What is Star Shield?
Star Shield is an arcade game where you launch fireworks into the sky and catch falling shooting stars in their bursts before they reach the six houses of the village. It takes the rules of the classic arcade missile defense game and retells them with a bright night sky and colorful fireworks.
The ground holds six houses and three firework launchers on the left, middle and right. Tap the sky and the closest launcher sends a firework to that spot, where it bursts into a ring. The ring grows, holds for a moment and shrinks again, and any star inside it is gone.
What are the rules?
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Fireworks | Each launcher holds 10 per wave, 30 in total. They refill at the start of every wave. |
| Getting hit | A house that is hit goes dark. A launcher that is hit loses its remaining fireworks for that wave. |
| Chain bursts | A star caught in a burst sets off a small burst of its own, which can catch its neighbors. Each step of a chain multiplies the points once more, up to four times. |
| Wave bonus | 5 points for every firework left and 100 for every house still lit, times the wave multiplier. |
| Multiplier | 1x for waves 1 and 2, 2x for 3 and 4, 3x for 5 and 6, and 4x from wave 7 on. |
| Rebuilding | Every 10,000 points earns a bonus house, which relights a dark house when the wave ends. |
| Game over | The game ends when a wave finishes with no houses lit. |
What kinds of shooting stars are there?
- Yellow stars: fall in a straight line. 25 points.
- Purple stars (from wave 2): split into two or three halfway down. Catch them early and there is only one to deal with. 25 points.
- Blue stars (from wave 3): fall almost twice as fast. 50 points.
- Pink stars (from wave 4): sway from side to side as they fall. 50 points.
Tips for reaching higher waves
- Lead your shots. Stars keep falling while the firework flies, so aim a little below them.
- Fire into the middle of a group. One firework can catch several stars, and a chain saves fireworks and pays more.
- Take out purple stars while they are high. Once they split you have two or three times the work.
- Save fireworks. You only get 30 per wave and leftovers are worth points. There is no need to fire again where a burst is already waiting.
- Protect what is left. Stars heading for a dark house can wait. Stop the ones aimed at lit houses and launchers first.
Your best score is saved in this browser. The sound button at the top right turns effects on and off.