# Space Pixel Swarm — Offline 2D Space RTS Strategy > Offline 2D space RTS strategy game with strategic tradeoffs and unique mechanics. (iPhone/iPad app by David Smith.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-pixel-swarm/id1611870560 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [David Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/1611870562) - Category: Games, Action, Strategy - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.61/5 from 18 App Store ratings · 20 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 15.5 · 218 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2022-03-12 - Data updated: 2026-07-07 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-pixel-swarm/id1611870560/reviews.md ## What is Space Pixel Swarm? Space Pixel Swarm is an offline, single‑player space RTS where you start outnumbered and win by making hard strategic tradeoffs. Sacrifice planets to power up your fleet, or hold the line and fortify. Features - Offline single‑player RTS - Short sessions + procedural skirmish mode - Configurable swarm AI behaviors - Unique “desperation” mechanic: lost planets fuel your remaining forces - 29 carefully designed campaign levels with progressive difficulty - Diverse units: fighters, capital ships, shield generators, and missile installations - Multiple enemy variations that force different tactics Master Your Strategy Every level pushes you to refine your approach: expand fast to contest the enemy’s growth, or consolidate and build an unbreakable defense. Experiment with unit mixes, timing, and positioning to survive increasingly intense swarm pressure. Skirmish Mode for Endless Replayability Jump into randomized maps with customizable settings for quick matches and long-form challenges. Tune the swarm to your preference and test new strategies whenever you want. Share Your Thoughts Found a bug or have an idea? We’re actively improving the game and welcome feedback at: yearofthegamerdev@gmail.com ## Key features - Offline single-player RTS - Procedural skirmish mode - Configurable swarm AI - Desperation mechanic: lost planets fuel forces - 29 campaign levels - Diverse unit types - Multiple enemy variations ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time | | Buy 20 Merits | $0.99 | one-time | | 10 Merits | $0.99 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 20) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-pixel-swarm/id1611870560/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Great Game! Exciting improvements *2026-03-18* Solid strategy game! My one complaint was micromanaging units. The developer listened and put in an auto build feature. I really enjoy the desperation mechanic because it makes you feel like you always have a chance to win, even if the AI is destroying you. The new upgrade system is very welcome, given how difficult the AI gets later on. If you like fast-paced strategy games this is definitely worth picking up! **Developer response:** Appreciate the review! The auto mechanics were added in due to community feedback, feel free to send any thoughts you have on issues or things you’d like to see to yearofthegamerdev@gmail.com or using the in-game feedback button! ### 5/5 — Love the update! *2026-01-20* Used to play this game all the time but ran out of things to do after a few hours. It’s been collecting dust for a few years, but I saw it say it was updating the other day and decided to take a look. They finally added units that actually allow you to implement different strategies. Hope they continue to add, and a lot more frequently in the future. **Developer response:** Glad you’ve been enjoying the updates! Don’t hesitate to leave in-game feedback or send an email to yearofthegamerdev@gmail.com for anything you’d like to see in the future! ### 5/5 — More levels *2025-12-08* We need a part 2😩👍🏻🙏 **Developer response:** Heard you loud and clear! One of the largest updates in a while is being released this week! New playable factions all with new units. 0.175.12: As of this version there are also 20 new levels! ### 5/5 — Very nice little conquest simulator *2025-03-30* I had a lot of fun playing it, it’s pretty easy to get the hang of. ### 5/5 — The best game ever like fr *2024-12-18* I’ve been playing Space Pixel Swarm non-stop, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite quick strategy games. The mix of fast-paced gameplay and thoughtful strategy makes every battle fun. I love the strategic approaches I can take depending on how much I go all in with ships, pelting them with an onslaught of missiles, or just playing it safe and amassing shields on all of my planets. The standard AI was pretty easy, but the other "types" of AI have actually been pretty smart and challenging. My one wish so far besides new content is I would love it if you could set the main game AI type in addition to selecting difficulties. Oh, and it even has a nice slingshot mechanic. They call it "desperation", but essentially, if you're getting demolished, the game starts giving you buffs giving you a chance to get out of no-win scenarios. Finally, the skirmish mode is perfect for quick battles with customizable settings. I think the devs need to focus on adding even more settings for their next update. I can't imagine it would take too long and it would further add to the variety. Looking forward to seeing even more updates! Thanks, devs, for creating such an amazing game (and keeping the ads to a minimum). Keep up the great work! **Developer response:** Thanks for the kind words! I do plan on keeping the updates more regular in the future ### 5/5 — Love the update! *2024-12-14* Used to play this game all the time but ran out of things to do after a few hours. It’s been collecting dust for a few years, but I saw it say it was updating the other day and decided to take a look. They finally added units that actually allow you to implement different strategies. Hope they continue to add, and a lot more frequently in the future. ### 5/5 — Fun Space Game *2024-12-11* This is a fun game! ### 5/5 — Fun *2022-10-30* I really like this game. The new units are awesome, they make the game more fun. Took me a minute to get to the point where I am now unbeatable. I like the closer planet battles cause it’s hard to know who would win! Splendid work developers! **Developer response:** *New enemy update has been released as of 08/30/2022 Thank you for the review! 