Score 0
Lives 3
Wave 1
Arrows rotate & thrust, Space fires — or use the buttons
Asteroids is the legendary arcade space shooter: you pilot a lone triangular ship in a wrap-around field of drifting space rocks, and your only tools are rotation, thrust, and a rapid-fire cannon. On desktop, rotate with the left and right arrow keys, thrust with the up arrow, and shoot with the spacebar. On mobile, use the four on-screen buttons: rotate left, rotate right, thrust, and fire. Everything wraps around the screen edges — fly off the right side and you reappear on the left, and asteroids do the same, so watch your back.
Shooting a large asteroid splits it into two medium rocks, and each medium splits into two small ones, so a careless volley can fill the screen with shrapnel. Smaller rocks are faster but worth more points: 20 for large, 50 for medium, 100 for small. You have three lives, and after each hit you respawn in the center with a brief shield of invulnerability while you get your bearings. The classic strategy is to keep your speed low — drifting slowly beats flying fast — pick off rocks one split-chain at a time, and never shoot a large asteroid that is close to you. Clear the wave and a bigger, faster wave arrives. Chase your best score in this free online asteroids game.