Sands of Salzaar in IOS

Open-World Sandbox PRG

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Expert Score

85/100

Sands of Salzaar is a remarkably ambitious open-world strategy RPG that feels like a cross between Mount & Blade and a high-fantasy xianxia novel. Stepping into the vast, sprawling desert of the Old Empire, you’re immediately struck by the freedom the game offers. You aren't just a participant in this world; you are a force of nature. Whether you choose to be a humble trader, a silver-tongued diplomat, or a ruthless warlord leading a massive army, the game accommodates your playstyle with a deep skill tree and a complex faction system.

The tactical combat is where the game truly shines. Moving from the overhead world map into large-scale real-time battles feels epic, as you command diverse units ranging from basic infantry to mythical beasts. The progression loop is incredibly satisfying—recruiting unique heroes, upgrading your troops, and conquering cities provides a sense of scale rarely seen on mobile devices. While the translation can be a bit spotty in places and the learning curve is steep, the sheer depth of the sandbox mechanics makes it a must-play for fans of grand strategy and RPGs. It’s a world you can easily lose dozens of hours in, discovering hidden bosses and navigating the shifting political alliances of the desert tribes.

Dinsun reviewed on: Thu Feb 27 2025

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 1.2.0Sat Feb 14 2026

[New] Added a story arc for Berserkers, featuring three distinct story paths and all-new skill trees.

This story follows the Ursine tribe, whose future hangs by a thread after they are brutalized by a force even more savage than their own.

Strength defines the Ursine berserker. Will he continue down the same path, or seek an entirely different way?

[New] Added a brand-new in-party character interaction feature, giving heroes with different personalities and backgrounds completely new ways to converse.

Each character has their own story, and their relationships with one another are intricate. You can uncover these connections through their dialogues.

[New] Added over a hundred random backstories and dialogues for procedurally generated characters.

Previously, only the most renowned heroes had recorded stories. Now, many of the less important characters have their own backgrounds and personalities.

They too help bring life and color to the vast sands.

[New] Added attack speed and reworked hundreds of skill effects. The basic attacks of heroes and troops are now affected by attack speed.

Previously, attack speed only affected the interval between your character's attacks.

We improved attack speed in a previous version, enabling it to affect heroes' basic attacks.

This time, we've taken it further: attack speed now affects most skills' fore- and backswing times as well as channeling durations.

We previously made it compatible with heroes; now, troops benefit from it too!

[Optimization] Greatly improved map loading times for much faster map switching. (Performance tests show roughly a tenfold improvement.)

[Optimization] Reworked the top UI information display to improve readability when obtaining large amounts of items.

[Optimization] Improved world map unit behavior logic, improving smoothness in late-game saves.

[Optimization] Improved the world map unit loading algorithm, reducing lag when large numbers of units appear.

[Optimization] Reworked the character pop-up dialogue UI, improving clarity and readability.

[Optimization] Restructured pathfinding and collision algorithms. This should fix issues where troops got stuck in walls and resolve other pathfinding problems.

[Optimization] Improved aura trigger checks for the user, which should reduce lag.

[Optimization] You can now rename randomized characters in the Intel menu.

[Optimization] Added a toggle for combat damage numbers in the settings, with options to customize which units' damage numbers are displayed.

[Optimization] Added a Screen Shake toggle, available under Settings.

[Optimization] The Berserker's Outburst (++++) can now be cancelled manually.

[Fix] Fixed a bug where missing character attribute fields could prevent battles from starting, and then ultimately the game crashing.

[Fix] Fixed an issue preventing the Tavern Girl from triggering quest prompts, which affected the Spiritmancer and Bounty Hunter main quests, among others.

[Fix] Fixed a bug where character entries could appear blank when joining a faction.

[Fix] Fixed a bug where some character action sets (e.g., hammer, harp, dual blades) lacked transition animations.

[Fix] Fixed an issue causing skill tree lines to render incorrectly when node order was inconsistent.

[Fix] Fixed an issue preventing auto-equipment updates for characters able to wield all weapon types.


This is a fantastical tale of an exotic land. The Old Empire has fallen, leaving rival tribes to fight for control of the great desert. Little do they know of the seeds of darkness which grow in the shadows with each passing day...

