Pixel Arcade
About this game
Moon Lander is a physics game with one objective: put the craft down gently. Gravity pulls you down continuously, your engine pushes in whatever direction the lander is pointing, and nothing else affects your motion. There is no drag, so every burn you make is permanent until you cancel it with another burn.
Rotate with left and right, thrust with up or space, and on touch use the rotate buttons plus the throttle. The instrument readout shows altitude, horizontal speed, vertical speed and remaining fuel, and learning to read the two speed numbers instead of watching the ship is the difference between crashing and landing.
The terrain scrolls to reveal several landing pads of different widths. A wide pad is a safe two-times multiplier; the narrowest ledge can pay five times as much, which makes the game a constant negotiation between greed and fuel. Score is based on the pad multiplier plus the fuel you did not burn, so a clean efficient landing on a medium pad often beats a desperate one on a hard pad.
The approach that works: kill your horizontal speed high up, then descend almost vertically with short, regular taps of thrust rather than one long burn near the surface. Gravity landing simulations were among the first arcade games to reward patience over reflexes.
FAQ
What counts as a safe landing?
Low vertical speed, low horizontal speed and a near-upright angle, all at the same time. Two out of three is a crash.
Why do I keep drifting sideways?
Because sideways momentum never goes away by itself. Cancel it early with a short angled burn, not at the last second.
Is there a fuel bonus?
Yes. Fuel left in the tank at touchdown is converted into points.
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