Free browser game
Retro 1984
A free synthwave tank game for your browser
Drive a neon tank across a glowing 1980s grid, hunt down the enemy tanks and watch the ground ripple when they blow. No download, no sign-up.
Arrow keys or WASD to drive. Hold Space to brake and fire.Use the arrows to drive and hold Fire to brake and shoot. Turn your phone sideways and tap fullscreen for the most room.
How to play
- Drive with the arrow keys or W A S D. Your tank has momentum, climbs hills, and can’t get over the tallest peaks.
- Hold Space to brake. Once the tank is still it fires, and keeps firing after each reload for as long as you hold it.
- On a phone or tablet, use the on-screen arrows to drive and hold Fire to brake and shoot.
- Drag the view to look around your tank.
- You have three lives. Every enemy tank you destroy is worth 10 points.
- Five enemy tanks hunt you on level 1, and every kill is replaced. Every five kills takes you up a level and puts another tank on the field, up to ten at LEVEL MAX.
- The spaceships carry power-ups. Keep one in sight and get close, and it throws you a pill: the red lozenge turns your tank invisible for fifteen seconds, the purple gummy bear wraps it in a shield. Drive over the pill to take it, before it fades.
- Make the top five and you get to enter your initials on the high score table.
- Press C on the start screen for the credits.
About this synthwave tank game
We made Retro 1984 for anyone who remembers the arcade: a dark room lit by glowing cabinets, the hum of the screens, the clatter of coins, and a high score table with three initials you were determined to beat.
So we built a retro arcade tank game for your browser. You drive a neon wireframe tank across a synthwave grid under a striped sun, while enemy tanks in electric pink, blue, yellow, purple and orange patrol the hills. The hills are your cover, because they can only see you with a clear line of sight. Every kill blows a tank apart into glowing panels and sends a ripple rolling across the ground.
Spaceships sweep overhead trailing light, a synth soundtrack pulses underneath, and your antenna locks on to the nearest enemy, even the one creeping up behind you. Chase a ship down and it throws you a power-up: a pill that turns your tank invisible, or one that raises a shield enemy fire breaks apart on. Insert a coin, press Space, and go for the top spot.
Questions
Is Retro 1984 free?
Yes. It’s free to play, with no ads, no sign-up and nothing to buy.
Do I need to download anything?
No. Retro 1984 runs in your web browser. Open the page, press Space and you’re playing. Any recent version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge will do.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. On a phone or tablet, on-screen arrows and a Fire button appear, and you drag the view to look around. Turn a phone sideways and tap the fullscreen button for the most room.
Where are my high scores saved?
In your browser, on this device. The table keeps the top five scores, and clearing this site’s data clears it.
What inspired Retro 1984?
It recreates one of the handcrafted 3D Worlds from our iPhone and iPad app, with its synthwave sun, neon grid and roaming tanks. Find out more about Poppit.