Comparison

SAM Launcher vs Hormuz Strait

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

Head to head
About

SAM Launcher

Features
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An aggressive aerial invasion is underway—enemy forces have unleashed waves of fighter planes, surveillance drones, and cruise missiles aimed at crippling your defenses. As the operator of a powerful Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system, it’s your duty to detect, track, and eliminate incoming threats before they strike. Remain vigilant, react swiftly, and aim with precision. Every successful interception brings your nation closer to safety. Stand your ground, guard your skies, and rise as a hero in the face of destruction. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Hormuz Strait

Features
Read full description

Navigate the Strait of Hormuz — the world's most critical maritime chokepoint — in this one-thumb naval survival roguelike. Pilot your vessel north through the narrow corridor, surviving escalating asymmetric threats: drifting sea mines, high-speed patrol boats, and drone swarms. Your radar is your eyes — watch the sweep line reveal what's lurking in the fog before it reaches you. TAP anywhere to fire a Tomahawk missile at the nearest threat. HOLD for a heavy salvo that targets up to three enemies at once. STEER by dragging your thumb — your vessel eases toward your hand using a virtual-analog offset, not a teleport. Intercept parachuted supply airdrops to repair your hull (+HULL) or refill your firepower (+AMMO). FEATURES • Radar/sonar aesthetic with authentic sweep-and-reveal mechanics — threats are fogged until the sweep line crosses them, then ghost-revealed as green silhouettes so you can read their heading before committing a shot. • Escalating difficulty across 4 timed legs (≈90 seconds each). Each checkpoint clears the board, gives you a breath, then raises the spawn rate and threat mix. • Three unlockable hulls with distinct playstyles: – TANKER: Slow, tough, and steady. The free starter hull. – PATROL BOAT: Fast, fragile, and extremely nimble. Unlock with 600 salvage. – ESCORT FRIGATE: Balanced warship with the largest missile magazine. 1,500 salvage. • Meta-progression: every run banks salvage currency (distance + threats destroyed + legs cleared). Spend it between runs to unlock new vessels in the fleet screen. • Full audio-visual juice: camera screen shake on explosions and hits, particle foam wake trailing behind your hull, explosion ember bursts, synthesized sound (radar ping, launch chirp, detonation boom — no audio file downloads), and Taptic Engine haptics wired to every meaningful event. • Permadeath, 3–7 minute runs — designed for one hand, one thumb, in portrait. HOW TO PLAY Steer: hold and drag anywhere in the lower screen. The vessel follows your thumb offset — you control direction, not exact position. Fire: tap anywhere to launch one Tomahawk at the nearest threat (costs 1 charge). Hold for 0.7 seconds to fire a heavy salvo of up to 3 missiles (costs 2 charges). Charges regenerate automatically over time and can be refilled instantly by grabbing an amber (+AMMO) airdrop. Radar: watch the green sweep line descend each pass. Amber blips mark incoming threats. Ghost silhouettes appear as the line crosses each threat. Full reveal happens when a threat enters close range (~160 pt radius). Survive all 4 legs to complete the strait. Your score (distance + kills) and salvage are banked to your career stats at game-over regardless of how far you make it.

Screenshots

SAM Launcher4 screens
Hormuz Strait4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hormuz Strait at none against SAM Launcher's 2. SAM Launcher's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. SAM Launcher sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Hormuz Strait asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
SAM Launcher versus Hormuz Strait: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSAM LauncherHormuz Strait
PriceFreeFree
Update frequency—Every 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAISHA AMBER IRFANAralel GmbH

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SAM Launcher

Subscriptions2
  • SAM Launcher Monthly$2.991 Month
  • SAM Launcher Yearly$29.991 Year
None

Hormuz Strait

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SAM Launcher free?
SAM Launcher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hormuz Strait free?
Hormuz Strait is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SAM Launcher or Hormuz Strait have ads?
Hormuz Strait shows ads; SAM Launcher does not.

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