Small Fry vs Lava Hopper
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Small Fry
Embark on a thrilling ocean adventure as a tiny fish evading predators and obstacles. Navigate through water, air, and space with simple controls, utilizing power-ups and completing challenges. Compete with others on leaderboards and customize your character.
- One-touch controls
- Seamless water, air, and space transitions
- Upgradable power-ups
- 60+ challenges
- Achievements and leaderboards
- Character customization
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The chase is on! Swim for your life as the tiny fish Finley "Small Fry" Fryer in this thrilling and action packed ocean adventure. Swim, jump and even float though space to escape from all the perils of the seven seas. Avoid blazing fast swordfish, electric jellyfish, ink squirting octopuses, asteroids and more. How long can you out-swim the dastardly shark, Wallace "Big Mack" Mackenzie? FEATURES: - Simple one touch controls: touch and hold to dive, release to swim up - An all star cast of awesome sea creatures - Transition seamlessly from water to air to space - Plays like 3 unique games stacked on top of each other! - Awesome boosts and upgradable power-ups - 60+ challenges to complete - Achievements and leaderboards - Customize Small Fry with an assortment of hats, glasses and more!
Lava Hopper
Embark on a surreal journey through a world consumed by lava, from a chaotic circus to a futuristic ghetto and a rainbow realm. Uncover ancient truths and embrace the unknown to adapt and unlock mysteries.
- Surreal journey through diverse realms
- Uncover ancient truths
- Embrace the unknown
- Adapt to changing realities
- Unlock mysteries
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In a quiet medieval village, a young adventurer wakes to rivers of molten lava consuming their world. Determined to uncover the truth, they embark on a surreal journey beyond the familiar, starting with a chaotic circus and a gritty, futuristic ghetto. The path twists further into a rainbow realm of warped reality, where perception is challenged, and finally leads to an expanse of endless doors and scattered keys. Each step reveals fragments of an ancient truth: the lava is not just destruction but a transformative test. Through resilience and curiosity, the adventurer learns that the world, much like themselves, is ever-changing. To uncover the truth, they must embrace the unknown, adapt to the surreal, and unlock the mysteries ahead.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lava Hopper at none against Small Fry's 9. Lava Hopper also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 66%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Small Fry's advantage is iOS requirement (5.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads 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. Small Fry sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Lava Hopper asks for nothing beyond the download.
Small Fry ships an update every 2 months, Lava Hopper every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.
| Parameter | Small Fry | Lava Hopper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (219 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 219 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 5.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 167 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Noodlecake | Magmat |
Customer experience
Small Fry
Lava Hopper
Bugs and requests
Small Fry
Reported bugs
9 issues- App crashes on startup or during gameplay
- Force close on iOS 6.1.5 and older versions
- Incompatible with iOS 11 and newer versions
- Black screen at loading
- In-app purchase transactions not processing
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- App won't open on certain devices
- Lag when water turns red
- Random collision detection with fish
- Shark speed inconsistencies with power-ups
Requested features
8 requests- Update app for current iOS versions and iPad compatibility
- Option to remove ads permanently
- More diverse enemies and environmental variations
- Improved control mechanics and responsiveness
- New game modes and challenges
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- Wider field of view for better visibility
- Reduce power-up costs
- Reduce repetitive steps in gameplay loops
Lava Hopper
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Small Fry
- 2,000 Clam Pack$0.99
- 10 Pearl Pack$0.99
- Clam Doubler$3.99
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- 12,000 Clam Pack$4.99
- 60 Pearl Pack$4.99
- 30,000 Clam Pack$9.99
- 150 Pearl Pack$9.99
- 100,000 Clam Pack$19.99
- 500 Pearl Pack$19.99
Lava Hopper
No in-app purchases









