Shooter

Space Invaders

Defend against alien invasion

Score

0

Lives

3

Level

1

Best

0

Desktop: ←→ or A/D to move, Space to shoot • Mobile: Tap to shoot, swipe to move

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About Space Invaders

Space Invaders sends rows of aliens marching down the screen while you move along the bottom and shoot upward. Destructible cover gives you somewhere to hide, until it does not.

The famous detail is that the aliens speed up as you destroy them, because fewer sprites meant the hardware could redraw faster. An accident of 1978 engineering became the defining feature of the game.

How to play

  1. 1Move left and right along the bottom of the screen.
  2. 2Shoot upward to destroy the descending aliens.
  3. 3Use the barriers for cover, remembering they erode as they absorb fire.
  4. 4Clear the wave before the aliens reach the bottom.

Clearing waves efficiently

  • Shoot the outside columns first. Narrowing the formation reduces how far it advances on each sideways march.
  • Do not shelter under a barrier for long. Your own shots erode it from beneath as surely as theirs erode it from above.
  • Expect the acceleration. The last few aliens move dramatically faster than the first wave, so save concentration for the end.
  • Track the bonus ship crossing the top of the screen, but never at the cost of losing your position against the formation.

Frequently asked questions

Why do the aliens speed up?

Originally because the 1978 hardware could redraw fewer sprites more quickly, so the formation accelerated as you destroyed it. It was an accident that proved so effective it became a deliberate feature.

Do the barriers regenerate?

No. They erode permanently, damaged both by enemy fire and by your own shots passing through them, so they are a finite resource.

What is the best shooting order?

Clear the outer columns first. A narrower formation travels less distance on each horizontal pass, which buys you time before it descends.