Play Spacewar Online
Two pixel ships circle a hungry star, drifting wildly as you wrestle momentum to land that perfect torpedo shot—mess up and you're space dust. That clunky 1962 physics somehow makes every match feel like a desperate dogfight.
Spacewar, released in 1962 as part of the MS-DOS Classic Games collection, was originally developed by Steve Russell and his team at MIT. It arrived in an era when computing was just beginning to open up to interactive entertainment, running on hardware that seems impossibly limited by today's standards. This was a game made by programmers, for programmers, and it shows in its elegant, no-frills approach to simulation and competition.
You control one of two simple spacecraft, represented by white outlines, locked in combat around a central star with a strong gravitational pull. Your main objective is to destroy the other ship by firing torpedoes while avoiding collisions with the star or your opponent. Key mechanics include managing your ship's limited fuel and thrust to navigate, timing shots carefully due to the slow projectile speed, and using the star's gravity to slingshot around the screen. The pacing is tense and deliberate; a single mistake can send you spiraling into the star or leave you defenseless. It feels like a raw, tactical duel where every small decision carries weight.
Each game uses different controls, most DOS games use the keyboard arrows. Some will use the mouse , "Alt" ,"Enter" and "Space bar".
Download Spacewar ROM
You can download this ROM to play Spacewar offline using an MS-DOS emulator (Top Emulators).
*This ROM is provided for backup and educational purposes only.
