Astro Defense Tutorial
OVERVIEW
Astro Defense is a vertical space shooter where you fight through endless waves of alien enemies. Your ship fires automatically — you focus on dodging, positioning, and collecting power-ups.
You start with 3 lives and 3 Nova Bombs. Destroyed enemies drop power-ups: weapon upgrades that evolve your cannon from single to triple spread, shields that absorb one hit, and Nova Bomb resupplies for your screen-clearing super weapon.
Every 20 seconds, a new level begins with faster spawns and more enemies. Boss ships start appearing at Level 3 and get progressively tougher. After Level 14, all enemies gain extra HP, so late-game survival becomes a real challenge.
The waves never stop — this is a pure endurance test. Survive as long as you can and compete for the top score on the global leaderboard.
CONTROLS
* On mobile devices, touch controls will automatically visualize on screen.
FEATURES & TIPS
Features
- Auto-fire: Your ship shoots automatically, so you can focus on movement and dodging.
- 3 weapon levels: Collect Missile power-ups to upgrade from single shot to dual shot to triple spread.
- Shield: Absorbs one hit and gives you 3 seconds of invincibility when it breaks.
- Nova Bomb: Destroys every enemy and bullet on screen. You get full score for all kills. Carry up to 5.
- 3 lives with 3 seconds of invincibility after each hit to reposition safely.
- 6 enemy types: Basic drones, tracking Elite fighters, and 4 Boss tiers with unique attack patterns.
- Power-up drops: Missile (50%), Shield (35%), Nova Bomb (15%) from destroyed enemies.
- Difficulty scales infinitely — faster spawns, more enemies, and HP scaling after Level 14.
Tips
- Keep moving. A stationary target gets boxed in by Elite fire and Boss spread patterns.
- Prioritize Missile power-ups early. Triple spread is essential for surviving past Level 10.
- Save Nova Bombs for Boss waves or emergencies — don't waste them on a few basic drones.
- Shields are more valuable than they look: one free hit plus 3 seconds of invincibility to reposition.
- After taking damage, use your 3 seconds of invincibility aggressively — dash through bullets to grab power-ups.
- Elite fighters are worth 5 points vs 1 for drones. Focus fire on them for faster score building.
- In late game, enemies have more HP but give the same points. Efficient Nova Bomb timing becomes critical.
SCORING SYSTEM
| Enemy | HP | Points | Appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Drone | 1 | 1 | Level 1+ |
| Elite Fighter | 2 | 5 | Level 1+ |
| Boss 1: Dreadnought | 8 | 15 | Level 3+ |
| Boss 2: Destroyer | 12 | 30 | Level 6+ |
| Boss 3: Battlecruiser | 20 | 50 | Level 9+ |
| Boss 4: Leviathan | 40 | 100 | Level 12+ |
Nova Bomb: Destroys everything on screen and gives you full points for every kill. A well-timed Nova against a packed screen can yield 100+ points instantly.