Moon Lander is a free online lunar landing game. It runs in your browser with no download or sign up, works on phones and computers, and keeps working offline once the page has loaded. Steer your little lander through low gravity and set it down gently on a landing pad.
Inspired by: Lunar Lander, the Atari arcade game from 1979.
How to play Moon Lander
- Rotate the lander with left and right.
- Fire the engine to slow your fall and move sideways. It uses fuel, so use short bursts.
- Aim for a landing pad. The x2 and x4 pads give bonus points.
- Keep DOWN speed, SIDE speed and TILT in green before you touch the ground.
- A soft, level landing on a pad earns points and sends you to the next level.
- A crash costs one of your three landers. Lose them all and the mission is over.
Controls
- Keyboard: Left and right arrows rotate. Up or Space fires the engine.
- Touch screen: Tap the arrows to rotate and hold the Thrust button to fire the engine.
Tips to score higher
- Slow your sideways speed first, then line up over the pad.
- Tap the engine in short bursts. Long burns waste fuel.
- Land with the lander almost upright. Even a small tilt can cause a crash.
- The smaller x4 pad is worth much more, but only try it when you have plenty of fuel.
- Watch the green and red numbers. They tell you if a landing is safe.
The story behind Moon Lander
The Lunar Lander idea began as a text game in 1969, when a student named Jim Storer wrote a program where you typed in how much fuel to burn on each second of descent. Atari turned it into a vector arcade game in 1979, with a rotating lander, thrust and landing zones with score multipliers. The landing of Apollo 11 in July 1969 inspired a whole generation to dream of the Moon. In India, many of us remember watching the Chandrayaan missions with the same held breath that Moon Lander gives you in the last ten seconds.
Questions players ask
Is Moon Lander free?
Yes. It is free to play with no sign up and no download.
What is a safe landing?
You need to touch down on a pad with a low downward speed, a low sideways speed and the lander almost level. The numbers on screen turn green when they are safe.
What do the x2 and x4 pads do?
They multiply the landing bonus. The x4 pad is smaller and harder to hit.
What happens if I run out of fuel?
The engine stops and you fall. Try to save a little fuel for the final touchdown.
Can I play on mobile?
Yes. Touch buttons for rotate and thrust appear below the game.