About Broadside
Broadside is an arcade shooter in the shape of the old top-down plane games, for children of about six to nine. You sail a 1700s wooden ship up the screen. The cannons fire on their own, so all you do is steer, by dragging anywhere on the sea. Round, big-eyed sea creatures come down at you, and some of them throw things. Every voyage ends with a sea monster: a kraken, a leviathan, a hydra, a dragon turtle, and a sea dragon to close each of the five seas. You can play it in this browser right now.
It is not in a store yet. It is coming to the App Store and Google Play, and until it arrives the browser version is how to play it. There is no download button on this page because there is nothing to download yet.
There are twenty-five voyages across five seas, from sunny shallows to a midnight sea, and each has its own scenery. Some are shoals, full of fish and easy doubloons; some are treasure voyages with chests to find; some have rows of rocks to steer between. Each has three stars: one for winning, one for rescuing every castaway, and one for sinking nearly every creature.
Twice a voyage you can fire a broadside: the ship swings side-on and both rails fire at once, clearing the water. Bonuses ride on the creatures' backs: more cannons, hearts, a powder keg for another broadside, two parrot wingmen, a bubble that takes a hit, and a magnet for doubloons.
Doubloons buy a stronger hull, heavier shot, more cannons and faster powder at the Shipwright, and paint for the hull, sails and flag. They are coins you spend on your ship, not coins you redeem. They are earned by playing and nothing else, they cannot be bought, they convert to nothing, and they never leave the game. They are not the coins in our reward apps, which come out as PayPal cash.
The seas come in three settings. Calm is for the youngest, Rough is the game as it is meant to be, and Stormy is for a child who has beaten it. A setting called Broadside to the rescue, on by default, fires a broadside by itself when a hit would sink your ship. The browser version has no ads and no analytics. Your progress is kept in this browser’s storage.
Screenshots
How it plays
- Steer. Drag anywhere on the sea, or use the arrow keys. The cannons fire on their own.
- Keep clear. Creatures and what they throw cost a heart. Red is only ever your own hearts, never something to dodge.
- Pick things up. Doubloons, bonuses on the creatures' backs, and three castaways to rescue on every voyage.
- Fire a broadside. The big button, or Space. You get two a voyage, and the ship cannot be hurt while it fires.
- Sink the sea monster. Its mouth glows before it throws, and a ball in the glow does double damage. Then spend your doubloons at the Shipwright.
Features
- Twenty-five voyages across five seas, each ending with a sea monster
- Steer and nothing else: the cannons fire on their own
- Two broadsides a voyage, and a setting that fires one to save your last heart
- Three stars a voyage, for winning, rescuing and sinking
- Four upgrades and a paint locker, bought with doubloons, never with money
- Calm, Rough and Stormy seas, and a left-handed layout
- No account and no purchases; no ads in the browser version
- Progress kept in this browser
Frequently asked questions
Can I get Broadside on the App Store or Google Play?
Not yet. It is coming to both. Until it lands, you can play it in this browser, free, with nothing to install.
Does Broadside pay me anything?
No. The doubloons in it are coins you spend on your ship, not coins you redeem. You earn them by playing and spend them at the Shipwright on upgrades and paint. They cannot be bought, they convert to nothing, and they are worth nothing outside the game. The apps that do pay are on their own page, at a published rate.
Who is it for?
It is built for children of about six to nine. The cannons fire on their own, so steering is the whole game. The creatures are round and friendly-looking, and nothing in it is locked behind a purchase or an ad: winning a voyage is the only key to the next. If it is too hard or too easy, the seas can be set to Calm, Rough or Stormy in Settings.
Is it violent?
Only in the cartoon sense: cannonballs at cartoon sea creatures, which tip over and sink. Nothing bleeds.
Does the browser version have ads?
No. The ad network has no browser version, so there is nothing to show. The store versions will carry a banner on the menus and optional videos for bonus doubloons, and nothing in the game will be behind one.
Does it save my progress?
Yes, in this browser. Voyages won, stars, doubloons, upgrades and paint are kept in the browser’s own storage, not in an account, so they do not follow you to another browser or device, and clearing your site data or using a private window loses them.
