Space Shooter
Blast through numbered enemy waves, grab power-ups and take down the mothership every fifth wave.
Alien Attack
Defend the ground with a single cannon. A formation of 40 aliens sways from side to side and steps closer every time it reaches an edge, while single aliens break away to dive at you.
Controls
| ← → or A / D | Move the cannon |
|---|---|
| Space | Fire (hold to keep firing) |
| P or Esc | Pause / resume |
| R | Restart |
| Joystick | Move the cannon left and right |
|---|---|
| Hold FIRE | Fire |
On touch screens a control pad appears below the game. You can show or hide it with the Touch pad button above the game.
How to Play
- Press Start Game. Your cannon sits on the ground line at the bottom and moves only left and right.
- Press or hold Space or FIRE to shoot upward. Only 2 of your shots can be on screen at once; the Shots ready counter in the bottom-left corner shows how many you can fire right now.
- The formation sways side to side and drops one step each time it touches the edge of the screen. Thin it out before it gets low.
- Every few seconds an alien leaves the formation, loops out and dives toward your cannon, dropping a shot on the way. If it misses, it flies back into its place from the top.
- Sometimes a saucer crosses the top of the screen. Hit it for a random bonus.
- Clear all 40 aliens to start the next, faster wave. The game ends when you lose all 3 lives or the formation reaches the bottom.
Objective
Destroy formation after formation for as long as you can. Each wave is faster and more aggressive, so the goal is to survive as many waves as possible while collecting saucer bonuses.
Difficulty progression
Each alien type has its own dive speed: slow aliens dive the slowest and fast aliens the quickest. Within a wave, the formation sways faster as you destroy aliens, so the last few move almost three times as fast as the full formation. Each new wave starts 12 pixels lower (up to wave 7), sways faster, fires more often and sends out divers more frequently. From wave 2 more than one alien can dive at the same time (up to 4), and dive speed rises about 6% per wave.
Scoring
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Slow alien (bottom two rows) | 10 points |
| Medium alien (middle two rows) | 20 points |
| Fast alien (top row) | 30 points |
| Bonus saucer | 100, 150, 200 or 300 points (random) |
Your personal best is stored only in this browser. Scores are for fun and are not official records.
Tips
- Because only 2 shots can be in the air, shots fired at close targets come back faster. Clearing the bottom rows first keeps your fire rate high.
- Destroy the outer columns to shorten the formation. A narrower formation travels further before touching an edge, so it steps down less often.
- Watch for an alien peeling out of the formation. Divers steer toward your cannon, so move away at the last moment instead of early.
- A diver fires once around the middle of the screen. After that shot, it is only dangerous if it hits your cannon directly.
- Keep one shot ready when a saucer appears. It crosses the whole screen, so aim a little ahead of it.
- Do not leave a single fast-moving alien for last near the ground; late in a wave the formation moves quickly and steps down sooner.
Related Games
More Alien Arcade Games →
Galaxy Defender
Orbit your home planet and shoot down drones, darts, splitters and bombers before they break its shield.
Space Survival
Stay alive in a deep-space arena as asteroids and drones close in. Your ship fires automatically.
Alien Escape
Sneak past patrol drones and timed laser gates to reach each zone's exit before the clock runs out.
Related Guides
AliensAlien Arcade Games GuideThe behavior patterns alien enemies follow in arcade games, and how to read and beat them in our alien-themed titles.ShootersSpace Shooter Games ExplainedThe main styles of space shooter, the enemy roles they rely on, and practical tactics for aiming, firing and positioning in our shooters.StrategyHigh-Score Strategies for Space GamesStrategies for pushing your personal best: survive first, find the score lever that matters most in each game, take calculated risks and practice deliberately.
About Alien Attack
Alien Attack is a fixed-screen formation shooter in the style of early arcade cabinets. Instead of a free-flying ship, you control a ground cannon that moves along one line, and instead of scattered enemies, you face one large formation that moves as a unit. The pressure comes from the formation creeping downward and speeding up as it thins out, while individual aliens break away to dive at you.
The limit of 2 shots on screen is the central decision in the game. Missing wastes time, and shooting at distant targets leaves you unable to respond to a dive. The three alien types in the formation are worth 10, 20 and 30 points, and a saucer that occasionally crosses the top offers a random bonus of up to 300. There are no power-ups; progress depends on accuracy and positioning. Your personal best is saved locally in your browser.
Categories: Alien Arcade Games, Space Shooter Games. Alien Attack is an original game made for Space Arcade Games. Its gameplay is arcade-style and fictional, not a scientific simulation (see our disclaimer).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I only fire two shots in Alien Attack?
Only 2 of your shots can be on screen at the same time. As soon as one hits an alien or leaves the top of the screen, you can fire again. The Shots ready counter at the bottom left shows how many shots are available.
What happens if the formation reaches the bottom?
The game ends immediately, even if you still have lives left. Keep the formation high by destroying the lowest rows and the outer columns.
Do diving aliens come back?
Yes. A diving alien that flies past the bottom of the screen re-enters from the top and returns to its place in the formation. If it crashes into your cannon, you lose a life and that alien is destroyed.
How often does the bonus saucer appear?
Roughly every 18 to 28 seconds. It crosses the top of the screen from one side to the other and is worth a random 100, 150, 200 or 300 points.
Is there a bonus for clearing a wave?
No. Points come from the aliens and saucers you hit. Clearing a formation starts the next, faster wave.