How to play Missile Defense

Missile Defense is a fast, reflex-driven defense game you play right in your browser with nothing to install. It is built in the spirit of the classic missile-command-style arcade games: a row of cities sits along the bottom of the screen, enemy missiles rain down from above, and the only thing standing between them is you and a battery of interceptors. Your job is to read the incoming streaks, anticipate where they are heading, and detonate a blast in their path before they reach the ground.

The goal

Protect your six cities for as long as you can. Each incoming missile you destroy scores points, and clearing a wave with cities still standing earns a survival bonus plus a reward for every unused interceptor. The waves never truly end — they only get faster and denser — so your real goal is to outlast the barrage and post the highest score you can.

How to play

• Watch the red trails: each one is a missile descending toward one of your cities.
• Click or tap a point in the sky. An interceptor launches from your central base, flies to that point, and detonates in an expanding blast.
• Any missile caught inside the blast radius is destroyed — and chain reactions are possible, since each kill creates its own small blast.
• Lead your shots. Aim slightly ahead of a missile so the blast is blooming when the missile arrives.

Controls

The game is controlled almost entirely by pointing. On a desktop, click anywhere in the play area to fire an interceptor at that spot. On a phone or tablet, tap the screen the same way — touch is fully supported. Press N at any time to start a fresh game. Your interceptor count is shown at the top of the board, so keep an eye on it: fire too freely early in a wave and you may run dry just as the heavy missiles arrive.

Scoring and strategy

Each missile is worth twenty-five points, and the end-of-wave bonus rewards both surviving cities and conserved ammunition, so disciplined, well-placed shots beat panic spraying every time. Group your interceptors: one blast placed where several missiles converge can wipe out a whole cluster at once. Defend your remaining cities first when the board gets thin — a missile that lands on bare ground costs you nothing, but one that lands on a city is gone for good. Your best score is saved on this device, so every run is a chance to push the line a little further into the storm.