0.17 is currently in development which will give the enemy access to three new units depending on how well you’re performing against them. ### 4/5 — It’s fine *2022-10-23* It’s pretty repetitive and not a lot of mobs , but it’s good. ### 5/5 — ToP *2022-10-10* Игра вполне хороша, подарила пару часов космических баталий с минимумом рекламы) Заслуженные 5 звёзд) ## Frequently asked questions about Space Pixel Swarm ### What kind of game is Space Pixel Swarm? Space Pixel Swarm is an offline, single-player 2D space real-time strategy (RTS) game. It focuses on strategic decision-making, where players must overcome being outnumbered through clever tactics and resource management. ### What are the key features of Space Pixel Swarm? Key features include offline single-player RTS gameplay, short sessions with a procedural skirmish mode, configurable swarm AI behaviors, a unique 'desperation' mechanic where lost planets fuel your fleet, 29 campaign levels, diverse units like fighters and capital ships, and multiple enemy variations that require different tactics. ### Is Space Pixel Swarm free to play? The application is free to download and play, but it does include in-app purchases and advertisements. These may offer ways to enhance gameplay or support the developers. ### What platforms is Space Pixel Swarm available on? While the provided data does not explicitly state platform availability, it is described as a mobile application, suggesting it is likely available on iOS and Android devices. ### How does the 'desperation' mechanic work? The 'desperation' mechanic is a unique feature where any planets you lose during gameplay will actually provide a power boost to your remaining forces. This mechanic forces players to make hard strategic tradeoffs, as sacrificing territory can lead to a stronger fleet. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 0.175.32 — 2026-04-15 - Fixed docile and level 1 being present on every level - Fixed level details in translations having heavy overlap ### 0.175.20 — 2026-03-30 - Added accuracy modifiers to the in-game store. - Tweaked game panels. - Optional merit ads provide 2 merits. - Buffed all upgrades. ### 0.175.16 — 2026-03-16 - Added Database in the main menu for viewing stats on different ships and enemies per faction. - Added per-faction upgrade section to the store. Currently allows boosting health, damage, speed, attack speed and drone count. Also allows for increasing material and desperation gain. May added cooler upgrades in the future (e.x. upgrade changing torlin fighters to fire micro missiles instead of lasers). - Made the advanced tutorial skippable. - Tweaked coloration of capital ships when zoomed out. ### 0.175.15 — 2026-01-29 - New "Tactical UI" for less casual strategy players. -- Set up auto-move lines between planets and plan precise flanks, supply routes, auto-reinforcements or keep the general pressure up. -- Set up auto-build queues for units (5,10,50,100 or endless). Keep a planet fortified with stations, automate light pressure with small units, ensure you always have a capital ship available. -- Deconstruct stations. Refund stations to move them elsewhere. - New slow-down options. Slow down or completely pause time for more time to think and react in tough situations. ### 0.175.14 — 2026-01-26 - small bug fixes - under the hood tweaks ## Apps similar to Space Pixel Swarm | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [2 Minutes in Space, Survive!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/2-minutes-in-space-survive/id1183359738) | 4.7 (258) | Free | Games | | [Nova Empire: Space Wars MMO](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-empire-space-wars-mmo/id1295555672) | 4.3 (5,018) | Free | Games | | [Star Trek Fleet Command](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-trek-fleet-command/id1427744264) | 4.3 (66,751) | Free | Games | | [Iron Marines RTS Strategy Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iron-marines-rts-strategy-game/id1056920931) | 4.8 (25,759) | $0.99 | Games | | [Alien Tribe 2: 4X Space RTS TD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-tribe-2-4x-space-rts-td/id653463017) | 4.5 (510) | $4.99 | Games | | [Space Arena: Construct & Fight](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-arena-construct-and-fight/id1134614037) | 4.7 (18,144) | Free | Games | ## More apps by David Smith - [No Time For Math](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/no-time-for-math/id6757945010) All apps by David Smith: https://appshunter.io/developer/1611870562 ## Related topics [swarm ii](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/swarm-ii) · [skirmish](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/skirmish) --- *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 2026-07-07.*