Fly a small blue fighter through endless enemy waves, bounce capsules into upgrades and topple a purple boss each round.
Powerwing is a horizontal space shooter in which your little blue ship cruises over a line of dark mountains while enemy craft pour in from the right. You shoot your way through each wave, gather upgrades as you go, and then face a boss. The weapons you carry into that fight depend on how well you handled the capsules along the way.
How the capsules work
Roughly one enemy in five leaves behind a capsule when destroyed. Instead of grabbing it straight away, you can shoot it, and each hit makes it hop back up the screen. Most of the time it shows as a white bubble worth 100 points. Every few bounces, though, it lights up in one of six colors for a single bounce:
- Extra ship speed
- A second parallel gun
- A wide fan of bullets
- Missiles that seek targets
- A shield that lasts ten seconds
- One extra bomb
Fly into the capsule while it glows in the shade you are after. Keep shooting it and it stays on screen, so there is no need to settle for the first upgrade that appears.
Waves and enemies
Early waves bring basic fighters that fly in a straight line for 100 points and wavy flyers that bob up and down for 150. From the second wave, swoopers dive toward your height and pay 200. Armored tanks show up from wave three, take five hits each and pay 300. Enemies shoot back, and crashing into one costs a life.
Once you have downed 20 enemies and the screen is empty, a big purple boss arrives. Beat it to earn 2,000 points and four capsules, and the next wave starts with enemies appearing faster. The boss grows sturdier every round.
Staying alive
You start with three lives. Getting hit takes away your gun and speed upgrades along with the missiles, but any bombs you hold stay with you. Your ship then blinks for two seconds, giving you a moment to reposition.
Spread shot handles crowds well but fires a bit slower, while double shot is better against tank armor. Hold up to three bombs and save them for bosses, since each one hits every enemy in view for five points of damage. Grabbing the shield right before a boss lets you sit close and pour on fire for ten seconds. Early in a wave, hanging low near the left edge buys you extra reaction time against diving swoopers and tank fire.
Good to know
Esc pauses the action. Right-click also drops a bomb when you play with a mouse.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move the ship | Arrow keys or WASD | Hold the left button and the ship follows the pointer | On-screen direction pad |
| Shoot | Space or Z (hold for rapid fire) | Hold the left button | Fire button |
| Drop a screen bomb | X or B | Right click | Second or third button |
| Restart the run | R | — | — |
| Pause | Esc | — | — |
Powerwing FAQ
Does Powerwing run on a Chromebook or phone?
Yes. On a Chromebook keyboard, the arrow keys or WASD steer, Space or Z fires and X or B drops a bomb. With a mouse, hold the left button and the ship follows your pointer. Phones and tablets get an on-screen direction pad and round buttons, and gamepads work as well.
Is there an end to the game?
No. Waves keep coming, each faster than the last, with a boss that gains health every time. The run is over when you lose your third life, so the goal is a higher score. Your best is saved in your browser.
How long does a run usually last?
It depends on how well you dodge. Each wave ends with a boss after 20 kills, so a careful pilot can get through several waves and play for quite a while, while a reckless run ends much sooner. Press R to start again right away.
