Can I play NovaSiege on my phone?

Yes, the game is made for portrait mode and one hand: drag your thumb to move, use a second finger or a fixed button for the shield. Landscape works too; the playing field then stays in the middle.

What does the shield do?

It catches normal enemy shots instead of you having to dodge them. Every caught shot charges the Nova bar; when it is full you fire the Nova beam, which clears a whole column. Red, pulsing shots go through the shield.

How do the colour chains work?

When an invader is destroyed, every touching invader of the same colour bursts a moment later, and on from there. Each further link is worth more points, and from 6 links on the chain charges the Nova bar.

How do I beat the boss?

Every boss has three weak points in the three colours. Direct shots bounce off. Set off a chain in its escort in a weak point's colour that reaches it from the 2nd link on, or hit it with the Nova beam.

What is the daily wave?

Every day there is one wave that is the same for everybody, with three attempts. With a free PanicLines account the server re-computes your result and you appear on the day's leaderboard.

Is my progress saved?

Yes. Without an account, unlocked worlds, stars, best scores and milestones stay in this browser. With a free PanicLines account they are kept in your account and are the same on every device.

NovaSiege – Free Space Shooter Online

Play NovaSiege free online

In NovaSiege your small neon ship, the Nova, flies along the bottom of the screen. From above, a formation of glitching pixel invaders marches from side to side and drops a row every time it touches an edge. If it reaches your line, the run is over. You know the idea from the arcade, but NovaSiege changes three things: you catch enemy shots with a shield and fire them back as the Nova beam, invaders of the same colour burst in chain reactions, and between waves you upgrade your ship with modules.

You play for free in your browser, with no download, no ads and no sign-up, on phone, tablet and PC. A wave takes about a minute, a whole world ten at most.

How it works

Move and shoot: the Nova only moves sideways and fires on its own at a steady rate. That is all you need for the first waves.
Catch shield: while you hold the shield, an arc above the Nova catches enemy shots. Every caught shot charges the Nova bar by one stage. Shield energy lasts 1.5 seconds and recharges afterwards; while the shield is up, the Nova does not fire.
Nova beam: with a full bar the beam clears the whole column above the Nova, armoured invaders and shots included. Red, pulsing shots cannot be caught; you have to dodge them.
Colour chains: every invader has one of three colours, each with its own shape marker (circle, triangle, diamond). Destroy one and all touching invaders of the same colour burst a moment later, and on from there. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd link is worth 10, 20, 30 points, and chains of 6 or more charge the Nova bar.
Modules: after each wave you pick one of three random modules, such as Double Shot, Wide Shield, Chain Spark (chains also jump diagonally), Rapid Fire or Wide Beam. There are 12 in all; they last for the current run.
Lives and cover: you have 3 lives per world. Three cover blocks above the Nova crumble piece by piece; the Repair module restores them.

Worlds, invaders and bosses

World 1 Orbit Station: pixels, armoured pixels (two hits), splitters (break into two small pixels) and, from wave 4, divers that leave the formation and swoop down in an arc. Boss: the Glitch Core.
World 2 Crystal Nebula: prisms keep changing their colour, so chains need good timing. Boss: the Prism Core, whose weak points swap colours.
World 3 Scrap Ring: mirrors send direct hits back as a shot and crack each time; three cracks break them, and a chain or the beam destroys them at once. Boss: the Mirror Core, which throws shots back.
World 4 Null Sector: hives fill the gaps next to them with new invaders, so take them out first. Boss: the Swarm Core with an escort of divers.
Bosses have three coloured weak points. Direct shots bounce off; only a chain of the matching colour that reaches them from its 2nd link on, or the Nova beam, does damage.
Stars: each world gives one star for clearing it, one for losing no life and one for beating the target score.

Modes

Campaign: four worlds with 6 waves and a boss each; clearing a world unlocks the next.
Endless: wave after wave through all worlds, every seventh one a boss. You get a module after every wave, and each round is faster.
Daily wave: one wave from the seed of the day, the same for everybody, with three attempts per day. For logged-in players the server re-computes the result, and it goes on the day's leaderboard.
Milestones such as a 15-link chain, a boss without a hit, 50 caught shots in one run, endless wave 20, all 12 stars or clearing world 4 unlock new colours for the Nova.

Controls

Phone: put your thumb down anywhere in the lower half and drag; the Nova follows relatively. A second finger holds the shield, or you can switch to a fixed shield button at the bottom right in the settings. The Nova button lights up when the bar is full.
Keyboard: ← → or A D to move, Space holds the shield, F or Enter fires the beam, P or Esc pauses, 1 to 3 pick a module.
Gamepad: stick or d-pad to move, A or the right trigger holds the shield, B or X fires the beam, Start pauses.
Settings: learning mode at 75 % speed, reduced motion, contrast mode, separate music and effects volume, vibration.

Tips

Catch boldly: catching shots instead of dodging them gives you the beam more often, plus 5 points per catch.
Aim at groups: pick the lowest invader of a big same-coloured group. One long chain clears more than many single hits and scores far more.
Beam into full columns: save the Nova beam for a column full of armoured pixels, or for the boss when you are right below a weak point.
At the boss: watch which colour hangs below which weak point and start a chain there that reaches all the way up.
Clear the edges: the formation speeds up as it shrinks and only drops at the edges. Clearing the outer columns early buys you time.

Frequently asked questions

Is NovaSiege free?: Yes. You play right in your browser, with no download, no ads and no sign-up. There is nothing to buy.
Can I play NovaSiege on my phone?: Yes, the game is made for portrait mode and one hand: drag your thumb to move, use a second finger or a fixed button for the shield. Landscape works too; the playing field then stays in the middle.
What does the shield do?: It catches normal enemy shots instead of you having to dodge them. Every caught shot charges the Nova bar; when it is full you fire the Nova beam, which clears a whole column. Red, pulsing shots go through the shield.
How do the colour chains work?: When an invader is destroyed, every touching invader of the same colour bursts a moment later, and on from there. Each further link is worth more points, and from 6 links on the chain charges the Nova bar.
How do I beat the boss?: Every boss has three weak points in the three colours. Direct shots bounce off. Set off a chain in its escort in a weak point's colour that reaches it from the 2nd link on, or hit it with the Nova beam.
What is the daily wave?: Every day there is one wave that is the same for everybody, with three attempts. With a free PanicLines account the server re-computes your result and you appear on the day's leaderboard.
Is my progress saved?: Yes. Without an account, unlocked worlds, stars, best scores and milestones stay in this browser. With a free PanicLines account they are kept in your account and are the same on every device.