Spacewar! – Play the 1962 Space Battle Game Online
Pilot your rocket, dodge the sun's gravity and outmaneuver your AI rival in Spacewar!, the legendary 1962 space battle game. Free to play in your browser, with keyboard and touch controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do you play Spacewar!?
Steer your rocket around the central sun and destroy your opponent before they destroy you. Turn left or right, thrust to accelerate, and fire torpedoes — but remember the sun's gravity pulls on your ship, your torpedoes and your rival alike. Hit your opponent to win the round; the first to five round wins takes the match.
What are the Spacewar! keyboard controls?
Use A/D (or left/right arrows) to rotate, W (or up arrow) to thrust, and Space or J to fire torpedoes. Press H to jump into hyperspace when you are in trouble — you only have a limited number of jumps per round. On mobile, use the on-screen joystick and buttons.
Can I play Spacewar! alone?
Yes. This online edition is designed for single players: choose a rival difficulty — Rookie, Captain or Legend — and battle the computer. A local two-player mode may be added later; the original 1962 version was a two-player game, and you can try the authentic PDP-1 recreation at masswerk.at.
When was Spacewar! created and on which computer?
Spacewar! was written in 1962 for the DEC PDP-1 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It ran on the PDP-1's oscilloscope-style display and is widely regarded as one of the very first digital video games.
Is Spacewar! the first video game ever made?
Spacewar! (1962) is often described as the first influential digital video game, but a few earlier projects such as Tennis for Two (1958) and the cathode-ray tube game by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann (1947 patent) predate it. Spacewar! is best described as the game that defined the genre and inspired the arcade era.
Can I play Spacewar! on my phone or tablet?
Yes. The modern edition works on touch screens: use the on-screen joystick to rotate and thrust, then tap Fire and Hyperspace buttons. The game runs entirely in your browser — no download or installation is needed.
Is Spacewar! free to play?
Yes, it is completely free, with no registration and no downloads. The 1962 game is in the public domain; our playable online edition is free for everyone.
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Explore Game Details
About Spacewar!
Spacewar! is one of the earliest digital video games, born on the PDP-1 computer at MIT in 1962. Two needle-shaped rockets duel around a star whose gravity bends every orbit, every torpedo and every escape attempt. Our modern edition keeps that authentic two-ship duel — now with smart AI rivals you can fight on your own.
Spacewar! was conceived in 1961 by Martin Graetz, Stephen Russell and Wayne Wiitanen, and first realized on the PDP-1 in 1962 by Stephen Russell, Peter Samson, Dan Edwards and Martin Graetz, together with Alan Kotok, Steve Piner and Robert A Saunders. Two spaceships, controlled by rotation, thrust and fire, circle a central sun under Newtonian gravity. Ships can fire torpedoes and jump into hyperspace to escape. The original version is in the public domain, and this credit paragraph accompanies all distributed versions of the program.
Spacewar! is a pure test of orbital intuition: plan your gravity slingshots, manage your fuel, time your torpedoes and decide when to risk a hyperspace jump. Quick rounds and clear scoring make it easy to pick up, while the physics keep every match fresh.
