Comparison

Does not Commute vs Star Jolt

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

Head to head
About

Does not Commute

A strategic driving game where you navigate a growing town, controlling multiple vehicles in sequence. Plan your routes to avoid collisions and arrive on time. Uncover the secrets of the town's quirky residents as you progress.

Highlights
  • Strategic driving gameplay
  • Temporal paradox mechanics
  • Traffic chaos simulation
  • Character-driven narrative
  • Unlock town secrets
  • Playable at no cost
Features
Read full description

Winner of Apple Design Awards 2015! A strategic driving game from the award-winning maker’s of Smash Hit. Does not Commute is a temporal paradox in which you have no one to blame but yourself. What starts out as a relaxing commute in a small town of the 1970's quickly devolves into traffic chaos with hot dog trucks, sports cars, school buses and dozens of other vehicles. You drive them all. Plan ahead. Don't be late. In this small town, discover the characters and their secrets – what world-changing experiment is inventive dentist Dr Charles Schneider hiding? Will Mr Baker quit his job in advertising? What is that strange mask on Mrs Griffin's face? Will Mr Mayfield’s peculiar obsession with Yorkshire Terriers take over his life? Does Not Commute is playable at no cost and free from ads. An optional premium upgrade is available through a one-time in-app purchase that will enable the ability to continue from checkpoints.

About

Star Jolt

Experience a fast-paced, retro arcade space game focused on high-score chasing. Master lightning-fast reflexes and precise control to navigate cosmic debris and compete globally. Unlock unique ships and replay endlessly for the ultimate challenge.

Highlights
  • Global leaderboards
  • Unlockable ships
  • Ghost ship races
  • One-hand gameplay
  • Record and share runs
  • Achievements
Features
Read full description

Challenge yourself, your friends, and players worldwide in a fast-paced retro arcade space game built for pure high-score chasing. Star Jolt is a hardcore 80s-inspired arcade space racer where lightning-fast reflexes, precise control, and nerve decide everything. Games are short, brutal, and endlessly replayable — perfect for one-hand, portrait play anytime, anywhere.  “New Games We Love” — Apple “Hidden Gems” — Apple “The Best Free iPhone Games 2023” — TechRadar “Best Free iPhone Games” — Macworld Can you navigate the cosmic debris and claim your spot on the global leaderboard? • Global leaderboards — climb the rankings and chase the perfect run • Achievements for long-term mastery • 20 unique ships to unlock — each with its own feel • Race against ghost ships from other players and your own best runs • One-touch, one-hand gameplay in portrait mode • Record and share your highscore attempts “Death comes often, but because games are so short, you’ll instantly want to try again — not least because of Star Jolt’s humor, entertaining hidden features, and eye-popping visuals.” — TechRadar “It laughs in your face as your digits repeatedly fail you, ending games within mere seconds. But the compulsion loop is strong — you’ll want another crack immediately.” — Macworld The Mission: Clean Up the Galaxy Space is full of dangerous junk — not just near Earth, but also near the left shoulder of Orion. There, a civilization of annoying lizard-like aliens is locked in an eternal race against their own creations: stupid, but friendly robots. As the unlikely hero of both sides, only you can keep them from tearing themselves apart — by flying faster, surviving longer, and cleaning up space one crash at a time. Reach for the hottest scores. Crash. Retry. Improve.

Screenshots

Does not Commute4 screens
Star Jolt4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Does not Commute at none against Star Jolt's shown. Does not Commute also leads on ratings volume (3.9K vs 845). Star Jolt's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (88% vs 73%). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Does not Commute sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Star Jolt sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Star Jolt holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9K and 845 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Does not Commute's written reviews are positive against 88% of Star Jolt's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Does not Commute ships an update monthly, Star Jolt every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Does not Commute versus Star Jolt: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDoes not CommuteStar Jolt
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (3.9K ratings)4.8 (845 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews88.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.9K — better845
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB122 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMediocre ABBeardybird AB

Customer experience

Does not Commute

All ratings3,922 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral5.4%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews1,448 reviews
Positive73.3%
Neutral8.4%
Negative18.3%

Star Jolt

All ratings827 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive88.0%
Neutral3.0%
Negative9.0%

Bugs and requests

Does not Commute

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Star Jolt

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezing during runs
  • Crashes on certain device models
  • Purchase restoration issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Sensitivity adjustment options
  • More ship/character customization
  • Expanded story or progression system
  • Ability to name/customize player profile

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Does not Commute

One-time1
  • Does not Commute Premium$2.99
2 purchases

Star Jolt

One-time2
  • Remove all ads + unique ship$2.99
  • Unlock all ships$7.99

Questions

Is Does not Commute free?
Does not Commute is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Star Jolt free?
Star Jolt is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Does not Commute or Star Jolt?
Star Jolt is rated higher. Does not Commute averages 4.4 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Star Jolt averages 4.8 from 845 ratings.
Do Does not Commute or Star Jolt have ads?
Star Jolt shows ads; Does not Commute does not.
Which is updated more often, Does not Commute or Star Jolt?
Does not Commute ships an update monthly, and Star Jolt every 3 weeks. Most recently, Does not Commute was updated on November 5, 2026 and Star Jolt on November 2, 2026.

Other comparisons