Squad Rush for parents: what the game is like
Squad Rush is a 3D action and arcade game in the browser for kids from about 8 to 12. The player steers a squad of little cartoon firefighters down a road while they fire blasters at robots, crates and number gates on their own. The enemies are robots only: hit robots spark and fall apart, no person is hurt and there is no blood. There are no ads and nothing to buy inside the game. This page lists the facts a grown-up may want before their child plays.
What does the player do?
- Steers left and right while the squad runs and fires by itself.
- Picks number gates to grow the squad, which adds a little adding and multiplying (+12, ×2) to the action.
- Dodges crates, robots and red warning lanes on the road.
- Times a big door to stop a crowd of robots, and lets rescued friends cross first.
- Beats a big robot at the end of each stage by stepping out of its marked attack lanes.
- Spends coins earned in play on two permanent upgrades in a Workshop.
There are 12 stages in three made-up worlds: The Greenway, Sunstone Pass and Frostline. The full list is on all 12 stages.
Content notes
- Blasters and robots. The squad fires blasters, rockets, a flame blaster and a laser, always at robots, crates, gates or cages. Hit robots spark, break up and leave a little smoke and debris.
- No people get hurt. When the squad runs into danger, the squad gets smaller and its number goes down. Nothing shows anyone hurt.
- Rescues. Some moments are about freeing recruits from cages or letting them cross to safety before closing a door.
- Big robots. The robot at the end of each stage is large and busy, with red lanes marking where its attacks land. It is not made to be scary.
- Sound. Blaster sounds grow with the size of the squad. Sound and music can each be turned down or off.
- Everything is invented. No real places, brands or people.
How much reading is there?
Very little. Messages are short, like "Hold on! Robots are coming!" or "Slam now! Bonus coins + power!". There is no voice acting. The help screen How to play has eight short lines, and one short tip at a time shows the next button to use. Tips can be turned off in Settings.
How long is a session?
One stage takes about one to five minutes, and each one ends with a results card, which makes a natural place to stop. The first trip through all 12 stages is made to take about 30 to 45 minutes, with a few tries. Players can then replay stages for stars. The game can be paused at any time, and it pauses by itself when the tab is hidden or a phone is turned upright.
Is there a game over?
A run ends when the squad is down to zero. The player keeps the coins earned in that run and all upgrades and stars, and can press Try again straight away. There are no lives, timers to wait for or paid revives. There is no difficulty setting; instead, permanent upgrades make stages easier.
Where is progress saved?
The game saves by itself in the browser on the device being used. There are three separate save slots, so siblings can each have their own game. Clearing the browser's data, or playing on another device, starts over. If the browser blocks saving, for example in some private windows, the game says: "Your game couldn't be saved. Ask a grown-up to allow saving (storage) for this site." If the game is open in two tabs, it says so.
Ads and purchases
- There are no ads in the game.
- There is nothing to buy with real money inside the game. Coins are pretend money, earned only by playing.
- There is no chat and no contact with other players.
Devices, controls and languages
- Plays in a web browser on computers, phones and tablets, with no download. It needs a browser that can show 3D graphics.
- Keyboard, mouse, game controller or touch. On phones and tablets, stages are played in landscape.
- Nine languages: English, Swedish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
Comfort settings
- Moving effects: Calm stops the squad and the big bot bobbing, turns off muzzle flashes, keeps warning lanes steady and uses fewer particles. Like my device follows the device's reduce-motion setting.
- The camera never shakes.
- Graphics: Low helps on slower devices; on Auto the game can switch to lighter graphics by itself.
- Volume, music and sound effects have their own sliders, and Sound turns everything off.
All controls and settings are on the controls page.
How to get the game
Squad Rush can be tried in the demo in the browser. The full game is part of the Contenta Games membership, which opens every game on the portal. When a stage needs the membership, a card in the game offers Join and Log in. See what a membership includes, or browse the guides to all our games.
See also
- The guide's front page: what the game is about.
- FAQ: quick answers to common questions.
- Your first three stages: what the first ten minutes look like.
- Play Squad Rush together.
