mansion: Where is the second mansion been trying to find it for 2 days! With no help or pointers from the game and can’t get any further unless you complete it. Absolutely stupid.
- [R16] Total Battle Hate it: Of course, after just a few rounds, there’s no way to play without paying money. Overly complicated and so many unnecessary steps and storylines in between being able to play Rounds. Some people like that kind of thing, but I find it to be a drag.
- [R10] Total Battle 3 Wks and I’ve had enough!: I tried to like this game and gave it a run for weeks, but there’s little to keep you entertained other than grinding for resources and given the deliberate handicapping of resources by the developer to force cash purchases, that get real old, real quick. The last straw was the chat devolving into trash talk after the last election for King. This is a game that is short
- [R12] Total Battle Great strategy game: The social and political dynamics of the clan system makes the game difficult to scale in without being a SUPER SPENDER to pay to play. I love that you can play for free, but the social dynamics and rules made within game by clans make it almost impossible to enjoy long term for fear of being bullied out.
- [R34] Total Battle Clan/Click: So first off, you need to know that you can’t play this game unless you join a clan. You will only be able to advance up to a certain point. So unless you want to interact with other people and deal with a lot of unfriendly women I wouldn’t father downloading this game. Don’t spend any money on it. In my experience unless you are die hard about this game most likely you won’t survive.
- [R40] Total Battle Support: Game is fun but the support team is lacking. I’ve had multiple questions that I’ve submitted over the last few days and none of them have been answered. In addition, have spent hundreds of dollars on this game and have just been locked out with no explanation as to why. Due to the time sensitivity of events can’t help but feel like they just stole my money.
- [R30] Total Battle Glad for lack of ads but impossible to play without microtransactions: Progress slows to a crawl once upgrades start taking half a day, and chapters require multiple tiers of upgrades. I don't even care about anything story or strategy related at all... But the progression is needed for the battles so it makes the game unplayable for days at a time unless you're buying ridiculous premium items. No
- [R33] Total Battle More than just a shooting game: From the ads, it looks like this is just a shooting game. But it’s more than that. It’s a strategy, multiplayer game. It keeps you engaged. However, I do feel like to make any meaningful advancement in the game. You have to pay a lot of money. I’m OK with that but the in-game purchases are astronomical.
- [R84] Boom Beach Wango: Spend more time with ads than playing game. Enjoy playing the game but give me a break so many ads.
- [R116] Boom Beach My favorite iOS, game of all time.: I have been playing this game for probably 12+ years. It has grown in many facets, but it always comes back to the group dynamic in the task forces as well as the day-to-day challenges. I really really appreciate that I do not have to sit through ads.
- [R117] Boom Beach Too many adverts and offers: I do enjoy playing this game and love all of the new updates within the game. However, with all of the adverts/ offers that pop is seriously affecting the overall experience and enjoyment of the game. There should be an option on whether you see these adverts/ offers etc. or not. I think this would improve the game and stop it from crashing mid game. Also I would like
- [R19] Total Battle Could Be Good: Good game concept with the scroll and choose battles. But after a bit of play it turns into upgrading buildings and battles for materials that have zero to do with the gameplay advertised. Deleted after a day.
- [R22] Total Battle What even: This game is nothing like the previews
Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store