Space Shooter
Hold off a marching alien formation with three lives and four crumbling shields. The fleet speeds up as you thin it out, and only the lowest in a column fires.
Arrow keys or drag to move · Space or tap to fire · P to pause
Two things worth knowing
- Clear a whole column and the fleet gets more room. The turn is decided by the aliens still alive, so emptying the outside columns lets the block slide further each way — which buys you time, because it turns and drops less often.
- The march speeds up as you thin it out. The last alien is the fastest thing in the game. That acceleration was originally an accident of 1978 hardware, and it turned out to be the best thing about it.
- Only the lowest alien in each column shoots back. Clearing a column from the bottom hands the job to the one above; clearing it entirely stops that column firing for good.
- The top row is worth 30, the middle two 20, the bottom two 10 — so the risky shots up through the block are the ones that pay.
- Your shields wear away block by block, from your own fire as well as theirs. Shooting through your own shield to reach something is a trade, not a free move.
How to use
- Move with the arrow keys, or drag on the canvas.
- Fire with Space or a tap — one shot in the air at a time.
- Clear the whole formation to move to the next wave.
Frequently asked questions
Why does it get faster as I win?
Because the fleet marches at a speed set by how many are left, so the last alien is the fastest thing in the game. In the 1978 original this was an accident — the hardware redrew one alien per frame, so fewer aliens meant a faster loop — and it turned out to be the best thing about it.
Does clearing a column help?
A great deal. The formation turns based on where the surviving aliens are, so emptying the outside columns lets the block slide further each way before it turns. It therefore drops less often, and dropping is what kills you.
Which aliens can shoot at me?
Only the lowest surviving one in each column. Shooting it hands the job to the alien above; clearing the column entirely stops that column firing for good, which is why working up a single column is often better than skimming the bottom row.
What are the aliens worth?
Thirty for the top row, twenty for the middle two and ten for the bottom two. The awkward shots up through the formation are the ones that pay.
Why can I only fire one shot at a time?
It is the rule that makes the game a game. With unlimited fire there is no cost to a miss, and no reason to wait for a clear line.
Do the shields come back?
Every third wave, and not before. They wear away from your own shots as well as theirs, so firing up through your own shield to reach something is a trade rather than a free move.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged, or stored.