Astro Explorer

How to play Astro Explorer

1. Run with A / D or the arrow keys and jump with Space or W. Hold jump to go higher.
2. Swing the energy blade with J or X; hold ↑ to strike upwards. In mid-air, hold ↓ and swing to bounce off aliens and spikes.
3. Blade hits charge the blaster (K or C). Stand still and hold ↓ to turn 3 energy into an armour plate.
4. Each planet hides an ability capsule: double jump, then dash (L, Shift or V), then wall-cling. New moves open up secrets.
5. Light the rest beacon to repair your suit and spend star dust on armour, blade and blaster upgrades. Every fifth planet is a guardian’s lair, then a treasure vault.
6. On a phone, use the stick to run and aim, plus the JUMP, BLADE, BLAST and DASH buttons.

Controls: A / D or ← → run · Space / W jump · J or X blade · K or C blaster · L, Shift or V dash · ↑ ↓ aim · hold ↓ to heal · on touch: stick + JUMP, BLADE, BLAST, DASH.

💡 Cracked rock can be broken with the blade, and there’s always something behind it.

Press P to pause and M to mute. Works on desktop, tablet and phone.

Levels, bonus rounds and scoring

Astro Explorer is game 29 of 42 on Quick Play Arcade, in Zone 5 · Beyond (Ultra difficulty). Every game is open to everyone; the zones are the recommended order, and playing all six games of a zone completes it.

• Every level is a little faster than the last, with something new every few levels.
• Every 5th level is a bonus round: no way to lose, a timer and lots of points. Clear it to unlock a checkpoint you can start from next time.
• Chain hits quickly to raise your combo multiplier.
• Make the top 20 and type a nickname to go on the public leaderboard — no account needed. Boards reset daily and weekly.
• One game a day is the Daily Challenge: the same layout for everyone, with its own board. Play today's Astro Explorer challenge.

Looking for this zone's Golden Egg? It is hidden in Vault of Stars, the zone's Legends game.