This is a submission for the Web Game Challenge, Build a Game: Alien-Invasion-Defense
What I Built
Alien-Invasion-Defense
a fast-paced space shooter game built with vanilla JavaScript and HTML5 canvas. The goal of the game is simple: control your spaceship to shoot down alien invaders and prevent them from reaching the bottom of the screen. Players can move the ship left and right using the arrow keys (or by swiping on mobile) and shoot by tapping or pressing the spacebar. The game is designed to be easy to play but hard to master, with increasing difficulty as the levels progress.
The game includes a real-time scoring system that rewards players for each alien destroyed, and a life system that keeps track of how many hits the player can take before it’s game over. Each level introduces more aliens, making the game progressively challenging. If the aliens reach the bottom of the screen, the player loses a life. The objective is to survive as long as possible while achieving the highest score.
This project was a great opportunity to apply my JavaScript skills to create an interactive, real-time game without the use of external libraries or frameworks. It demonstrates the core fundamentals of game development, including handling user input, collision detection, and animation.
Creative Element:
For the visual design, I wanted to capture the feel of classic arcade games. I created custom alien and spaceship graphics to give the game a retro, yet unique aesthetic. The game is simple but visually engaging, with smooth animations and a clean, minimalist interface that keeps the focus on the action.
In addition to the game mechanics, I also added interactive elements like a start button, restart option, and high score tracking to keep players engaged. Overall, this project was a fun challenge that highlights the flexibility of JavaScript and HTML5 canvas for building browser-based games.
Demo
https://github.com/YadavAkhileshh/Alien-Invasion-Defense
My Process:
Building Alien Invasion Defense was an exciting challenge that allowed me to dive deep into JavaScript game development. I started by outlining the core mechanics of the game: player movement, shooting, enemy generation, and collision detection. My goal was to create a simple yet engaging game that users could play directly in their browser. Using HTML5 canvas for rendering the game elements, I focused on keeping the performance smooth and responsive across different devices.
What I Learned:
One of the key things I learned was how to efficiently manage game state and animations in real-time using only vanilla JavaScript. I had to work with the game loop, ensuring that user input, enemy movement, and collision detection all worked seamlessly together. I also gained a deeper understanding of how to create a dynamic canvas-based game interface, adjusting for different screen sizes and maintaining a smooth experience on both desktop and mobile devices.
What I’m Proud Of:
I'm particularly proud of how I handled the increasing difficulty in the game. As players advance through levels, the speed and number of aliens increase, making it progressively harder, which keeps the game challenging and fun. I also managed to implement a simple yet effective scoring system and a life counter, making it a complete gaming experience. Additionally, creating custom graphics and animations for the aliens and the spaceship added a personal touch to the project, giving it that retro arcade feel.
What’s Next:
Going forward, I’d like to expand the game by adding power-ups, more enemy types, and boss levels to make it even more exciting. I also plan to refine the user interface, improve the visuals, and possibly integrate sound effects and background music for a more immersive experience. Lastly, I’m interested in exploring how to port the game to mobile platforms or even create a multiplayer version where players can compete against each other.
This project gave me a solid foundation in game development, and I’m excited to see how I can push it even further!
Top comments (3)
smooth controls, and clean animations, i liked the particle effects of when you killed an enemy
Just looked at your source code on GitHub and I'll say I'm seeing a whole lotta similarities and tips that'd have made your dev process easier.
I code on mobile so I have a reputation for being efficient
How many years of XP do you have in web dev particularly JS
Great job bro 😉
I as well created mine with just vanilla JS and HTML5. To be honest bro, creating JS games with just the language is a really fun thing to do.
Expecting more updates soon as I'll be working on mine soon too😅
Which techniques did you use for the level editor? Let's share our source code 😁