Comparison

Space Out vs Action Hero

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Space Out

Experience a retro arcade game that combines classic space shooter and brick-breaking mechanics. Enjoy authentic 8-bit sound effects and speech synthesis for an immersive blast from the past.

Highlights
  • Space shooter gameplay
  • Brick breaking mechanics
  • Retro arcade feel
  • 8-bit sound effects
  • Speech synthesis
  • Digital Crown control
Features
Read full description

"Very cool 8^) - Fun old style arcade for us old arcade fans!" - Drewx67 "Great game - Awesome." - Goodluck74 "Nice retro watch game - Still loving this app. Fun to play on the watch while waiting in line or out and about. Quick hit gaming with fun retro feel. They keep on updating app too to make sure it works on OS updates. Thanks! Great retro game for the watch. It's like space invaders & block out combined! Works really well on the Apple watch. Uses new API's from watchOS 3. Nice scrolling with the crown and even uses the watch speaker for the great retro sounds. Love it! Next gen of watch games is here!" - peteostro "Excellent-- an iOS Classic! - I bought this game when the first version came out on iOS 2. It's been nearly 10 years and I still play it! I am so glad the developer keeps it updated. My favorite thing about it is the Commodore 64 SID sound effects and the speech synthesis-- this game would not look out of place in an early 80s arcade. The watchOS version plays very well on top of that! The Digital Crown makes moving the paddle a dream. Would definitely recommend this app to any retro game fan." - cyelvington "Gamers ... will likely find Space Invaders to be overly simplistic and outdone by most of its clones in the App Store such as Space Out." - http://toucharcade.com "I took a look at about 40 [games], I decided which ones lived up to the hype and which ones didn’t. One of my favorites was the game called Space Out." - Jamin Brophy-Warren, Wall Street Journal Online "Arkanoid + Space Invaders with the gorf voice thrown in for good measure! Sold." - GreatLakesDrifta Space Out is the original mashup, a tribute to old school arcade games; it truly delivers that early arcade feel. It combines 2 classic game concepts, shooting invaders and brick breaking, into a unique and exciting retro experience. It's a blast back to the late '70s. Complete with all new 8-bit sound effects created with a MOS 6581 SID chip from the Commodore 64 and speech generated with 8kHz 8-bit allophones. (Any control issues were fixed years ago.)

About

Action Hero

Embark on a thrilling comic strip adventure as an action hero. Test your reflexes to defeat gangsters on a speeding train, dodging various obstacles. Experience adrenaline-pumping gameplay with classic comic art and orchestral music.

Highlights
  • Adrenaline pumping action
  • Classic comic book-style art
  • Fast, responsive multi-touch
  • Achievements
  • Orchestral action music
  • Game Center support
Features
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Be the action hero in this stylish COMIC STRIP adventure! Feel the adrenaline pumping as you run from wagon to wagon on top of a speeding train, stopping the GANGSTERS from taking over the city. Put your reflexes to the test and avoid flying glass bottles, dynamite sticks, boxes and other dangers that come whizzing through the air! Do you have what it takes to become an ACTION HERO? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GAME FEATURES: - Adrenaline pumping action - Classic comic book-style bubbles & art - Fast, responsive multi-touch support - Achievements - Orchestral action flick-style music - Donut Games' Collectors Icon #15 TECH FEATURES: - Game Center support - MFi controller support - ION Arcade controller support - Universal App (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Enjoy another Donut Games release!

Screenshots

Space Out4 screens
Action Hero3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Action Hero at 4.9 against Space Out's 4.3. Action Hero also leads on monetization model (free vs paid) and review sentiment (90% vs 77%). Space Out's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 15 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Space Out costs $0.99 and Action Hero $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Action Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Space Out's written reviews are positive against 90% of Action Hero's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Out ships an update every 2 months, Action Hero every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Space Out versus Action Hero: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace OutAction Hero
Price$0.99$0.99
Rating4.3 (16 ratings)4.9 (23 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.4% of reviews89.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1623 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 15 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB7 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDanny BlissDonut Games

Customer experience

Space Out

All ratings16 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral18.8%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews84 reviews
Positive77.4%
Neutral10.7%
Negative11.9%

Action Hero

All ratings23 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral4.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews335 reviews
Positive89.6%
Neutral4.8%
Negative5.7%

User reviews

Space Out

From 16 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great retro feel
  • 👍 Addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Fun mashup of classics
  • 👍 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Good for passing time

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unplayable on iPhone X
  • 🐛 Game plays too fast on iPhone X
  • 🐛 Too easy on iPhone, long duration
  • 🐛 Controls can be tricky
  • 🐛 Paddle sometimes freezes

Action Hero

From 23 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive and fun
  • 👍 Simple and easy to play
  • 🎨 Great comic book-style graphics
  • 💰 Worth the money (even when not free)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
  • 🔋 Can drain battery quickly
  • 🕹️ Controls could be improved (e.g. buttons instead of swiping)

Bugs and requests

Space Out

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Crashes on Apple Watch Series 4
  • Game plays 2x faster after pausing on iPhone X
  • Unplayable on iPhone X
  • App freezes on iPad after update
  • Stopped opening day after purchase
Show 5 more
  • Freezing paddle issue
  • Screen gets sticky, missed moves
  • Paddle gets stuck, doesn't move
  • Crash problem, also affecting email
  • Paddle sometimes freezes for seconds

Requested features

8 requests
  • High score list (not just highest)
  • Online daily/weekly/all-time high score lists
  • Separate iPhone and Watch lists
  • Settings for shooting on/off
  • Volume control
Show 3 more
  • Tilt control option
  • Pause game when not touching screen
  • Describe power-ups in-game

Action Hero

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Screen shrinks on iPad Mini
  • Unresponsive controls at high scores
  • Inconsistent daily score reset

Requested features

3 requests
  • More levels and game modes
  • Integrated leaderboards and achievements
  • Ability to compete against friends

In-app purchases

None

Space Out

No in-app purchases

None

Action Hero

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Out free?
Space Out costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Action Hero free?
Action Hero costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Space Out or Action Hero?
Action Hero is rated higher. Space Out averages 4.3 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Action Hero averages 4.9 from 23 ratings.
Do Space Out or Action Hero have ads?
Neither Space Out nor Action Hero shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Space Out or Action Hero?
Space Out ships an update every 2 months, and Action Hero every 15 months. Most recently, Space Out was updated on October 31, 2026 and Action Hero on November 7, 2026.

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