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Alien Invaders

Defend the base from descending alien waves. The cannon auto-fires and the swarm speeds up as it thins. Rules and tips below.

Alien Invaders rules, tips & how to play

Learn how to play this Space-Invaders-style shooter and how to survive the waves, then defend the base in the game above.

Rules & how to play

The goal

Waves of aliens descend toward your base. Shoot them all before they reach the bottom. Clear a wave to advance to the next, faster one.

Controls

  • Move the cannon left and right with the arrow keys, or the on-screen buttons on a touch screen.
  • The cannon fires automatically, so there is no shoot button. Your job is positioning and dodging.

Lives and waves

You start with a set number of lives. Let the aliens reach the bottom, or take too many hits, and the game ends. Clearing every alien completes the wave.

Survival tips

Thin the edges first

Clearing the aliens on the outside of the formation gives you more room to move and reduces the incoming fire from the flanks.

Watch the speed-up

The fewer aliens remain, the faster they move. Save some breathing room for those last few, which are the hardest to line up.

Keep moving under the swarm

Sitting still makes you an easy target. Slide beneath the aliens so the auto-fire keeps landing while you dodge their shots.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Alien Invaders?

Move your cannon along the bottom to line up shots at the descending aliens. The cannon auto-fires, so focus on positioning and dodging. Clear every alien in a wave to advance.

What are the controls?

Use the left and right arrow keys, or the on-screen buttons on touch. The cannon fires automatically, with no separate shoot button.

Why do the aliens speed up?

As you clear aliens the remaining ones move faster, a classic arcade mechanic that makes the last few the hardest to catch.

Is Alien Invaders the same as Space Invaders?

It is a Space-Invaders-style shooter. Space Invaders is a trademark of Taito, so this version is called Alien Invaders, but it plays like the classic wave-defence arcade game.