Space Invaders

Tomohiro Nishikado designed Space Invaders in 1978, and it became the first arcade game to save high scores. The hardware was so weak that the developer used a custom processor built from discrete logic chips. The game tasks you with defending Earth from a grid of alien invaders that march sideways, drop down, and speed up as you thin their ranks. Research on action video games published in Nature shows that fast-paced shooters improve spatial resolution and visual attention. Your job is simple: shoot upward, dodge bullets, and clear every wave. Start playing our browser version right now.

1. Move your green ship left and right using the arrow keys, A/D, or your mouse.
2. Press Space to fire a bullet upward. You can have at most two bullets on screen at once.
3. Aim at the marching alien grid. Each row carries a different point value. The top row pays the most.
4. Hide behind the four green bunkers. Both your bullets and alien shots erode them block by block.
5. Watch for the red UFO that flies across the top. Shooting it awards a random bonus between 50 and 300 points.
6. Clear every alien on screen to advance to the next wave. Each wave starts lower and shoots faster.

• The alien grid contains 50 invaders across 5 rows and 10 columns.
• Invaders march sideways. When the grid hits a wall, every invader drops one row and reverses direction.
• Top-row invaders score 30 points. Middle rows score 20. Bottom rows score 10.
• Only two player bullets can exist on screen at the same time.
• If any invader reaches the bottom of the screen, the game ends immediately.
• You start with 3 lives. An alien bullet hitting your ship costs one life.

• Pick off the outer columns first. Trimming the edges prevents the grid from reaching the walls and dropping down too quickly.
• Prioritize the top row. Those small aliens pay 30 points each and their destruction accelerates the march, so clear them while the grid is still high.
• Use bunkers as cover but rotate which side you hide behind. Standing in one spot burns a hole through the bunker and leaves you exposed.
• Never fire blindly upward when a UFO is crossing. Wait for the UFO to pass over your ship position, then shoot straight up for an easy bonus.
• Count your bullets. Since only two can exist at once, fire in a rhythm rather than spamming. Time your second shot to land the instant your first hits a target.

• Classic (1978): The original Taito arcade version with 50 invaders, 4 bunkers, and a single bonus UFO.
• Galaxian Style: A related shooter where aliens break formation and dive bomb the player in curved attack runs. Try Tap to Fly for a similar dodge-and-shoot feel.
• Modern Wave Mode: Our version increases difficulty per wave. Invaders start lower, shoot more often, and move faster as you progress.

• The tension ramps naturally. Fewer invaders means faster movement, so the final few are the hardest.
• The two-bullet limit forces deliberate aiming instead of button mashing.
• Bunkers add a physical puzzle layer. You must manage your cover as it erodes in real time.
• Games are short. A single wave takes under a minute, making it perfect for quick sessions.

Play Space Invaders free directly in your browser. No downloads, no registration. Use keyboard, mouse, or touch controls. Your high score saves locally so you can chase a personal best across sessions. Clear wave after wave and see how long you can hold the line.

Space Invaders defined the shooter genre and still delivers pure arcade tension. The accelerating march, the eroding bunkers, and the bonus UFO create a loop that never gets old. Move your ship, line up your shots, and start defending Earth.

• Action Video Games Improve Visual Attention - Nature Neuroscience
• Space Invaders History - The Strong National Museum of Play