OrbitSwarm
OrbitSwarm is a real-time space strategy game that fits on one screen. Your side is blue, the computer is red, and a scatter of gray neutral planets sits between you. Drag a line from a planet you own to send a stream of small ships at a target.
Every planet you hold keeps building ships, so each capture speeds you up. A match usually wraps up in a few minutes. Frank Force made it as part of his open-source LittleJS Arcade collection.
How to play OrbitSwarm
Start by picking a difficulty from the menu. Your starting world glows with a blue ring, and the number on it is the ship count stationed there. Neutral planets show their defenders as well, but their numbers do not grow until someone owns them.
Press on your planet, drag to a target and release. Half the ships leave by default. Press 1, 2, 3 or 4 to send 10, 25, 50 or 100 percent instead, or roll the mouse wheel while dragging. Sending ships to your own planet reinforces it, which is how you shift troops toward the fight.
Larger planets build faster and store more ships. The ring around each of your planets fills up as it nears its limit, and a full planet stops producing. Take every red planet to win. If you lose your last one, the match is over.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch ships | — | Press on your planet, drag to a target, release | Drag from your planet to a target |
| Set send size | 1 = 10%, 2 = 25%, 3 = 50%, 4 = 100% | Mouse wheel while dragging | — |
| Restart | R | — | — |
| Pause | Esc | — | — |
Tips
- Take small, nearby neutral planets first. They cost few ships and start paying you back right away.
- Send a bit more than the defender count you see. The target may keep building while your ships are on the way.
- Check for planets at their limit and move those spare ships forward, since a full planet produces nothing.
- Red tends to empty a big share of a planet in one launch. Counterattack that world while it is still low.
- Avoid sending 100 percent unless you must. An emptied planet is an easy grab for the red side.
If you like OrbitSwarm, try these
Compact ConflictTaking over a map piece by piece moves to turns here, with temples that give troops and faith on a random map.
Canvas Tower DefenseHolding ground against endless pressure fits this neon tower defense with four turret types and waves that never stop.
Questions
Does OrbitSwarm work on a phone?
Yes. You can drag from a planet to a target with your finger. The keyboard shortcuts for send size are only available with a keyboard.
What changes between the difficulty levels?
Each level changes how many planets are on the map, how many ships everyone starts with, and how smart the red rival plays.
Is there sound in OrbitSwarm?
No. The original ships with its sound effects turned off, and this copy leaves it that way.
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