Sands of Salzaar is an open-world strategy-action RPG set across a sprawling desert. Build up and manage your forces from a single unit to a mighty army, then lead them into massive battles against your foes. How you progress is up to you: customize your hero with a wide variety of skills and talents, choose which factions to side with, and plan your strategies carefully to establish yourself as whoever you aspire to be - a lone wolf, a wealthy trader, a city lord, or a war schemer.


Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

This is a fantastical tale of an exotic land. The Old Empire has fallen, leaving rival tribes to fight for control of the great desert. Little do they know of the seeds of darkness which grow in the shadows with each passing day...

Sands of Salzaar is an open-world strategy-action RPG set across a sprawling desert. Build up and manage your forces from a single unit to a mighty army, then lead them into massive battles against your foes. How you progress is up to you: customize your hero with a wide variety of skills and talents, choose which factions to side with, and plan your strategies carefully to establish yourself as whoever you aspire to be - a lone wolf, a wealthy trader, a city lord, or a war schemer.


Ratings & Reviews

4.2 out of 5 with 54 Counts
Age Rating 13+

Screenshots

Sands of Salzaar screenshot 1Sands of Salzaar screenshot 2Sands of Salzaar screenshot 3Sands of Salzaar screenshot 4Sands of Salzaar screenshot 5Sands of Salzaar screenshot 6Sands of Salzaar screenshot 7Sands of Salzaar screenshot 8Sands of Salzaar screenshot 9Sands of Salzaar screenshot 10Sands of Salzaar screenshot 11Sands of Salzaar screenshot 12Sands of Salzaar screenshot 13Sands of Salzaar screenshot 14

Sands of Salzaar is a fantastical tale of an exotic land where the Old Empire has fallen, leaving rival tribes to fight for control. This open-world strategy-action RPG allows you to build and manage forces from a single unit to a mighty army. Customize your hero with various skills, choose your factions, and plan your strategy to become a lone wolf, a wealthy trader, or a war schemer in a world where seeds of darkness grow in the shadows.

Features

1

Massive open-world sandbox

2

Large-scale tactical battles

3

Deep hero customization

4

Faction and city management

5

Recruit and evolve diverse units

Tips

Promotion Videos

Sands of Salzaar Official Trailer - YouTube

Related Videos

News on this game

Sands of Salzaar Early Access PC Review - An Isometric Battlefield

Sands of Salzaar is an open world, indie, strategy RPG developed by Han-Squirrel Studio. The great war has torn apart the kingdom,...

The Koalition - Wed Mar 02 2022

Sands of Salzaar Review - A Huge Uninspired World

Sands of Salzaar is an expansive strategy-RPG title from the Chinese developers, Han-Squirrel Studio. With the long-awaited English patch...

COGconnected - Wed Feb 02 2022

Open-world strategy-action RPG Sands of Salzaar exits Early Access and launches for PC on December 16

Publisher X.D. Network and developer Han-Squirrel Studio have announced that Sands of Salzaar has exited Early Access and is now available...

RPG Site - Sun Apr 02 2023

Sands Of Salzaar

Embark on an adventure that's uniquely yours; Customizable characters, professions, and factions. The land is filled with a variety of...

PCGamesN - Sun Jan 02 2022

Sands of Salzaar is an expansive open-world RPG with some unfortunate flaws

The open-world RPG Sands of Salzaar is out now on Android. Originally released on PC in 2021, it offers an experience akin to the Mount and...

Android Police - Thu May 02 2024

Open-world strategy-action RPG Sands of Salzaar's English Language Update Launches on September 22

Publisher X.D. Network and developer Han-Squirrel Studio have announced that 'open-world strategy-action RPG' Sands of Salzaar will be...

RPG Site - Sun Jan 02 2022

Best new mobile games of January 2023, from NBA All-World to Sands of Salzaar

A new year means a new group of games to get excited about, but you might not need to look ahead to play some of the potential best mobile...

Android Police - Sun Jun 02 2024

Sands of Salzaar PC Review

Sands of Salzaar is developed by Hans-Squirrel Studio and published by X.D. Network Inc. Labeling Sands of Salzaar with genres is difficult,...

But Why Tho? - Tue May 02 2023

Gameplays

Q&A

Yes, Sands of Salzaar is a premium single-player experience that can be played offline.

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