Asteroids

Tips for Asteroids

Every shot at a big rock makes the field busier, because it breaks into two medium ones, and those break into small, faster pieces. Rather than firing at everything at once, try to finish off the pieces of one rock before you crack the next. Small rocks are worth the most points but are the hardest to dodge, so clearing them early keeps the screen calm.

Go easy on the thrust. The ship keeps its momentum, so a long burst is hard to stop, and drifting too fast is a common way to lose a life. Short taps and plenty of turning keep you in control. Remember that the screen wraps, so rocks leaving one edge come back on the other side, and so do you. After a respawn you are shielded for a moment; use it to find a clear spot rather than to charge in.

How to play Asteroids

In Asteroids you fly a lone ship through a field of drifting rocks and try to clear it without being hit. You control the ship in three ways: turning, thrusting and firing. Thrust pushes the ship in the direction it is pointing, and it keeps drifting afterwards, so you steer with turns and short bursts rather than driving it like a car. The screen wraps at every edge: fly off one side and you come back on the other, and the rocks do the same.

Shoot a big rock and it splits into two medium ones, with 20 points for the hit. A medium rock is worth 50 and breaks into small rocks, which are worth 100 each. The pieces get faster as they get smaller, so every shot changes the field. When the last rock is gone you move on to the next level, where the rocks come faster than before. You have three lives, and after each respawn you are shielded for a moment while you get your bearings. When the last life is gone the game is over, and your best score is saved in your browser.

On a computer you turn with the arrow keys or A and D, thrust with W or the up arrow and fire with Space. P pauses, M mutes and Space starts a new game. On a phone or tablet you tap to play and use the on-screen buttons to steer, thrust and fire.

About Asteroids

Asteroids is a space shooter in the style of the classic arcade games, in which a small ship fights its way through a field of tumbling rocks. It is one of the best-known ideas from the early arcade era and still one of the simplest: turn, thrust, fire and keep moving. Kiloo's Asteroids is a new version made by Kiloo for the browser, with a neon ship, drifting momentum and rocks that split into smaller, quicker pieces.

What makes it worth playing is the flight. Because the ship keeps its momentum, you are always managing your speed as well as your aim, and the field gets busier the better you shoot, since every hit on a bigger rock adds pieces rather than removing them. The levels keep ramping up as you clear them, so a good run builds tension steadily. Asteroids suits anyone who enjoys short, skill-based arcade play, and a game can last a minute or much longer depending on how well you fly. It opens straight in the browser on a computer, tablet or phone, with keyboard or on-screen controls and nothing to install.

Frequently asked questions