Pocket Run Pool vs Rust Bucket
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pocket Run Pool
This game combines 8-ball pool with arcade-style high-score chasing. Sink all the balls strategically to earn points, but be careful of misses and scratches. Compete against yourself or others in various thrilling game modes.
- Arcade pool gameplay
- High-score chasing
- Strategic ball sinking
- Multiple game modes
- Global leaderboards
- Risk management challenges
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The return of arcade pool from the creator of Really Bad Chess and Flipflop Solitaire. Pocket-Run Pool combines 8-ball pool with the thrill of a chasing the perfect highscore. In Pocket-Run, your goal is to sink all the balls, but where and when you sink them is what matters most! With each pocketed ball, you're awarded points based on the pocket you sunk. So sink carefully, but watch out, with each miss or scratch you lose a life — run out before you finish the table and it's game over. Compete against yourself, the world, or the bank in a variety of thrilling game modes! Can you make the perfect pocket-run? Arcade pool is back! ------WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING 5/5 - Touch Arcade "Help me, I can't stop playing!" 5/5 - 148Apps "Most certainly the best pool game I've played on a phone" "Like the best arcade games, this creates a “just one more turn” mentality" - The Verge "a perfect little mobile game" - iMore.com ------WHATS IN THE “BOX”? - Play Pocket-Run Pool's Standard, High Stakes, and Insta-Tournament modes for free! - Asynchronously Go for gold against players from around the world in Insta-Tournament mode - Manage your risk against all manner of game conditions (like the devious Cuewall) in High Stakes mode - Unlock Break of The Week, alternate backgrounds, and remove Insta-Tournament buy-ins with a single In-App-Purchase of just $3.99 - Track stats for all four modes - Win alternate pool cues and color schemes in High Stakes mode ------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER I've always loved pool, and when I got my first iPhone years ago, the world of digital pool games opened up to me. There are certainly a lot of options out there, but finding a simple and enjoyable single-player pool game was harder than I expected. I found one that I enjoyed, but after playing it extensively I found it too easy to beat the computer every time. Suddenly the problem with pool hit me — when you play against a computer in a physics simulation, you're literally playing against a god... By which I mean, either the computer is going easy on you (for a reason), or it's playing a perfect game and taking all your money. It dawned on me that if I wanted a good single player pool game, I'd have to make a new kind of pool — a variant that doesn't need a computer opponent, that's built around the notion of scoring and improving, of taking risks, and of presenting unique and interesting challenges. Pocket-Run Pool is the game I came up with, I hope you enjoy it! -zach
Rust Bucket
Embark on a turn-based dungeon crawl with simple swipe controls. Navigate treacherous environments, battle diverse monsters, and overcome deadly traps. This challenging game offers endless exploration and strategic combat, perfect for quick gaming sessions.
- Swipe to move and attack
- Fast-paced gameplay
- Puzzle traps
- Diverse monster types
- Endless dungeon exploration
- Strategic combat
- High score competition
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Rust Bucket is a turn based dungeon crawler that is built with mobile in mind. Swipe to take a step, swipe into enemies to attack. It’s as simple as that, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a casual game! • Navigate using simple swipe to move controls. • Game play is fast and death is never far away so it’s perfect for your daily commute. • Puzzle your way past deadly traps or use them to catch enemies. • Many monster types, each with their own distinctive rules to overcome. • Make your way through the levels to become a fully qualified looter • Explore an endless dungeon, with more to discover the deeper you go. • Become a master of strategic combat and reach the top scoring dungeon rooms. • Compete against your friends high scores on Game Centre Important information! This game is funded by adverts but is completely free to play with no timers or boosters to ruin your experience. There is an option to remove popup ads for a one off In app purchase. *Please note that this does not remove Cross Promotion ads for other Nitrome games* We hope you enjoy our little game. If you do please consider giving us a nice review, tell your friends and maybe try some of our other games.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Rust Bucket at 72% against Pocket Run Pool's 37%. Rust Bucket also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.7). Pocket Run Pool's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 177). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Pocket Run Pool sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Rust Bucket sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Rust Bucket holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Run Pool has 1.1K ratings behind it against 177, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Pocket Run Pool's written reviews are positive against 72% of Rust Bucket's.
Pocket Run Pool ships an update every 5 days, Rust Bucket every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Pocket Run Pool | Rust Bucket |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (1.1K ratings) | 4.0 (177 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 37.0% of reviews | 72.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 177 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 169 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Zach Gage | Nitrome |
Customer experience
Pocket Run Pool
Rust Bucket
User reviews
Pocket Run Pool
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Intuitive controls
- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 🎨 Great visuals
- 💡 Unique take on pool
- 🕰️ Quick play sessions
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable physics
- 🔍 Lack of precision controls
- 💰 Excessive ads/in-app purchases
- 🔍 UI issues on larger screens
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
Rust Bucket
From 177 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fun puzzle game
- 🚀 Addictive gameplay
- 💎 Excellent pixel art and visuals
- 🎨 Creative enemy designs
- 🎶 Great soundtrack
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and progress loss
- 🔁 Repetitive level design
- 🕹️ Slow character movement
- 💰 Expensive ad removal
- 🔍 Lack of level variety
Bugs and requests
Pocket Run Pool
Reported bugs
5 issues- Cue stick disappearing
- Inconsistent ball behavior
- Incorrect payouts in high-stakes mode
- App freezing after resuming from pause
- Compatibility issues on newer iPad models
Requested features
5 requests- Add ball spin/English options
- Implement replay/undo functionality
- Expand game modes and challenges
- Improve performance and stability
- Optimize UI for tablet devices
Rust Bucket
Reported bugs
4 issues- Progress reset when exiting levels
- Level select screen locking completed levels
- Compatibility issues on older devices
- Clipboard copying behavior
Requested features
5 requests- More levels and content updates
- Ability to save progress
- Weapon/item upgrades and customization
- Multiplayer or co-op mode
- Level editor
In-app purchases
Pocket Run Pool
- 5 Rebuys$0.99
- Unlock Full Version$3.99
- 50 Rebuys$4.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Unlimited Rebuys$19.99
Rust Bucket
- Buy 50 Coins$0.99
- Buy 200 Coins$1.99
- Remove Ads$3.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Buy Coins 3$3.99









