River Strike
In River Strike you fly a small jet upstream along a river that never ends. Red boats cross the channel, chunky green blocks poke out of the shore, and yellow fuel stations bob in the water. Your guns handle the first two, but the real enemy is the fuel needle creeping toward empty.
Frank Force included it in his LittleJS Arcade. Its flat, bold shapes stay readable even when you are moving fast, and each run generates a different river. You can use a keyboard, a gamepad or a touch screen.
How to play River Strike
There is no stop button for your plane; it always pushes forward. Your job is to keep it above the water by sliding left and right. Touch dry land even for an instant and the flight is over. Hold Up for more speed, hold Down to brake, and release both to settle back to the normal pace.
Scoring is simple. A boat you shoot gives 50 points, and a shoreline block gives 25. Flying into either one wrecks the jet, so clear them or dodge them. Yellow fuel stations work the other way around: pass right over one and you get 100 points plus a large refill.
The gauge under your score shrinks the whole time you are flying, and it shrinks faster at high speed. Running dry ends the game the same way a crash does. Press Enter, or the fire button on a pad or touch screen, to launch again.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steer | Left / Right arrows or A / D | — | Push the left stick sideways |
| Speed up / slow down | Up / Down arrows or W / S | — | Push the left stick up or down |
| Fire (hold for steady shots) | Space | — | Lower right button |
| Restart after a crash | Enter | — | Lower right button |
| Pause | Esc | Menu icon, top right | Menu icon, top right |
Tips
- Leave your finger on Space during calm, straight parts of the river. A constant stream of bullets removes boats long before they reach you.
- Brake ahead of sharp curves. Moving slower makes narrow channels far easier to thread.
- Once the gauge is under half, treat the next yellow station as a must-hit target and line up to fly through it.
- Lead your shots on boats. They cruise sideways and reverse when they bump the shore.
- Only use the speed boost when the tank is comfortably full. Going faster burns fuel and gives no bonus points.
If you like River Strike, try these
Highway PursuitShooting while staying on a narrow route carries over to roads, where sparing civilian cars keeps your multiplier up.
Moon LanderFuel worry is the shared tension, only this lander needs careful burns to touch down on a tiny pad.
Questions
Should I shoot fuel depots in River Strike?
Usually not. A shot station pays the same 100 points but gives you no fuel, so only fire at one when your tank is already topped up.
Is the river the same each time I play?
No. A fresh river is built for every run, so the curves, boat positions and fuel stops are different each time.
Can I play River Strike on a phone?
Yes. Touch the screen once and a stick shows up on the left for steering and speed, with buttons on the right. The lower button is fire.
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