Arcade Games Online: Brick Breakers, Shmups and Mazes
Updated
Arcade games online keep the rules of the old coin-op cabinets: simple controls, short rounds, a score to beat and a pace that keeps rising. You learn them in a minute and play them for the next run. Below are the classic kinds, from brick breakers to shoot 'em ups and mazes, with games from the arcade games category.
What makes a game arcade
An arcade video game was originally a coin-operated machine in an amusement arcade, and until the early 2000s those machines were the largest part of the video game industry, as Wikipedia notes. Browser arcade games keep the design without the coins: a few controls, a quick start and a high score.
| Kind | What you do | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Brick breakers | Bounce a ball off a paddle to clear bricks | Galaxy Brick Breaker |
| Shoot 'em ups | Fly, dodge and shoot waves of enemies | Skygarden Siege |
| Mazes | Guide a ball or a hero to the exit | Spherix |
| Shooting galleries | Click fast on the targets that appear | Top Shootout: The Saloon |
| Pinball | Keep the ball in play with the flippers | Pinball 3026 |
Brick breakers
The idea goes back to Breakout, a 1976 arcade game by Atari: rows of bricks fill the top of the screen, and you break them by bouncing a ball off a paddle, as the Wikipedia article on Breakout describes. Browser versions keep that core and add power-ups and enemies.
- Galaxy Brick Breaker moves the bricks into space. You use a space paddle and energy balls, pick up power-ups, upgrade the paddle and fire laser shots, all with the mouse.
- Space Ark Shooter mixes bricks with alien ships that dive at you. The paddle has cannons, and random bosses wait across the levels. Click or tap to play.
- BricksBreaker asks you to aim, shoot and smash colorful bricks to clear each level. Slide the mouse left and right.
Shoot 'em ups
A shoot 'em up, or shmup, has you fly a ship or a plane, dodge everything coming at you and shoot back. In some you press a key to fire; in others the ship fires by itself and you only steer.
- Skygarden Siege puts you in a guardian ship defending floating gardens from the Iron Fleet. Collect Light Blossoms for upgrades and beat every enemy in a stage to move on. Swipe or move the mouse, or use WASD or the arrows with Space to shoot.
- Laser Adventures shoots automatically; you only move, by tapping the left or right edge of the screen. Shoot the supply boxes to upgrade your laser gun.
- Cartoon Battle Sky is air combat with a retro look: your plane follows the mouse.
- Asteroid Dodge flies a fighter jet through an endless asteroid field. Coins buy new jets, each with an ability such as Time Freeze, Force Shield or Mega Blast. Click or tap to play.
- Star Runner: Cosmic Escape is a space runner: collect golden stars to finish each level, dodge asteroids, use Shield and Magnet power-ups and face a giant boss asteroid. Steer with the mouse, a finger, A and D or the arrows.
More ships, from shooters to space racing, are in space games online.
Maze games
- Spherix rolls a golden ball through 25 themed worlds. Coins are worth 10 points, red enemies take lives, and Space jumps over them. Move with the arrows or WASD and look for the green exit.
- Mine Rusher has you collect crystals along a maze path, reacting to each turn before the hero falls off. Play with the mouse or a touch.
- Crazy Maze has a single task: guide the black box to the green one, with the mouse, the arrows or a tap.
- 3D Maze Control turns the board instead of the ball. Rotate it and let gravity roll the ball to the goal, past the aliens on the way.
Shooting galleries and pinball
- Top Shootout: The Saloon is set in the Wild West: bandits hold hostages in a saloon, and you shoot the bandits and their bosses. Click or tap both to shoot and to reload.
- Top Shootout: The Pirate Ship moves the same game onto a pirate ship, where you reload your cannon to defeat the pirates and score as much as you can.
- Pinball 3026 is the classic table with a futuristic look, played with the arrow keys.
Arcade games for two
- Tug The Table Classic is a tug of war over a table, for one or two players. Player 1 tugs with the up arrow, player 2 with W, or each with a touch.
- Glowit - Two Players gives you and a friend a new random mini-game each round, out of 12, with instructions before each one. Drag with the left mouse button to play.
Air hockey has its own rules and tricks in how to play air hockey, and more games for two on one keyboard are in 2 player games on one keyboard.
Tips for a higher score
- Watch the ball, not the paddle. In a brick breaker your hand follows your eyes.
- Collect power-ups when the screen is calm, not in the middle of a swarm. Skygarden Siege and Star Runner both reward the pickups.
- In a shmup, stay low and keep moving sideways. Laser Adventures fires for you, so moving is the whole job.
- Learn a maze before you speed up. In Spherix the goal is always the green exit, and red enemies cost you lives.
- Read the reload rule. In Top Shootout both shooting and reloading are a click.
Arcade games FAQ
What are arcade games?
Games built the way coin-op machines were: easy controls, short rounds and a score. Brick breakers, shoot 'em ups, mazes and pinball are the classic kinds.
Can I play arcade games with a friend?
Yes. Tug The Table Classic is a duel for two on one device, and Glowit - Two Players is a set of mini-games for two.
Do arcade games work on a phone?
Many do. Laser Adventures is played by tapping the edges of the screen, Asteroid Dodge with a tap, and Mine Rusher with a touch.
Two more arcade families have guides of their own: games like Flappy Bird and snake game tips.
