Space Invaders sped up because the machine could not keep up. Here that is the dial you turn — and the beat is your gun.
Goal: In 1978 the invaders sped up as you killed them because the machine had less left to draw. Nobody designed that — it is the most famous accident in arcade history, and every version since has kept it as difficulty. Here it is the dial YOU turn. The formation moves on a strict METRONOME and the tempo is set by how many are left, so every kill winds the machine faster. Your gun runs on that same beat: fire ON the downbeat and you cut a VOLLEY down into the column standing in front of you; fire off it and you get one weak bolt and lose the next window. Which ranks you fell decides what the beat feels like, because they stand in COLUMNS by trade — magenta KEEPERS hold two thirds of the tempo, purple CALLERS do the shooting, cyan DRONES are weight. Fell the callers first and the beat stays walkable while the formation settles lower onto your line; take a keeper column and you have chosen to play fast. You are paid at the tempo you SUSTAINED across the wave, not the one you finished on, so the score is the difficulty you elected. Your own volley chews through your own bunkers on the way up.
Controls: Drag anywhere, or A / D, or the arrow keys, to track the gun left and right. Tap FIRE (or SPACE) ON THE BEAT — the bar under the gun shows the window at both ends and the barrel glows gold while it is open. On level-up, tap a card (or keys 1-3) to choose your boon.
In 1978 the invaders sped up as you killed them because the machine had less left to draw. Nobody designed that — it is the most famous accident in arcade history, and every version since has kept it as difficulty. Here it is the dial YOU turn. The formation moves on a strict METRONOME and the tempo is set by how many are left, so every kill winds the machine faster. Your gun runs on that same beat: fire ON the downbeat and you cut a VOLLEY down into the column standing in front of you; fire off it and you get one weak bolt and lose the next window. Which ranks you fell decides what the beat feels like, because they stand in COLUMNS by trade — magenta KEEPERS hold two thirds of the tempo, purple CALLERS do the shooting, cyan DRONES are weight. Fell the callers first and the beat stays walkable while the formation settles lower onto your line; take a keeper column and you have chosen to play fast. You are paid at the tempo you SUSTAINED across the wave, not the one you finished on, so the score is the difficulty you elected. Your own volley chews through your own bunkers on the way up. Controls: Drag anywhere, or A / D, or the arrow keys, to track the gun left and right. Tap FIRE (or SPACE) ON THE BEAT — the bar under the gun shows the window at both ends and the barrel glows gold while it is open. On level-up, tap a card (or keys 1-3) to choose your boon.
Yes. VECTAMARCH runs free in your browser with no download, no install and no account — open the page and it starts.
Yes — VECTAMARCH has on-screen touch controls and is built to run at 60fps on a mid-range phone as well as on desktop.
A typical run takes around five to ten minutes. It suits medium sessions and plays intermediate, so it sits in the Challenge corner of the arcade.
VECTAMARCH is a skill game in the VECTARCADE catalogue — vector-drawn, instant-play, and scored on a global leaderboard.