Play Star Raiders Online

Game Overview

Star Raiders on the Atari 2600 throws you into the cockpit of a lone starship against waves of enemy fighters, cruisers, and those terrifying basestars. At first, the galactic map feels overwhelming—just a grid of numbered sectors—but once you spot the blips marking enemy positions, it clicks. Warp in, blast everything in sight, then jump out before they wear you down.

Your ship’s energy drains fast—every warp, every hit from enemy fire, even drifting too close to an asteroid chips away at it. Running on fumes? You can always bolt back to a starbase to refuel and patch up busted engines or shields, but that means leaving enemies unchecked. The real tension comes from balancing aggression with survival, especially when a basestar starts flooding the sector with fighters. Clear the galaxy, and the game grades your performance. Not bad for a 1980s space sim.