A free space shooter game in your browser
Space Shooter is a classic vertical shoot 'em up. Your fighter sits at the bottom of the screen and fires on its own; your job is to fly. Enemy fighters arrive in formations, gunships park and spray bullet fans, mines burst into rings when you destroy them, and at the end of every stage a giant boss fills the top of the screen. Every wreck drops scrap, and scrap makes your next run stronger.
How to play
- Fly: move the mouse, use the arrow keys or WASD (hold Shift to slow down for tight gaps), or drag anywhere on a touch screen.
- Dodge: only the white dot in the middle of your ship can be hit. Wings are safe, and a bullet that just misses you is a graze: bonus points and a longer chain.
- Chain kills: destroying enemies in quick succession builds a chain that multiplies every point, up to ×5. Getting hit breaks it.
- Bomb: press Space or the 💣 button to clear every bullet on screen and damage all enemies. Bullets you erase turn into points.
- Hull: you can take a few hits. Each hit costs one weapon level, and the stage clear repairs one point of hull.
Weapons and power-ups
Shoot the yellow-striped supply drone or a carrier to release a power capsule. The capsule cycles between three letters, so wait for the one you want:
- V – Vulcan: a spread gun that gets wider with every level. Best against swarms.
- L – Laser: a continuous beam that melts whatever is in front of you. Best against bosses.
- M – Missiles: homing missiles that find targets by themselves while you focus on dodging.
Catch your own colour to level up, to a maximum of 5. Catch another colour to switch weapons and keep your level.
Themes
Pick a look in the hangar or the pause menu. Deep Space flies through nebulae past giant planets. Retro Arcade turns everything into chunky pixels on a CRT screen with chiptune music. Sky Patrol sends you low over the sea, islands, deserts and ice, with clouds and real shadows below you. Synthwave turns every ship into neon over a striped sunset and a rushing grid.
Bosses and upgrades
Each stage ends with a boss: the Dreadnought with its two turrets, the fast Mantis that sweeps the screen with a beam, and The Hive, which fires spirals and rings with a single gap. Bosses get tougher every loop. Beat one and you choose one of three upgrades for the rest of the run, such as a wingman drone, a recharging shield, volatile rounds that set off chain reactions, or extra bombs.
Hangar and ships
Scrap is saved between runs. Spend it in the hangar on permanent upgrades: armour, launch firepower, bombs, magnet range, salvage and an escape pod that brings you back once per run. Reaching new stages unlocks new ships: the fast Lancer, the armoured Bulwark and the Phantom, whose tiny hitbox turns near misses into scrap.
Frequently asked questions
Is this space shooter free?
Yes. It runs in your browser for free, with no download, no ads between runs and no account.
How do I control the ship?
On a computer, move the mouse and the ship follows, or use the arrow keys or WASD (hold Shift to move slowly). On a phone, drag anywhere on the screen: the ship moves with your finger without hiding under it. Your ship fires on its own.
What gets me hit?
Only the small white dot in the middle of your ship counts. Bullets can pass over the wings safely, and a bullet that passes very close earns a graze bonus.
How do the weapons work?
Power capsules cycle between V (Vulcan spread gun), L (Laser) and M (homing Missiles). Grab one in your current colour to level the weapon up to 5, or grab another colour to switch weapons and keep your level.
What is scrap for?
Scrap drops from every wreck and is kept between runs. Spend it in the hangar on permanent upgrades such as extra hull, bombs, starting firepower and an escape pod.
How do I unlock new ships?
Reach stage 2 for the Lancer, stage 3 for the Bulwark and stage 4 for the Phantom. Each ship plays differently, from a fast laser interceptor to a slow, heavily armoured gunboat.