Space Shooter Game Online

How to play the space shooter

You fly a small ship at the bottom of the screen. Alien formations move in from above and shoot back. Destroy every alien in a wave to start the next one. You have three lives; every hit from an enemy shot or a collision with an alien costs one. When all lives are gone, the game is over and your score is compared with your best.

On a phone, drag anywhere on the screen and the ship follows your finger. Auto-fire is on by default, so you only need to steer and dodge. On a computer, use the arrow keys or A and D to move and Space to shoot; turn auto-fire off with the button if you prefer to fire yourself. Press P to pause.

Waves and difficulty

Each wave is a little faster and fires more often than the last. Aliens closer to the bottom are more dangerous, because their shots have less distance to travel. Aliens in the top rows are worth more points, and a bonus saucer sometimes flies across the top for 150 points.

The bonus saucer

Now and then a saucer crosses the top of the screen. Hitting it is worth 150 points, but do not risk flying into enemy fire just to line up the shot.

Tips for a high score

Keep moving: standing still is the easiest way to get hit. Clear one side of the formation first, so fewer aliens can shoot down that lane. Watch enemy bullets rather than your own ship. When a wave is almost cleared, the last aliens move faster, so stay low and patient.

Fixed shooters like this became famous in arcades in the late 1970s. This version is free, runs in any browser, needs no download and keeps working offline after your first visit.

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