Sand Balls - Digger Puzzle Reviews

by Yfimc

this game WAS great. it used to be simple, dig in the sand and let the balls drop around and through obstacles. now they keep making it more and more complicated. i could already do without the keys and gemstones. but then they introduced the sand city. 🙄 if i wanted to play a city simulator i would download one but i like this game just for calming relaxation not strategy and certainly not reminders of all the stresses of the city, parking lots and billboards and traffic jams etc etc. now the latest is some kind of story about a blond girl who lost her parents. what? i don’t want to deal with this crap just let me dig in the sand. the worst is they keep showing her face and i’m sorry to say her whiteness feels hostile. you couldn’t even put a white girl with brown hair .. no it’s the ideal of whitest whiteness as the best type of person. this is like how hollywood movies are so white - there are never lead game characters of color. so this game doesn’t feel like it’s for everyone anymore, and it isn’t relaxing anymore. and it’s really too bad because it was great and all the developer had to do was leave well enough alone.

by Hjdkkdgd

So when I first got the game like a year ago it was ok a good way to take up some of my time but when I got to like level 100 it started to repeat levels 1-20 over a over again. It was progressively getting harder but when I got to level 100 it was like I had never played the game. The levels were so dang easy I could do them with my eyes closed. It was still kinda fun when I was board but not really. So I stopped playing for a little while. Then I remembered about the game... this is the whole reason I put this review. The game had a update, I thought maybe it would get better so I tried it out... BUT THE GAME GOT EVEN WORST at first there was a lot of balls that you drag through sand but now there is ONE BALL THAT YOU DRAG THROUGH LEAVES. The games name should be changed from this app to leafball. Honestly this game is so trash and has many more things wrong with it that I said. It has ads between every level and had ads of it own game. ALSO PROVING THAT IT WAS TRASH BECAUSE THE AD WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE GAME. I am very disappointed with the new update I DO NOT recommend SandBalls. I only recommend it for baby’s that do not know what they are doing, they may have fun with it but I doubt it. DO NOT GET SandBalls!!!

by Medwyn:/

This game was fun when I first got it, and I had a lot of fun thinking through puzzles, but once I had made a few buildings and decorated the beach, everything fell flat. The puzzles all started looking the same and with the same traps and obstacles. The only difference was the spacing or angling or arrangement of those obstacles. It got to the point where I was wondering if I was accidentally hitting redo on levels instead of going through new ones. Also there are constant advertisements, as there are on every free app. But the whole game relies on these ads! Want to add something to your beach? Well you need to watch 1-5 ads. Want to unlock that new vehicle you spent levels on earning? Not until you watch an add first! Want to move onto the next level? Well an add is required for that too. Every restart tp a level requires one as well. The only difference between the same three ads is that some are optional and some aren't. You can skip a level but only if you watch an ad. You can add to the beach but if you skip the ad then you can't earn it, you can earn more keys but only if an ad is allowed. The only you CAN skip an add on is to get past the finished level screen. This game uses ads as loading screens and I would much rather wait a few seconds for the game to load instead of advertising being at every corner and every second. Sure, the game is very fun at first, but it quickly gets old and annoying. I wouldn't recommend it.

by Cjirishlez

Updated review***** I’m going to leave my original review after this. Today I updated SandBalls to find a VIP subscription. Thank goodness I never paid the $1.99 add removal. Nothing else is new. I’ve had all the balls and cars. I am on level 211 I have a bunch of the diamonds the sand city complete. They have a coming soon for another part of the sand city. Now they are pushing this VIP for effects. Yeah no major fail dropped my score from a 4 to a 1. Pretty sad update. I only play here and there I see this being more deleted from my phone now. Was a good game.

