About Asteroids
Asteroids is the classic arcade game where you pilot a small triangular ship through a drifting field of space rocks. Every shot splits a big rock into smaller, faster pieces, flying saucers hunt you down, and your ship obeys real momentum: thrust, and you keep sliding until you burn the other way. Our free Asteroids online game recreates that glowing vector-screen look with neon lines, particle explosions and screen shake.
We've added one modern twist: after every wave you choose one of three upgrades, such as Rapid Fire, Triple Shot or a Deflector Shield, so each run builds a slightly different ship. It plays in your browser with the keyboard, the mouse or on-screen touch controls, and every score goes on the global leaderboard. If you're looking for an Asteroids game to play at lunch, you're in the right place.
How to play Asteroids
- 1
Get a feel for the ship
Press Play. Rotate left and right, and tap thrust to move in the direction you're facing. There's very little friction, so your ship keeps drifting. Short bursts are much easier to control than holding thrust down.
- 2
Break up the rocks
Each large rock splits into two medium rocks, and each medium rock splits into two small ones. Small rocks are destroyed outright. Everything wraps around the screen edges, including you and your shots.
- 3
Deal with the saucers
Now and then a flying saucer crosses the screen. The big one fires in random directions; the small one aims straight at you and gets more accurate as your score climbs. Saucers crash into rocks too.
- 4
Use hyperspace as a last resort
Press Shift (or tap HYPER) to vanish and reappear somewhere random. It can save you from a certain collision, but you might land next to a rock, and one jump in ten malfunctions and destroys your ship.
- 5
Clear the wave and upgrade
When the last rock is gone, pick one of three upgrades. The next wave brings one more large rock (up to twelve) and slightly faster rocks. You start with three ships and earn a new one every 10,000 points.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| ← → / A D | Rotate the ship |
| ↑ / W | Thrust |
| Space | Fire (hold to keep firing) |
| Shift / ↓ / S / H | Hyperspace jump |
| 1 / 2 / 3 | Choose an upgrade between waves |
| Mouse | Click the playfield: the ship turns toward the cursor, left button fires, right button thrusts |
| Joystick / FIRE / HYPER | Touch controls: point to turn, push to the rim to thrust |
| P or Esc | Pause and resume |
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Asteroids tips and strategy
Don't split everything at once
Breaking every large rock early fills the screen with fast little fragments. Work on one rock family at a time and finish off its small pieces before starting the next.
Stay near the middle
Rocks and saucers wrap in from every edge. The center of the screen gives you the most warning, which is why your ship respawns there.
Turn, don't fly
Many good players barely thrust at all. Rotating in place and shooting is safer than racing around, and a small nudge of thrust is usually enough to dodge.
Lead your shots
Shots have a limited range and only four can be in the air at once. Aim where a rock is going to be, especially the quick small ones, and don't hold fire at empty space.
Prioritize the small saucer
The small saucer is worth 1,000 points but it's also the most dangerous thing on screen. Turn and deal with it as soon as it appears, or keep a rock between you and it.
Pick upgrades for your style
Rapid Fire and Triple Shot suit aggressive players, while Deflector Shield and Safe Jump keep careful players alive. Long Range is great if you like staying in the center and sniping.
Don't dawdle
The heartbeat quickens the longer a wave lasts, and saucers turn up more often in later waves. Hunting down the last few pebbles quickly is usually the safest option.
Scoring and upgrades
Large rocks are worth 20 points, medium rocks 50 and small rocks 100, so smashing one large rock all the way down earns 20 + 2 × 50 + 4 × 100 = 520 points. The large saucer is worth 200 and the small saucer 1,000. You earn an extra ship every 10,000 points (you can hold up to five).
After each wave you choose one upgrade from three random options:
- Rapid Fire (2 levels): shoot faster and keep more shots in the air
- Triple Shot: every trigger pull fires three bolts in a fan
- Deflector Shield: absorbs one hit per wave
- Long Range (2 levels): shots fly farther
- Tuned Thrusters (2 levels): turn and accelerate faster
- Safe Jump: hyperspace never fails and recharges twice as fast
- Spare Ship (2 levels): an extra ship right away
- Piercing Rounds: shots pass straight through small rocks
Every upgrade has a hard level cap, so the game stays balanced however long you survive. Once you've maxed out everything, the only remaining pick is a flat Bounty of 1,000 points.
A short history of Asteroids
Asteroids was released by Atari in 1979, designed by Lyle Rains and Ed Logg. It used a vector display, which drew sharp glowing lines instead of pixels and gave the game its distinctive look. It became one of Atari's biggest arcade hits and one of the defining games of the golden age of arcades, and its inertia-based controls and wrap-around screen have been copied ever since. Our version keeps the core rules and adds its own art, effects and upgrade system.
More free arcade games
Fancy another classic? Hold back an alien fleet in Space Invaders, smash bricks in Breakout, or grow the longest tail you can in Snake. You'll find everything in one place on our arcade games page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play Asteroids online for free?
Yes. This Asteroids game is free and runs in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. There's nothing to install, and your scores go on the leaderboard automatically.
How do you play Asteroids on a phone?
Use the joystick on the left: point it to turn your ship, and push it all the way to the rim to thrust. Hold the red FIRE button to shoot and tap HYPER to jump. Turn your phone sideways for a wider playfield with the controls at either side.
How many points are asteroids worth?
Large rocks are worth 20 points, medium rocks 50 and small rocks 100. Flying saucers are worth 200 (large) or 1,000 (small).
What does hyperspace do in Asteroids?
Hyperspace makes your ship disappear and reappear at a random spot on the screen. It's an emergency escape, but there's a one-in-ten chance the jump fails and destroys your ship unless you've picked the Safe Jump upgrade.
How do you get extra lives in Asteroids?
You earn an extra ship every 10,000 points. You can also pick the Spare Ship upgrade between waves (up to twice per game).
Can I play Asteroids with a mouse?
Yes. Click the playfield to switch to mouse control: your ship turns toward the cursor, the left button fires and the right button thrusts. Press ← or → at any time to go back to keyboard steering.
Who made the original Asteroids?
The original Asteroids arcade game was released by Atari in 1979 and designed by Lyle Rains and Ed Logg. It was one of the most popular arcade games of its era.