Radius Raid Shooter — an honest story about a game that owns your evening

Sometimes the simplest-looking game hooks you harder than a blockbuster. This is exactly that case: the rules take a minute to learn, and putting it down is much harder.

What this game is

Radius Raid — a top-down arcade survival shooter by Jack Rugile, built for the js13k 2013 competition (theme "Bad Luck", finalist). You are a tiny glowing triangle at the center of an endless black arena, and geometric enemies keep rolling in from every side in unbroken waves: small and fast, big and slow, hulking tanks. The goal is to hold out as long as possible. The reticle always tracks the cursor and shots fly in bursts; as your level climbs the swarm grows denser and meaner, and each kill racks up score. Powerups scatter across the arena: Health Pack (restores health), Fast Shot (faster fire rate), Triple Shot (a three-bullet spread), Pierce Shot (bullets punch through enemies) and Slow Enemies (the horde crawls). Health and level-progress bars, a minimap and particle explosions — all visuals are generated in code on Canvas, and the sound is synthesized procedurally (jsfxr). A stats screen keeps your records: score, level, rounds, kills, bullets and time.

How to play, in short

1. Radius Raid — a top-down arcade survival shooter by Jack Rugile, built for the js13k 2013 competition (theme "Bad Luck", finalist).

2. You are a tiny glowing triangle at the center of an endless black arena, and geometric enemies keep rolling in from every side in unbroken waves: small and fast, big and slow, hulking tanks.

3. The goal is to hold out as long as possible.

4. The reticle always tracks the cursor and shots fly in bursts; as your level climbs the swarm grows denser and meaner, and each kill racks up score.

5. Powerups scatter across the arena: Health Pack (restores health), Fast Shot (faster fire rate), Triple Shot (a three-bullet spread), Pierce Shot (bullets punch through enemies) and Slow Enemies (the horde crawls).

6. Health and level-progress bars, a minimap and particle explosions — all visuals are generated in code on Canvas, and the sound is synthesized procedurally (jsfxr).

7. A stats screen keeps your records: score, level, rounds, kills, bullets and time.

Controls

Controls: move with WASD or arrow keys, aim with the mouse, fire by holding the mouse button (or toggle autofire with F). Pause is P, mute is M. On a phone: drag your finger across the field — the aim and fire follow it (autofire is on) — and move with the on-screen d-pad. Score is the points earned for destroyed enemies.

A few final tips

• Check out the demo mode on the game page — the AI shows how it is played, and repeating it yourself gets much easier.
• Play in short sessions: the best results come with a warmed-up head.

Simple on the surface, deep underneath — exactly the kind of game that never ages. Ready to try? "Radius Raid Shooter"