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Missile Defence
The Big-Endians and the Little-Endians seem to have modernised with the times.
There are, of course, arguments over who dug the first silo, who lobbed the first missile, but you get the feeling that their hearts just aren't really in it.
That said, the city in the middle would really rather everyone calmed down and had a nice cup of tea and a sandwich. No egg.
Controls
Computer
- Click anywhere to set a target
- The closest ready silo will fire
- You can queue up to 5 targets at once
Mobile
- Tap anywhere to set a target
- The closest ready silo will fire
- You can queue up to 5 targets at once
Game overview
Missile Defence is a classic missile-defence arcade game with a short fuse. Incoming warheads drop toward your city; you mark spots in the sky, your silos fire interceptors, and the blasts do the real work. Lead the targets, stack detonations, and light up the sky.
You've got 60 seconds and city officials to please. Survive the minute and earn their approval. Let the bar hit empty and the run ends early - the clock doesn't need to finish the job if the city already has.
Pressure ramps as the minute wears on. Incoming missiles arrive faster, paths overlap more often, and you'll have to juggle several target markers at once. If you like rapid planning and last minute saves, this is for you.
How to play
Each run of Missile Defence puts a city under fire and two silos on standby. Mark destinations in the sky, let the nearest ready silo launch, and use the explosions to wipe out incoming missiles before they chew through your health. Keep the city alive until the 60-second timer ends.
- Tap anywhere to set a target for one of your missiles.
- Exploding missiles can trigger other missiles, creating huge chain reactions!
- Lead your targets: aim for where missiles will be, not for where they are.
Why players like it
Missile Defence has that rare arcade feel where one good decision looks like magic and one lazy one has you scrambling to save it. It's all about timing, and keeping track of multiple targets, then watching the interceptors prove you right or wrong.
Chain reactions are the highlight. When multiple paths converge and a single well-timed detonation clears the lot, or when a single explosion daisy-chains up the screen, it's properly satisfying.
It also stays readable under pressure. Trails show you where everything's heading, the health bar tells you when you're cutting it fine, and the timer makes every hesitation expensive. You don't need a manual to understand what's happening; you need calm hands when the sky fills up.
There's a nice tension between patience and panic. Fire too early and your blast dies before anything arrives. Fire too late and the city pays for it. Sitting in that gap - waiting half a beat, then stacking markers where the paths will meet - is where the game stops feeling random and starts feeling like something you're actually playing well.
Tips and strategy
Defence is less about spraying the sky and more about putting blast radii where the traffic will be.
- Aim for where the missiles will be, not where they are. Your interceptor takes time to climb, so a marker on today's position is often a miss by the time it arrives.
- If two (or more) inbound paths are going to cross, wait and put a target on the intersection. One blast that catches both is worth more than two individual shots.
- You can line up five targets at once. Use that queue when the sky gets busy. But be careful - if you need an urgent missile, it'll have to wait its turn.
- Watch your own interceptors. If one flies through an existing explosion, it can get blown up early.
- Keep an eye on the timer. At 0, the game ends when all your missiles have exploded, so when it's coming close, let 'em all loose to get a final score bump.
FAQ
How does a run end?
Two ways. The 60-second timer hits zero (and all your missiles have exploded), or your city's health drops to empty after enemy missiles get through. Lose the city early and the run stops there.
How does scoring work?
You score when an enemy missile is destroyed in one of your explosions. There's a base score per missile, a proximity bonus for detonating closer to the centre of the blast, and extras for chaining kills with the same blast. Kill streaks pay more too - keep knocking missiles down without wasted blasts and the points climb. Whiff a shot (a blast that catches nothing) and the streak drops back to zero.
Why did my missile disappear before it reached the target?
It flew through an explosion and got blown up on the way. That includes your own blasts - if an interceptor clips a fireball that's still active, it detonates early and never makes the marker. Place the next target with a bit of clear air, or wait for the previous blast to fade.
How do chain reactions work?
When an enemy missile explodes - because you hit it, or because it flew into someone else's blast - that new explosion can take out anything else still flying through it. Stacking those reactions is one of the cleanest ways to clear a crowded sky.
What makes a high score?
Leading targets properly, catching groups at intersection points, keeping a kill streak alive, and staying calm when it starts to get busy. Surviving the full minute matters, but so does making every blast earn its keep once the inbound rate speeds up.
