Fernhawk GamesIn Balloon Defense, a toy rocket sits at the bottom of the field, and a crowd of floating balloon creatures drifts above. Pop every balloon in the wave before the creatures reach the hedges. They drop blobs of paint on you as they go, so you must dodge as well as shoot.
How to play
You steer the rocket left and right along the bottom, and you fire upward.
- On a phone or tablet: slide your finger along the field to move the rocket. Tap the field to shoot, or hold it to keep shooting. The big arrow buttons and the Fire button work too, and there is an Auto-fire switch if you would rather only steer.
- On a computer: use the arrow keys (or A and D) to move, and press Space to shoot. Hold Space to keep shooting.
The balloons drift sideways as a group, and at the edges they step down towards you. They also drop blobs of paint. If a blob touches the rocket, you lose a life.
Hedges stand between you and the balloons. They stop the paint, but each leaf wears away as it is hit. Your own shots fly straight through the hedges, and a shot can also pop a blob of paint in the air.
Clear all the balloons in a wave to move to the next one. Clear the last wave to win. Balloons nearer the top of the group are worth a little more, and you get a bonus for each wave you clear.
The levels
- Easy: 3 waves, 5 lives, and slow balloons with plenty of time to aim. The hedges grow back whole between waves.
- Medium: 5 waves and 3 lives, with more balloons and more paint. The hedges grow back between waves.
- Hard: 6 waves with quicker balloons, and paint that sometimes aims at you. Worn hedges stay worn.
- Expert: 8 waves of fast balloons and plenty of paint. The hedges do not grow back.
Today's game
There is a Medium game each day, with the same waves for everyone. If you leave halfway, the game is saved on this device.
Tips
- Pop the lowest balloons first. They are the ones that reach the hedges, and they are the ones whose paint is closest to you.
- Wait under a hedge when a lot of paint is falling. It will block the blobs and wear away rather than hit you.
- Do not rush. Aim, fire, and move back to a safe spot. The balloons move at a steady pace, so there is rarely a reason to hurry.
- Hold the fire button or use Auto-fire if a long press is easier than many taps. Many shots in a row can clear a column quickly.
- Shoot the paint. A blob popped in the air cannot hurt you, and it earns a couple of points.
- Clear whole columns when you can. A narrow group of balloons has fewer places to drop paint from.
- On Hard and Expert, some blobs are aimed at you. When one is heading your way, step aside early rather than at the last second.
Questions
What are the hedges for? They block paint. Each leaf wears away when it is hit, so they do not last forever.
Can my shots go through the hedges? Yes. Only the paint is stopped by them.
How many lives do I have? 5 on Easy and 3 on the other levels.
What if I only want to steer? Switch on Auto-fire and the rocket shoots by itself.