First Impression
I downloaded Count Masters: Stickman Games last Tuesday because I was stuck in a long line at the DMV and needed something mindless to pass the time. The concept looked fun enough—lead a crowd of stick figures through obstacles, collect coins, and grow your army. The cartoon graphics were cute, and the first few levels actually felt satisfying. I remember thinking, “This might actually be a decent little time-waster.” That feeling lasted maybe twenty minutes. Then the ads started. And the permission requests. And the vague privacy policy links. By the time I got to level 10, I was already suspicious about what this app was doing behind the scenes.
What It Does Well
When the game actually lets you play without interruption, the core loop is pretty engaging. You swipe to move your stickman crowd left or right, avoiding red obstacles and scooping up blue stickmen to add to your team. The crowd grows bigger and bigger, which gives you this dumb little dopamine hit every time. The controls are responsive—I’ll give them that. I never felt like my taps were lagging or unregistered. The visual design is bright and silly, which made my niece laugh when she saw me playing. The multiplayer mode is also a nice touch, though I only tried it twice because the matchmaking kept throwing me against people who clearly paid for upgrades. Still, for a free game, the actual gameplay mechanics work fine. The problem is everything else surrounding it.
Where It Falls Short
The ads are relentless. And I don’t mean the occasional optional ad for bonus coins. I mean forced full-screen video ads that pop up after almost every level, sometimes mid-level if you fail once. Tuesday afternoon at the DMV, I watched a 30-second ad for some slime toy game three times in ten minutes just to keep playing. That’s not a game—that’s an ad delivery system with a game attached. Then there’s the difficulty spike. Around level 25, the game starts demanding you either replay old levels for coins or pay real money to upgrade your stickman. The in-app purchases aren’t cheap either. Five bucks for a costume? No thanks. Also, the game kept crashing on my iPhone 15 Pro when I switched apps to respond to a text. Lost my progress twice. That’s just sloppy.
Is It Worth the Price?
It’s free to download, so you’re not out any cash upfront. But the game clearly wants you to spend money. There’s a pop-up shop that opens automatically the first time you hit a hard level. The prices range from $2.99 for a small coin pack to $19.99 for the “mega bundle.” I didn’t buy anything, and I don’t plan to. The value just isn’t there when I can play better free games without the constant money grabs. If you have infinite patience for ads and don’t care about progression, you can technically play without spending. But for me, a free game that feels designed to frustrate you into paying isn’t worth the storage space.
Developer & Support
I had a crash issue where the game froze on the loading screen for a full minute before closing. I contacted support through the in-app form on Wednesday. Got an automated reply saying they’d “look into it.” Thursday afternoon, I followed up. No response. Finally on Friday, I got a generic message suggesting I reinstall the app. No acknowledgment of the crash, no timeline for a fix, just copy-paste advice. I tried reinstalling. The crash happened again. So I wrote back. That was two days ago. Still nothing. Freeplay Inc might be focused on pumping out stickman games, but they clearly don’t prioritize user support. It feels like once they have your download, they don’t care if you’re happy.
Privacy & Safety
This is what really bothers me. When I first opened the app, it asked for permission to track my activity across other apps and websites. I said no. Then it asked again the next day. Then a third time. The privacy policy is a wall of legalese that mentions data sharing with “third-party partners” for “advertising purposes.” That’s vague. I checked with a friend who works in tech—he said this app likely collects your device ID, location, browsing habits, and game behavior to sell to ad networks. For a stickman game. That’s not okay with me. I’ve noticed targeted ads for weight loss products and gambling apps showing up in my feed since installing. Coincidence? Maybe. But I’m uninstalling after this review.
How does the crowd-growing mechanic work in Count Masters: Stickman Games?
You swipe left or right to move your stickman crowd, avoiding red obstacles while collecting blue stickmen to grow your army. The larger your crowd gets, the more satisfying the visual feedback, though the game becomes harder around level 25, often requiring replays or purchases to progress.
Does Count Masters: Stickman Games have a multiplayer mode, and is it fair for free players?
Yes, there is a multiplayer mode, but matchmaking tends to pair you against opponents who have paid for upgrades, making it unbalanced for free players. You can still try it, but expect a tough challenge unless you invest in in-app purchases.
Why does Count Masters keep crashing when I switch apps on my iPhone?
The app has a known issue on devices like the iPhone 15 Pro where switching apps can cause crashes and lost progress. To avoid this, try saving your game manually before leaving the app, or check for updates that may fix the bug.
How can I deal with the constant forced ads in Count Masters: Stickman Games?
Forced full-screen video ads appear after almost every level and sometimes mid-level after a failure, which is frustrating. Your best options are to play offline if possible, or consider the in-app purchase to remove ads, though many players find the cost not worth it.
How does Count Masters: Stickman Games compare to other free crowd-control games like Crowd City?
Count Masters has more polished controls and a multiplayer mode, but it suffers from relentless forced ads and a steep difficulty spike that pressures you into spending money. Crowd City offers a similar core loop with fewer interruptions, making it a better choice for casual play without the constant monetization.
