Gatecrasher vs Star Jolt
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Gatecrasher
Navigate a ship through challenging gates using simple directional controls. Avoid collisions to progress in this skill-based arcade game. Test your reflexes and precision in a minimalist, engaging experience.
- Ship control
- Gate navigation
- Collision avoidance
- Two-button controls
- Skill-based gameplay
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Gatecrasher is a game. As a player of this game you will control a ship. You will have two buttons; one button to rotate your ship clockwise, and another to rotate your ship the direction that isn't clockwise. You must navigate your ship through gates, without crashing into them. I realise while writing this that the name of the game may be misleading, as the objective of the game is to not crash into the gates. I apologise for this, and those responsible have been fired.
Star Jolt
Experience a fast-paced, retro arcade space game focused on high-score chasing. Master lightning-fast reflexes and precise control to navigate cosmic debris and compete globally. Unlock unique ships and replay endlessly for the ultimate challenge.
- Global leaderboards
- Unlockable ships
- Ghost ship races
- One-hand gameplay
- Record and share runs
- Achievements
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Challenge yourself, your friends, and players worldwide in a fast-paced retro arcade space game built for pure high-score chasing. Star Jolt is a hardcore 80s-inspired arcade space racer where lightning-fast reflexes, precise control, and nerve decide everything. Games are short, brutal, and endlessly replayable — perfect for one-hand, portrait play anytime, anywhere. “New Games We Love” — Apple “Hidden Gems” — Apple “The Best Free iPhone Games 2023” — TechRadar “Best Free iPhone Games” — Macworld Can you navigate the cosmic debris and claim your spot on the global leaderboard? • Global leaderboards — climb the rankings and chase the perfect run • Achievements for long-term mastery • 20 unique ships to unlock — each with its own feel • Race against ghost ships from other players and your own best runs • One-touch, one-hand gameplay in portrait mode • Record and share your highscore attempts “Death comes often, but because games are so short, you’ll instantly want to try again — not least because of Star Jolt’s humor, entertaining hidden features, and eye-popping visuals.” — TechRadar “It laughs in your face as your digits repeatedly fail you, ending games within mere seconds. But the compulsion loop is strong — you’ll want another crack immediately.” — Macworld The Mission: Clean Up the Galaxy Space is full of dangerous junk — not just near Earth, but also near the left shoulder of Orion. There, a civilization of annoying lizard-like aliens is locked in an eternal race against their own creations: stupid, but friendly robots. As the unlikely hero of both sides, only you can keep them from tearing themselves apart — by flying faster, surviving longer, and cleaning up space one crash at a time. Reach for the hottest scores. Crash. Retry. Improve.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gatecrasher at none against Star Jolt's 2. Gatecrasher also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). Star Jolt's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Star Jolt sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Gatecrasher asks for nothing beyond the download.
Star Jolt holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 495 and 846 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Gatecrasher's written reviews are positive against 88% of Star Jolt's.
Gatecrasher ships an update every 5 months, Star Jolt every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Gatecrasher | Star Jolt |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (495 ratings) | 4.8 (846 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 73.9% of reviews | 88.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 495 | 846 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 62 MB | 122 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ben Grant | Beardybird AB |
Customer experience
Gatecrasher
Star Jolt
User reviews
Gatecrasher
From 495 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Good casual game
- 🚀 Simple and addictive
- 🚀 Attractive, simple, and fun
- 🚀 No ads or IAP
- 👍 Great game design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Controls are difficult to master
- 🐛 Levels become unreasonably hard after a certain point
- 🐛 Lack of checkpoints or practice mode
- 🐛 Sensitivity issues with controls
- 🐛 Disorienting when at the top of the screen
Star Jolt
From 846 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Retro arcade style
- 🎨 Stylish visuals
- 🎯 Challenging gameplay
- 🏆 Competitive leaderboards
- 🎼 Great audio and sound effects
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
- 📺 Frequent and unskippable ads
- 🔍 Sensitivity issues with controls
- 🔋 Potential battery drain
Bugs and requests
Gatecrasher
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on certain devices
- Issues with the 'Linechaser' mode
- Screen orientation problems
Requested features
5 requests- Add more soundtracks
- Implement a pause button
- Add a scoring system based on gates passed
- Introduce different skill levels or difficulty modes
- Allow customization of controls and sensitivity
Star Jolt
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game freezing during runs
- Crashes on certain device models
- Purchase restoration issues
Requested features
4 requests- Sensitivity adjustment options
- More ship/character customization
- Expanded story or progression system
- Ability to name/customize player profile
In-app purchases
Gatecrasher
No in-app purchases
Star Jolt
- Remove all ads + unique ship$2.99
- Unlock all ships$7.99









