ASCII Art Archive v2 – Now live with a new layout and weekly updates. Read more.
Fight alien invaders in a thrilling ASCII art space shooter with retro charm and endless action.
_ ____ ____ ___ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / \ / ___| / ___|_ _|_ _| / \ | (_) ___ _ __ / \ | |_| |_ __ _ ___| | __ / _ \ \___ \| | | | | | / _ \ | | |/ _ \ '_ \ / _ \| __| __/ _` |/ __| |/ / / ___ \ ___) | |___ | | | | / ___ \| | | __/ | | | / ___ \ |_| || (_| | (__| < /_/ \_\____/ \____|___|___| /_/ \_\_|_|\___|_| |_| /_/ \_\__|\__\__,_|\___|_|\_\
ASCII Alien Attack is a retro-inspired space shooter rendered entirely in ASCII art, inspired by the legendary arcade game Space Invaders®. Control your cannon, protect your shields, and blast through waves of advancing aliens before they reach your base. Simple controls and old-school charm deliver a nostalgic arcade experience right in your browser!
Difficulty:
Score: 0
Lives: 3
Level: 1
Difficulty: Normal
Instruction
Controls:- Arrow Left / A – Move Left
- Arrow Right / D – Move Right
- Space – Shoot
- P – Pause / Resume
- R – Restart Game
Settings:
- Choose between three difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, and Hard.
- Customize symbols for player, enemies, bullets, and barriers for a unique look.
Goal:
Defend your base by destroying all incoming alien waves. Earn points for each enemy destroyed — more points for enemies higher up. Avoid enemy fire and collisions to survive. Barriers offer temporary protection but will degrade over time. Clear all enemies to advance to the next level and face faster, more challenging waves.
Acknowledgments and credits
ASCII Alien Attack is inspired by the legendary Space Invaders®, originally created by Tomohiro Nishikado and released by Taito in 1978. Space Invaders® is a registered trademark of Taito Corporation.ASCII Alien Attack is an original game created, designed, and programmed by Joacim Wejdin, and developed under the Injosoft brand. All rights to the game name, source code, design, and ASCII artwork are reserved by Injosoft. Any reproduction, modification, or redistribution without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
This game is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed by Taito Corporation. It is an independent creation developed as a respectful tribute to the original arcade classic.
Thanks for playing and keeping the ASCII gaming spirit alive!
Want More? Try These ASCII Games
ASCII Monster Escape – Run, jump, and climb to safety in this fast-paced ASCII platformer. Navigate through many platforms and escape before the relentless monster catches up to you. Can you do it?
ASCII Bird Shooting – A fast shooter with a twist: friendly birds score points, red birds of prey hunt your cursor, shoot one and it’s Game Over. Keep the sky clear, dodge the plane and chase a high score before the 2‑minute timer.
ASCII Crossy Frog – Jump across roads and rivers in this ASCII-style remake of the classic Frogger game. Time your moves, avoid cars and hazards, and collect as many points as possible before your lives run out.
ASCII Battelship – Command the seas in ASCII Battleship! Place and rotate your fleet, then unleash precision strikes on a 10×10 grid. Outsmart a cunning AI, sink every ship, and enjoy dangerously replayable naval combat.
Need a Break? Read These ASCII Articles
Rogue the Dawn of Roguelikes – Discover the origins of roguelikes in Rogue, the ASCII classic that turned simple symbols into epic adventures and defined an entire genre.
Adding Color and Animation to Your ASCII Games – Learn simple tricks to make your ASCII games feel alive using colors, flickering effects, and basic animations while keeping the retro charm intact.
Why ASCII Games Are Perfect for Learning to Code – Discover why ASCII games are the ideal way to start coding. Learn core programming concepts, clean coding habits, and algorithms while keeping things fun.
What Is a True ASCII Game – Explore what truly defines an ASCII game. Learn the difference between pure ASCII, hybrids, and pseudo-ASCII, and why the definition still matters to retro fans.