Orbital Salvage — free online Arcade game
Fly a salvage tug through a storm of debris and drones: your guns fire themselves, you dodge, collect scrap and pick upgrades to last three minutes.
Orbital Salvage is a free online arena shooter you can play in your browser with no download and no sign-up. You fly a little salvage tug: drag anywhere on the screen and the ship follows your finger's movement, or use the keyboard, while its guns fire at the nearest target by themselves. Clear drifting debris, homing drones, lines of fast mites, circling divers, turrets that keep their distance and heavy hulks that break apart, and pick up the scrap they leave. Every level gives you a choice of three upgrades from twenty, from faster and heavier guns to orbiting blades, chain lightning, mines, a shockwave, homing missiles and a shield, so every run builds differently. Choose one of four ships, from the fast Skiff to the tough Hauler, and survive three minutes as the storm grows. Play random runs, or the daily run where everyone gets the same debris and the same upgrade offers.
Quick start
- Press Start Game, pick a ship (the Tug is a good first choice) and press Launch.
- Drag anywhere on the picture: the ship follows the movement of your finger or mouse, so it never sits under your finger. WASD or the arrow keys work too.
- Your guns fire at the nearest target on their own. Keep moving, stay clear of anything that comes close and fly over the gold scrap it leaves.
- When the scrap bar at the top fills up, choose one of three upgrades. Survive three minutes to complete the salvage run.
How to play Orbital Salvage
- Anything that touches your ship damages the hull (the green bar); the run ends at zero. After a hit you blink for a moment and cannot be hit again.
- Six kinds of wreckage and drones join over time: drifting debris, homing drones, lines of fast mites, circling divers that suddenly dive at you, turrets that keep their distance and shoot, and heavy hulks that break into debris.
- Destroyed enemies leave scrap. Fly close and it is pulled in; each level needs a little more.
- Each level offers three upgrades out of twenty: gun upgrades (fire rate, damage, extra bolts, piercing, range), helpers (thrusters, hull plating, magnet, repairs, scrap value), special weapons (orbiting blades, chain lightning, mines, a shockwave, homing missiles, a rear turret, a shield) and modifiers (ricochet, critical hits, overdrive).
- Upgrades stack up to a maximum level, so a run can lean into one weapon or spread out. A ship short of hull is offered plating and repairs more often.
- The four ships differ: Tug is balanced, Skiff is fast with two light guns, Hauler is slow and tough with heavy piercing shots, Lantern starts with an orbiting blade.
- Score comes from wrecks, scrap and time, with a bonus for surviving three minutes. The daily run gives everyone the same enemies and upgrade offers for the day.
Controls
- Fly: drag anywhere on the picture (finger or mouse), or WASD / arrow keys
- Shoot: automatic, at the nearest target
- Choose an upgrade: tap a card, or press 1, 2 or 3
- Fly again: Fly Again button or Enter
Tips
- Circle the arena rather than backing into a corner; enemies arrive from every edge.
- Collect scrap between waves: an early level or two makes the middle of the run much easier.
- Spitters keep their distance: close in on them or dodge sideways when they fire.
- Area weapons like the shockwave and orbiting blades shine when crowds build up; the main gun upgrades deal with tough hulks.
- Hull plating heals as well as adding hull, a good pick when you are low.
Frequently asked questions
How do I win?
Survive three minutes. The run is then complete and you get a bonus to your score.
Do I have to aim?
No. The guns and special weapons fire on their own. Your job is to move: dodge, collect scrap and choose upgrades.
What is the daily run?
A run made from the date: everyone who plays that day meets the same enemies and is offered the same upgrades at each level. The best daily score is kept until the next day.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. Drag anywhere with one finger; the ship moves with your finger's movement, so your thumb never covers it.
Is Orbital Salvage free?
Yes. It is completely free to play in your browser, with no download, no account and no in-game purchases.