# Rock Rats — Asteroid space shooter

> Arcade space shooter with asteroid blasting and UFO combat. (iPhone/iPad app by David Long.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rock-rats/id1481795281 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [David Long](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481795280)
- Category: Games, Action, Casual
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 8 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 4 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2020-01-24
- Data updated: 2026-06-04
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rock-rats/id1481795281/reviews.md

## What is Rock Rats?

Blast waves of asteroids and battle hordes of UFOs in this modern take on an arcade classic.

“See the stars like never before,” said the job description. “Join an elite group. Learn advanced piloting skills. Generous pay.” What it didn't say was “Dodge incoming laser fire from hostile UFOs.” Life in the asteroid belt does have attractions. The thrill of flying a tricky path through fields of debris, the camaraderie of fellow pilots, the beauty and solitude found among the unchanging stars. And the pay is indeed generous. But it also has dangers, and plenty of them. I've made a career out here, but do you have what it takes to join us and become one of the Rock Rats?

• Blast your way through endless swarms of asteroids
• Battle UFOs whose intent is less-than-friendly
• Situation hopeless? Cross your fingers and jump to hyperspace!

Featuring
• Game Center leaderboards: can you reach the top?
• 50 Game Center achievements: earn them all
• Over 20 hidden achievements: an Easter egg hunter's paradise
• Game controller support
• No ads, no in-app purchases, no need to deposit quarters: just nonstop action

Learning about app programming and starting to make your own games? The full source code for Rock Rats is available on GitHub! It's extensively documented and can serve as an example of a modern game based on Swift and SpriteKit.

## Key features

- Blast asteroids
- Battle UFOs
- Hyperspace jumps
- Game Center leaderboards
- 50 Game Center achievements
- Game controller support

## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rock-rats/id1481795281/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Super cool!!!!

*2026-02-02*

Awesome game!!!

### 5/5 — Cool game

*2020-01-27*

I like the saucer AI. The controls take some getting used to but are fairly intuitive after a few games. Maybe the hidden controls should be the default since I think the visible touch indicators are a little distracting, though they’re good in the tutorial.

## Frequently asked questions about Rock Rats

### What is Rock Rats?

Rock Rats is a free arcade-style space shooter where you blast asteroids and battle UFOs. It features endless gameplay, Game Center leaderboards, and achievements.

### Does Rock Rats have ads?

No, Rock Rats is completely ad-free. The game description explicitly states 'No ads, no in-app purchases, no need to deposit quarters: just nonstop action.'

### Can I play Rock Rats offline?

The description does not specify offline play, but features like Game Center leaderboards suggest an internet connection may be required for full functionality.

### What devices does Rock Rats support?

Rock Rats is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It was released on January 24, 2020, and last updated on November 15, 2022.

### How is the gameplay in Rock Rats?

Gameplay involves blasting waves of asteroids and hostile UFOs, with the ability to jump to hyperspace when in trouble. It also supports game controllers for enhanced play.

### What is the age rating for Rock Rats?

Rock Rats has an age rating of 9+. This indicates it is suitable for children aged 9 and above.

### How often is Rock Rats updated?

The game was last updated on November 15, 2022, with version 1.2.0. This suggests updates are not extremely frequent but the game is maintained.

### Is there a way to see how I rank against other players in Rock Rats?

Yes, Rock Rats features Game Center leaderboards, allowing you to compete and see your rank against other players worldwide.

## Version history (last 4 releases)

### 1.2.0 — 2022-11-15

What's new?
• Selectable starting wave: skip over waves that you've cleared before, for an immediate asteroid frenzy!  Clearing the starting wave earns a bonus similar to the score you would get from playing through the skipped waves, so scores are comparable.
• Standardized game controller support: you can customize controls in the iOS settings, and make screen captures, recordings, or highlight clips with the controller's share button.
• Haptic support, either directly on an iPhone or through an attached game controller
• New daily and weekly recurring leaderboards
• Three new achievements, for a total of 50
• Playing area aspect ratio is limited to at most 3:2, so game scores are more comparable between iPad and iPhone
• Updates for compatibility with iOS 15+

### 1.1.0 — 2020-02-15

Rock Rats now supports wireless game controllers!

Prefer to do your rock-blasting with a full view of the screen? Pair your device with a wireless game controller. In addition to the popular Xbox One and PS4 controllers, any Bluetooth-enabled MFi controller should work.

You have a choice of two control setups. The default scheme uses the left thumb stick or dpad for flying, but if you prefer to have forward and reverse thrust mapped to the A/B buttons, there's an option on the settings screen for that.

Visit https://rockrats.davidlong.org for a full description of all controls.

### 1.0.1 — 2020-01-24

Game Center functionality wasn't enabled during initial app submission.  Oops :-)

### 1.0.0 — 2020-01-24

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Rock Rats

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Asteroid Glider](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteroid-glider/id1529798776) | — | Free | Games |
| [Destroy Them](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/destroy-them/id912667187) | 4.4 (7) | Free | Games |
| [Perfec!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/perfec/id1086477032) | 4.8 (5) | Free | Games |
| [Asteroids 3D - space shooter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteroids-3d-space-shooter/id1667354873) | 5.0 (4) | Free | Games |
| [Asteroid: A Cosmic Drift-Off](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteroid-a-cosmic-drift-off/id6473901437) | 4.0 (4) | Free | Games |
| [Invaliens, Galaxy Defender.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/invaliens-galaxy-defender/id1134017277) | 3.0 (2) | Free | Games |

## More apps by David Long

- [Cube Madness](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cube-madness/id1516033049)
- [Text2Handwriting](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text2handwriting/id1580833801)

All apps by David Long: https://appshunter.io/developer/1481795280

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-04.*