I got to level 101 in less then one day. Already have everything in sand island and all the balls you can collect. I’m currently just collecting the different cars used to collect the balls but that’s done by completely levels to fill up the jar like design of a car till it’s full. You collect 5% to the car each level. For those complaining about the ads I don’t think they fully control what ad is run. I’ve seen lots of different kinds. I’ve seen the choice ones and yeah they are adult rated but I’ve seen worse ads on other games. Gave 4 because I feel I’ve pretty much beat it hope more things come soon. I do enjoy it.

by Jessica_geist_rose

I would give negative stars if I could. So this happened today…This is horrible and sickening! I don’t believe in kids on phones playing games, etc and this is one reason why. Every once in a while when I need it for a distraction like at the doctor or dentist which is where we were today I will allow it. I downloaded what I thought would be a harmless kids maze game and this ad popped up while he was playing it. I always supervise and don’t let him have it freely because you hear of so many bad and inappropriate things that kids get exposed to. An ad popped up with 2 women kissing and saying to move the cursor to tough in different places. I grabbed it from his hands immediately hopefully before he saw or could comprehend what it was. I closed the ad and another popped up with a man and woman with text of adultery. 3x it did that all with different images. So upsetting! That app got deleted and found another. Just a sick world. Guard your babies and protect their innocence. Don’t let them freely play or watch things on apps or online without supervision or without knowing it’s kid friendly. This just confirmed my reasons even if some think I’m crazy or extreme.

by Sparkymark51

The game in the past was way better. It used to have a few ads every now and then, understandable amount. This company deserved the money. Now, they decided to get a little greedy as more players picked up the game. They added way more ads, the weird city feature that I still don’t understand how to use and why to use it, power ups, and just recently a dang VIP feature that unlocks things that were always either free or unlock-able in the game. I hate to see how simple games get too greedy and complicated to be likable.

Also, this game has treasure chest features, and to unlock the chest you need to watch an ad. I am OK with this, as long as you have the option to opt out of, keyword- BOTH the ad and chest. If you decide you to opt out of the chest in this game, it still gives you an ad but no chest in return. This is the most annoying ad feature added to the game and a large part of the reason I’m deciding to stop playing the game, probably for forever as I’m almost sure the game is doomed to continue getting worse.

I just wish they could make this game fun and simple again.

by Angie Willow

Okay so I gave this a 3 out of 5 stars because it was addicting however I got to level 280 and deleted this game because the last 60-80 levels have been a little frustrating because the were not anymore challenging than the first 100 levels and I feel as new things should be introduced as most games do. Sometimes I questioned if I had played the same level 100 levels ago. The levels had the same thing but in different orders and I very rarely lost. But this game was addicting it just got boring. I want to say I had this game for about 2-3weeks which is pretty average maybe a little better than average. Good job guys I just need it mixed up a bit more... maybe introduce something new every 50 levels and make the levels progressively more challenging. I know most people don’t say this but in this case I would have liked to lose a bit more than basic at never. Thanks! I enjoyed it while it lasted :) definitely download this game you will have fun for sometime!

by Reneestephens328

I quite like this game, however, I’ve reached way past the limits of the game. I’m on level 355, been gifted every ball offered, bought sand city to the max of everything and there are really no new challenges in the game play. There is no need to multiply your winnings or keys or even except gifts because what am I going to spend the thousands upon thousands of gems I already have? I have no desire to watch a 30 second add to get 6000 or so gems that are basically useless. So I just want to know... is this it? Are there plans to add new challenges or new balls, something that doesn’t roll as easily. Or maybe some of the tubes could actually be a trap and ground up your balls. Cause really once you figure out the red hole what’s the purpose? I just avoid it and there is no challenge to that.

Don’t get me wrong. I am addicted to playing this game but please add something more sooooooon!

Oh but my biggest complaint is the ads! I really am fine with most of them because they give you a little interaction to let you try it out but what I have a problem with is the ads for “Episodes” or “Chapters”. This game is rated for 12 and above and these games are pure porn in cartoon form. They are disgusting to me and I’m 47.

by BettyJoe Lovey

My 7 year old told me to download this game. And at first I was like WOWWWWW this is pretty cool! Now that I’m on level 350 (reached it in less than a week) and I own all the extra balls possible and have upgraded all the equipment to its max I’m really confused why I keep playing the same levels over and over again?!?!?

All the levels are exactly the same. They did not get gradually harder than the previous one, all the same obstacles come again and again and again. And occasionally you’ll have the levels where they trick you if you’re not fast enough but then all you have to do is redo it! I’ve gotten 3 stars on every level, cuz like why not? When they ask if you want to watch a video for a prize honestly may as because they’re going to play a video for you regardless, may as well get something out of it.

