Comparison

AsciiTapper vs Pete Invaders

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

Head to head
About

AsciiTapper

Features
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Serve up frosty mugs of root beer in a glowing green terminal. AsciiTapper is a love letter to 80s arcade serving games, rendered entirely in living phosphor text. Customers are walking up the bars and they're thirsty. Slide mugs down the bar to push them back, catch the empties before they crash, and read the room: rush the big spenders for early-serve bonuses, keep up with speedy customers, and never pour for the grumpy ones. Features: - An eight-stage career of 84 hand-authored shifts, each with its own twist and a Master contract - Clear, Clean, and Master ratings on every shift - Daily Challenge: one ranked attempt per day, the same seeded puzzle for everyone, unlimited practice afterward - Combo scoring that rewards sustained, error-free serve-and-catch play - Achievements tracked in-game, plus Game Center leaderboards - A pure retro terminal aesthetic: the whole game is ASCII art, with optional cosmetic CRT themes - Simple two-tap play: tap a lane to move, tap again to serve, and be there to catch - No ads. Ever. The tutorial, the first three career stages, and Daily Challenge are free. One optional Full Shift purchase unlocks stages 4 through 8 plus Endless mode. No subscriptions, and purchases never affect ranked play. The terminal is warmed up. The mugs are cold. Tap in. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Pete Invaders

Features
Read full description

A fun and fast-paced arcade shooter inspired by Space Invaders — now with emojis taking over space! Jump into a colorful retro-style space shooter where waves of emoji invaders attack from above. From smileys to hearts, they may look friendly… but they’re not here to play nice. Dodge incoming fire, blast enemies with your lasers, and survive as long as you can in this addictive arcade challenge. Collect hearts to gain extra lives or boost your score, and prepare yourself — powerful boss emojis will test your reflexes and skill. Power up your ship with fun and unpredictable abilities: • Become invulnerable and fly through danger • Activate mirror play for double the action • Unleash the mysterious chicken bomb But watch out — space is full of surprises: • Flying jellyfish drifting into your path • Sneaky ninjas striking when you least expect it • Rogue boxing gloves ready to knock you out Toddler Mode A relaxed, no-pressure mode for younger players. Constant invulnerability, slower pace, and a perfect way to introduce the next generation to classic arcade gameplay — or just enjoy a more laid-back experience. Features: • Classic arcade shooter gameplay • Retro space action with a modern emoji twist • Unique enemies, hazards, and boss battles • Fun power-ups that change the way you play • Toddler mode with no death and slower gameplay • Easy to pick up, hard to master • Perfect for quick play sessions or high-score chasing Can you stay cool and survive the emoji invasion?

Screenshots

AsciiTapper4 screens
Pete Invaders4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pete Invaders at none against AsciiTapper's 4. Pete Invaders also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). AsciiTapper's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AsciiTapper sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Pete Invaders asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AsciiTapper ships an update monthly, Pete Invaders every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
AsciiTapper versus Pete Invaders: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAsciiTapperPete Invaders
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVertoliniPeter de Verdier

In-app purchases

4 purchases

AsciiTapper

One-time4
  • Faster Mugs$0.99
  • Mug Catcher$1.99
  • CRT Theme Pack$1.99
Show 1 more
  • Full Shift$3.99
None

Pete Invaders

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AsciiTapper free?
AsciiTapper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pete Invaders free?
Pete Invaders is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do AsciiTapper or Pete Invaders have ads?
Pete Invaders shows ads; AsciiTapper does not.
Which is updated more often, AsciiTapper or Pete Invaders?
AsciiTapper ships an update monthly, and Pete Invaders every 9 days. Most recently, AsciiTapper was updated on October 5, 2026 and Pete Invaders on October 25, 2026.

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