Alien Invaders – stop the marching alien fleet

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Quick answer

Alien Invaders is a free fixed-shooter arcade game that plays instantly in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download, sign-up or ads. Shoot every alien in the fleet before it reaches your cannon.

Alien Invaders at a glance
What it is	Fixed-shooter arcade game
Goal	Shoot every alien in the fleet before it reaches your cannon
Modes	Endless waves that start lower and faster; 3 lives
Controls	Arrow keys or A/D to move, Space to fire; on touch screens hold a finger on the game to move and fire automatically
Players	1
Price	Free, no ads, no sign-up, no download
Works on	Phones, tablets and computers, in any modern browser

Arcade games compared

Arcade games compared
Game	Type	Modes	Controls
Maze Chomper	Maze chase arcade game	Endless levels that speed up; 3 lives; bonus gems	Arrow keys or WASD, swipe on the maze, or the on-screen pad
Alien Invaders	Fixed-shooter arcade game	Endless waves that start lower and faster; 3 lives	Arrow keys or A/D to move, Space to fire; on touch screens hold a finger on the game to move and fire automatically
Space Rocks	Vector-style space shooter	Endless waves; 3 lives, an extra life every 10,000 points	Arrows or WASD to turn and thrust, Space to fire, H for hyperspace; on-screen buttons on touch screens
River Hopper	Road and river crossing arcade game	Levels that get faster; 3 lives; 30 seconds per crossing	Arrow keys or WASD, swipe, tap to hop forward, or the on-screen pad
Flappy Wing	One-button endless flying game	Endless; medals at 10 (Bronze), 20 (Silver), 30 (Gold) and 40 (Platinum)	Tap, click, Space or Up to flap
Ocean Grow	Eat-and-grow action game	Levels with more predators; 3 lives	Your fish follows your finger or mouse; arrow keys or WASD also work
Color Memory	Sequence memory game	Classic (3 lives), Strict (one mistake ends it) and Speed (strict and faster each round)	Tap or click the pads, or press 1-4 or the arrow keys
Paddle Ball	Paddle and ball arcade game	Against the computer (Easy, Medium, Unbeatable) or 2 players on one device	Drag on your half, move the mouse, or W/S and the arrow keys
Snake	Classic snake arcade game	Walls or Wrap-around; Easy, Normal and Fast speeds	Arrow keys or WASD, swipe on the field, or the on-screen pad
Brick Breaker	Ball-and-paddle brick breaking arcade game	Five brick layouts that repeat faster; 3 lives; power-ups for a wider paddle, extra balls and extra lives	Drag on the game or move the mouse; arrow keys or A/D; tap, click or Space to launch
Bubble Shooter	Bubble shooter arcade puzzle	Endless levels with more rows and colours; a new row after several shots that pop nothing; next-bubble preview and swap	Drag to aim and lift to shoot, or point and click; arrow keys aim, Space shoots, Down swaps

Hold the line

A fleet of aliens marches side to side, stepping down every time it reaches an edge. You have one cannon, one shot at a time and four shields that crumble as they take hits. The fleet speeds up as it shrinks, and every wave starts lower.

Tips for surviving longer

Thin out the edges. Clearing a whole column at the side makes the fleet travel further before it steps down, buying you time.
Shoot from under a shield. Fire through a gap you have opened in your own shield; their bombs still have to get through the rest.
Watch the bombs. Aliens often drop bombs from the column right above you. Keep moving.
Go for the saucer when it is safe. It is worth up to 300 points, but do not get caught in the open.

How to play Alien Invaders

1
Move and fire
Move your cannon with the arrow keys or A and D and fire with Space. On a touch screen, hold your finger on the game: the cannon follows it and fires on its own.
2
Clear the fleet
Shoot all 45 aliens to finish the wave. Top-row aliens are worth 30, the middle rows 20, the bottom rows 10.
3
Use the shields
Hide behind the four shields. Every hit, yours or theirs, chips pieces away.
4
Hit the saucer
A bonus saucer crosses the top every 20 to 30 seconds. Hitting it scores 50, 100, 150 or 300 points.

More arcade games

Color Memory
Watch the pads light up, then repeat the sequence. It grows by one every round.
Paddle Ball
Bat the ball past your opponent. Three computer levels or two players, first to seven.
Maze Chomper
Eat every pellet in the maze while four Wisps with different hunting styles chase you.
Space Rocks
Turn, thrust and fire to break drifting rocks into ever-smaller pieces before they hit you.
River Hopper
Hop across a busy road and a river of logs and turtles to fill all five burrows.
Flappy Wing
One tap to flap. Fly through the gaps between stone columns and earn medals.
Ocean Grow
Eat smaller fish to grow and steer clear of bigger ones. Fill the growth bar to level up.
Snake
Steer the snake to the berries and grow without hitting yourself. Walls or Wrap, three speeds.
Brick Breaker
Bounce the ball off your paddle and smash every brick. Power-ups and five layouts.
Bubble Shooter
Aim and fire bubbles; match three of a colour to pop them and drop hanging clusters.

Frequently asked questions

Why do the aliens speed up?

The fleet marches faster as it shrinks, and every new wave starts a little lower and quicker. The last few aliens move fastest of all.

When is the game over?

When you run out of lives (you have three) or when the fleet marches down to your cannon's row.

Can I fire more than one shot at a time?

No, only one of your shots can be on screen at a time, so missing costs you time. Aim carefully, especially at the fast last aliens.

Do the shields come back?

Fresh shields are built at the start of the game and every third wave after that (waves 4, 7, 10 and so on).

Can I play on a phone?

Yes. Hold a finger on the game to move and fire automatically, or use the left, Fire and right buttons under the game.

Something calmer?

Mahjong Solitaire is the relaxing classic: match free pairs of tiles to clear the board, with six layouts and solvable deals.

Play Mahjong