All in all game needs some new updates, actually challenging levels, and some new Bonus levels cuz they are legit ALL THE SAME. They never change! Game was addicting at first, but now I’m bored. It also makes me phone heat up while I’m playing so I can go through maybe 5 levels before I shut it off to make sure my phone doesn’t overheat.

by Cl1210

While I enjoy this game, I am marking this three stars because I am very disappointed that I no longer have access to the VIP ball effects I paid for.

To echo other reviews, I enjoy the therapeutic nature of this game (both the main game and building Sand City). I did pay for the ad free version, which helped to alleviate the ads between levels but did not remove completely (for example, an ad is required if you want to x5 diamonds or gain additional keys). I decided to try VIP to see what it offered. I think the ball effects are pretty cool (you get additional effects if you are VIP for multiple days) and there is an extra area in Sand City. I was VIP for long enough time to receive the area in Sand City and 2 extra ball effects. I cancelled my weekly VIP subscription, and I no longer have the ball 2 VIP effects but still do have the area in Sand City. I am happy the Sand City section remains, but it’s disappointing I don’t have the ball effects I paid for.

by Fun And Simple But Gets Boring

I downloaded sand balls about a week ago and loved it! I’ve been playing ever since and am now on level 265, and have collected all the balls. Definitely a simple, fun game that also manages to make it complex and hard sometimes. The only complaint I would have about the game is that there’s no level map! I’ve looked everywhere in the game and there’s no way to replay levels you’ve already played unless you replay them directly after, and even then you can’t play them anymore when you move on. Really disappointed that you can’t go back to see how many stars you got on each level. Another thing is about the ads. You pay $2.99 to play without ads but then 40% of the gameplay is with ads still. If you pay the three dollars I feel you should be able to get the car for free, up your diamonds, and upgrade your prizes for free. It gets a little boring and repetitive after you’ve collected everything and built your “Sand City” so.. Definitely needs to be updated with more content. But for a starter game, it’s really fun! 3 stars.

by ImpatientGirlLL

It’s a great game and good to settle stress. The playing area is the full area of the screen so when you’re trying to do actions at the top and bottom of the screen, iphone reads it as you trying to minimize your app or pull down notifications. This will cause you to lose balls as you lose the time to move the sand. It would really help to have a frame buffer area around the playing area. Also, the 250 for the Ferris wheel is a bit dumb. There are some levels where the second bomb blows with the first and you have no choice but to replay the level, and some where you begin with so few balls that they fail to blow the bomb. I’ve had to skip several levels because of that. Otherwise I love the game. I paid for the ad free version. If you’re getting this for a child realize they will still be able to click ads and be asked to subscribe to VIP repeatedly.

by Triton312

I’ll start by saying I love this game! It’s fun and relaxing. After playing for a few hours, I decided it would be worth the $2.99 for having it with “no ads.” However, I preface by saying I understand that “boost” type actions (more keys, more diamonds, party boost) have ads and I’m fine with that. What is misleading is that as you use balls to fill the percentage of your next “car,” you are forced to watch an ad once you hit 100% to get the car. This should not be if I’ve paid to play ad free. Additionally, if you want to replay a level to try for collecting more balls, you have to watch an ad to replay it... “No Ads” should allow you to play the game, including replaying levels, without watching ads that I have paid to play without.

Otherwise, the game is fun and I look forward to continued expansion. I’ve been playing for 2 days and I’ve already collected all the balls and built everything I can in Sand City.

by 678920452

This game is really fun to me there’s no money to play it and it is fun to play with my friends. I also recommend buying like the free ad thing And I really think that it’s like a good game for stress relieving and people with like Medicare and stuff need help make people happy and I really think that it’s like a good game for stress relieving and people with like Medicare and stuff anytime makes people happy and there’s not very much ads at all like my first ad I got was like in 20 minutes and so that’s why I really like it but you know the ads are annoying of course but there’s not very much I don’t go on so I’m not really you know sad about that or anything everything is like it doesn’t cost any money so I’m like happy that it doesn’t cost any money because I usually don’t like costing money on the game so I try to pick the best games and I really think that this one’s really recommended to play so I really like this one and I wouldn’t give it a five star but I will give it a four-star because there really is other games out there too so that’s my organization of the game that we’re talking about right now😋

by Nerys Ghemor

Yes, it’s a simple game with quick levels...get as many balls down to the waiting vehicle below. But it’s genuinely fun, especially if you are looking for something that won’t stress you or make you think TOO hard. A basic grasp of practical physics can’t hurt you as you anticipate how the balls will react to the various obstacles. The best surprise was when, in a fit of frustration at one level, I shook my phone...and discovered the haptics actually WORKED. That was a really fun discovery!

