Alien Invasion
Shoot down the marching alien army before it lands.
How to play Alien Invasion
Alien Invasion is a retro arcade shooter for one player. An army of 55 pixel aliens marches across the sky in rows. Each time the army reaches the side of the screen, it drops one step closer to the ground. You control a laser cannon at the bottom, and you are the last line of defense.
Goal
Shoot every alien to clear the wave. Then a new army appears, a little lower and a little faster. Blobs in the bottom rows are worth 10 points, eye-bots 20 and jellies at the top 30. If an alien army reaches the ground, the invasion wins and the game is over.
Controls
- Keyboard: left and right arrows (or A and D) move the cannon. Space, the up arrow or W fires. Press P or Esc to pause.
- Mouse: the cannon follows the pointer. Hold the button down to keep firing.
- Touch: drag on the field to move and keep your finger down to fire, or use the buttons under the field.
Shields and the UFO
Four green shields protect you. They break apart a little with every hit, from your shots and from alien bolts. Aliens that march into them wipe them out. Every new wave brings fresh shields. Now and then a UFO zips across the top of the screen. Hit it for a mystery bonus of 50 to 300 points.
The march
Only one of your shots can be in the air at a time, so aim with care. The fewer aliens are left, the faster the army marches. The last alien moves very fast. Listen to the beat: it speeds up as the army gets faster.
End of the game
You have three cannons. You win one extra cannon at 5,000 points. Lose them all, or let the army land, and the game is over. Your best score for each difficulty is saved in this browser. For more space fun, try Space Shooter or Space Rocks.
Strategy tips
- Clear the side columns first. With the outer columns gone, the army has further to walk before it drops a row. That buys you time.
- Shoot from under a shield. Fire through a small gap in a shield and stay mostly covered from alien bolts.
- Do not waste shots. You can only have one shot in the air. A miss at the top of the screen means a long wait.
- Get ready for the last alien. It moves very fast. Wait at the edge it is heading to and fire early.
- Hit the UFO when it is safe. It is worth a lot of points, but do not walk into a bolt to reach it.
Alien Invasion FAQ
Is this Space Invaders?
No. Alien Invasion is our own game in the classic marching-aliens style. The aliens, shields and sounds are original.
Why can I not fire again right away?
Like in the old arcade games, only one of your shots can be on the screen at a time. When it hits something or leaves the top, you can fire again.
What does the difficulty change?
Easy makes the army march slower and fire fewer bolts. Hard makes it march faster and fire more. Each difficulty has its own best score.
How do I play on a phone?
Drag on the play field to move the cannon. Keep your finger down to fire. You can also use the arrow and fire buttons under the field.
