Swarmbreaker
Play Swarmbreaker now · free, no download, no sign-up
Swarmbreaker is a neon arena shooter. You fly a small ship in an enclosed arena, moving with one control and aiming and firing with the other, while waves of enemies close in. Between waves you choose an upgrade, and the hive chooses a counter to the way you have been playing.
Each enemy type behaves differently. Drones flock together to surround you, flankers circle behind your aim and lunge, snipers lead their shots, and wardens shield their allies from the front. Every fifth wave a hive core arrives. It is a game for players who like fast reflexes and changing their tactics on the fly.
How to play
- Move your ship around the arena while aiming and firing at the enemies.
- Dash through danger; you are briefly invulnerable while dashing.
- Drones try to surround you, so keep moving and avoid being boxed in.
- Snipers show a laser before they fire. When it locks, change direction.
- Wardens block shots from the front, so hit them from the side.
- After each wave, pick one of the offered upgrades, such as more barrels, piercing rounds or a wingman drone.
- Your hull takes damage from hits, and the run ends when it is gone.
Controls
On a phone or tablet
Use the left on-screen stick to move and the right stick to aim and fire. Tap DASH to dash.
On a computer
Move with WASD or the arrow keys, aim with the mouse and hold the left button to fire. Dash with Space or the right mouse button. Twin-stick gamepads work too.
Game modes
Wave survival
A solo run through endless waves that adapt to you, with a hive core every fifth wave. Your best score and highest wave are saved.
Tips
- The hive counters whatever you do most, so switch up your style from wave to wave.
- Use the dash to escape a closing ring of drones; you cannot be hit while dashing.
- Snipers lock their aim just before firing. That is the moment to change direction.
- Circle around wardens and shoot them from the side.
- Chain kills quickly to push your score multiplier up to x8.
- Pick hull and repair upgrades when you are low, and firepower when you are healthy.
About the game
Swarmbreaker builds on the twin-stick arena shooter, a style that started in arcades, where one stick moves and the other shoots. Its adaptive hive turns each wave into a small duel of tactics rather than just more enemies.
On phones it uses two virtual sticks, one under each thumb, in a layout made for touch. On a desktop it plays like a classic mouse-and-keyboard shooter, and a gamepad gives the full twin-stick feel.
Questions
- Is Swarmbreaker free?
- Yes, it is free in your browser with nothing to install.
- Can I play with a controller?
- Yes. A gamepad with two sticks works: the left stick moves and the right stick aims and fires.
- What does the hive do?
- It watches how you fight and picks a counter for the next wave, so the same tactic will not keep working.
- Is my progress saved?
- Your best score and highest wave are saved in this browser.