The only negatives that have this game currently downrated by a star is that a) Sand City needs some more development because the last building you use your gems to construct is a long slog, b) occasionally I’ve seen balls jump barriers or get stuck in sand in an impossible way, and c) the VIP subscription model isn’t worth it, though the ad-free purchase is good.

None of those issues keeps me from wanting to play or from enjoying the game though, so this is definitely a solid four stars and a recommend for anyone who wants simple fun.

by CookieLoverQueen

i have played this game sooo much over quarantine! i am currently on level 800 something and plan to keep playing to get a higher and higher level. as you can tell, i’m basically addicted to this game, but there are some minor problems. there have been some games that are impossible to pass because of a glitch or something, so i’ve had to skip them. also, in sand city, once you get all the buildings, you get a fairest wheel and the bank which is exciting until you figure out what you need to get them. you have to play 2,000 levels for the fairest wheel, and 1,000,000 gems for the bank! finally, VIP is not worth the money. it’s definitely great but not worth it. you get more gems and stuff, and you get to move up and down the map, which is really cool. but then again, the hardest part of the game is to do it without getting to go back up, so that makes the game REALLY easy. other than those things, i love this game and would definitely recommend it! 👍

by SlothBearsRock

So I have had this game a while and I’m on level 380. I really like the updates so far and want to say that this game is awesome like well done 👏. The other reason I am writing this is that I have a problem with the ads because they are getting ridiculous. Like, I’m fine with an ad after a level but if we could have an ad every other level that might be nice. And I don’t know if you can control the ad that I get but it’s annoying getting an ad that is like a minute long. But it’s annoying especially when I want a prize and then have to exit the game and not get it because the “X” button won’t work. To anyone reading this I feel that is a minor problem and I would recommend you play.

by Trailblaizerz34

If you want to download this game it is awesome!!👍 I think you should get this game! I love it so maybe you will love it to. Last tip: DOWNLOAD THIS GAME!! It’s so awesome download it you should I mean this like don’t even ask me it is awesome try it out I think you should give it a five star rating if you read it once you play it so just put it it’s even it’s more fun when you actually play it and not just watch ads and commercials that Don’t even let you play it just say says tap press or do whatever and then when you actually want to download it it’s way more fun so that’s what this whole entire rating is about like it’s about how awesome this game is so I really think you should play this game by downloading it and using it all the time and so I thought you would really like this game everybody who is reading this should really really download this game really really like it so don’t even ask me.

by ~Kitty~Cat~

Super fun but….. I think after your but every thing you can buy with the coins they keep giving you, you should have the opportunity to buy gems with the coins. I’m at the point of the game where you don’t need the coins anymore cuz I already bought everything from the store there is to buy with the coins. What I really need are gems! I’m not trying to buy gems with real money when I already put money into the game as is. i.e. buying the no adds or paying the weekly fee for free stuff or even buying the bombs or even buying the monthly prizes. You really need to let us either trade in the coins for gems or when u get the bonus rounds for gems instead of coins. Like I said I have no use for coins anymore since I’ve been playing since the game came out. Other than that I love this game. I could play for hours!!!

by Poo!!'n

This is a great game but charging $100 a year is ridiculous to the point that I’d be surprised if you make hardly any money at all. If you charged $20 or maybe $30 a year I’d go for it. You’d probably get more subscribers and more money overall at a lower price point than you are getting at such a high price point. There are just too many good quality free games to pay $100 a year for a game, even a fun and relaxing one like this app. Also, even if I paid for VIP, I’d want to have the ability to turn off the features individually, like the slide-back-up feature or the special effects which are fun for sometimes but make the experience less relaxing and I’d like to turn them off after a while and then on once in a while. Thanks.