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How to play Nebula Rivals

Goal

Two starships face each other across a swarm of alien invaders — one along the bottom edge, one along the top. Your ship is always at the bottom of your own screen. Shoot the enemies, dodge everything they fire at you, collect power-ups and spend your credits on upgrades.

Modes

• ⚔️ Duel — you and your rival both fight the swarm, and you can shoot each other too. Each ship has 3 lives. The last ship standing wins; if both lose their final life at the same moment it's a draw. After 4 minutes it's sudden death: every ship drops to 1 HP.
• 🤝 Co-op — team up (no friendly fire) and clear wave after wave. There are 30 hand-made levels with a boss every 5 levels, then it carries on forever, faster and meaner. If you lose your last life, your partner keeps going; at the next level you're back in with one of their spare lives — or buy a life yourself (3) to jump straight back. It's over when everyone is out.
• Just me (Play the computer) — the co-op campaign on your own, classic arcade style.
• vs computer — in Duel the computer is your rival; in Co-op it's your wingman. Five strengths, from Rookie to Legend.

Controls

• Computer: move the mouse — your ship follows it along your edge. Hold the left button or Space to fire (or switch on AUTO fire with the button or F). Arrow keys or A/D (W/S up and down a little) work too. 1 2 3 buy upgrades, M music on/off, P pause (games against the computer).
• Phone / tablet: drag anywhere on the playfield — your ship moves with your finger, so your thumb never hides it. Firing is automatic. Tap the three buttons on the right to buy.

Power-ups

Destroyed enemies sometimes drop loot that floats towards whoever shot them. Fly into it to collect.

• ◆ Credit gems — +5 (green) or +20 (gold) credits.
• » Rapid fire — shoot almost twice as fast for 8 seconds.
• ⋔ Spread shot — two extra angled shots for 8 seconds.
• ⬡ Shield — a bubble that absorbs every hit for 7 seconds.
• | Piercing laser — fast beams that go through up to 5 enemies, for 6 seconds.
• ⧗ Slow-time — enemies and their bullets crawl for 6 seconds.
• ● Bomb — wipes every enemy bullet off the screen and damages every enemy.
• ♥ Extra life — rare (and every boss drops one in co-op).

Upgrades (1 · 2 · 3)

Kills, gems and level bonuses earn credits ◆. The three buttons on the right show the price; they light up when you can afford them.

• 1 Guns (◆150 → 330 → 570 → 900 → 1350): faster fire → double shot → triple spread → faster bolts → plasma (centre bolt hits twice as hard).
• 2 Armour (◆120 → 270 → 480 → 750 → 1140): +1 HP per life each time (you start with 2), and patches up 1 HP straight away.
• 3 Life (◆450, then 720, 990…): one more life, up to 9.

Enemies

• Drones sway in formation and take pot-shots.
• Weavers sweep across the screen and shoot often.
• Divers (the V-shaped darts) break formation, swoop down and ram you — then loop round and come back. They dive more often as the levels go on.
• Shield-bearers carry a shield that has to be shot down first (and slowly recharges).
• Minelayers (the red stars) are tough and drop mines that burst into a ring of bullets — shoot the mines for a bonus.
• Bombers (from level 11) drift across the middle and drop missiles that fall towards your side and speed up — dodge them or shoot them down.
• Laser ships (from level 21) charge up: they glow brighter and start to flicker, stop moving, then fire a beam straight across to one side. Get out from under them before it fires!
• Bombers and laser ships come one or two at a time at first, up to five a wave in the later levels.
• Bosses (levels 5, 10, 15…): six different ones — the Hive, the Warden, the Mothership, the Manta, the Kraken and the Dreadnought — with homing missiles, aimed bursts, bullet rings and reinforcements. Watch the health bar.

Levels

Each level has a few waves. Later levels bring more enemies, faster bullets, more shots aimed straight at you and new enemy types. You can start a co-op game at level 6, 11 or 21 (with some credits to spend).

Music

Tap ♫ (or press M) to switch the soundtrack off or on — sound effects keep playing. The site's sound switch (🔊 at the top) turns everything off.

How the game ends

Duel: when one ship has no lives left. Co-op and solo: when everyone is out — your score and level go into your top 10 on this device.

Tips

• Buy guns early; armour pays off later when the screen fills up.
• Keep moving — aimed shots go where you are.
• In a duel, let the swarm wear your rival down and pick your moment.
• Save a bomb-sized gap: grab shields and slow-time before a boss.

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