Tank Tussle A free top-down tank battle game with bouncing shells
Drive a toy tank, aim with your thumb and bank shells off the walls to outsmart bot tanks in 40 levels and an endless survival arena.
About Tank Tussle
Tank Tussle is a free top-down tank battle game you can play in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer. You drive a little blue toy tank around a small arena, aim your cannon and knock out the bot tanks before they get you. The twist is the shells: every shell bounces off walls twice before it fizzles out, and a bounced shell can hit you just as easily as it can hit them. Every level turns into a small geometry puzzle where the best shot is often not the straight one.
Two thumbs, one tank
On a phone, the left thumb is a floating stick that drives the tank and the right thumb aims. Drag to swing the cannon, and a dotted line shows where the shell will go, with a ring marking its first bounce. Let go to fire. A quick tap on the right side fires along the cannon as it is. On a computer, drive with W, A, S, D or the arrow keys, aim with the mouse and click to shoot. If you only use the keyboard, the cannon turns towards the nearest enemy for you and Space fires.
40 campaign levels and a survival arena
The campaign has 40 levels across three themes: a sunny meadow, hot desert dunes and a frosty winter yard. Each level has its own layout of walls, wooden crates and blue bumper walls. Crates break when a shell hits them, so you can open a new line of fire. Bumpers bounce a shell without using up one of its two bounces, which makes long bank shots cheaper. New enemies arrive slowly. Scouts are quick and light. Heavy tanks take three hits. Mortars lob shells over walls and mark the landing spot with a red circle. Mine layers scatter mines you can shoot from a distance. A boss waits at level 10, 20, 30 and 40, and each one has its own trick.
Finish a level to earn up to three stars: one for the win, one for losing no more than a single armour plate, and one for a spotless run. Survival mode throws wave after wave of bot tanks at you in one arena. Chain quick kills for a score multiplier, land bank shots for a bonus, and see how many waves you can last.
Fair, human-sized bots
The bots are meant to feel like clever players, not machines. They react a moment after you move, their aim wobbles, and they sometimes miss. Every level has been checked by a test that plays it with a casual, error-prone player. Your progress and best scores are saved on this device, and to your account when you are signed in.
How to play
On a phone, drag on the left half of the screen to drive. Drag on the right half to aim, watch the dotted line and its bounce ring, then let go to fire. A quick tap on the right fires along the cannon. On a computer, drive with W A S D or the arrow keys, aim with the mouse and click to fire; keyboard only, Space fires and the cannon aims at the nearest enemy. Shells bounce twice and can hit you. Crates break, bumpers bounce for free. Destroy every bot to clear a level. P or Esc pauses, M mutes.
Controls and devices
- Controls: Touch, Mouse, Keyboard
- Works on: phones, tablets and computers
- Screen: portrait orientation
- Price: free, no download or sign-up
FAQ
- Is Tank Tussle free, and does it work on my phone?
- Yes. It is free and runs in the browser on Android phones, iPhones, tablets and computers, with nothing to download. It plays in portrait with two thumbs.
- How do the bouncing shells work?
- Every shell bounces off walls twice and disappears on the third touch. A bounced shell can hit any tank, including yours. Blue bumper walls bounce a shell without using up a bounce, and wooden crates break and stop the shell.
- How do I earn three stars on a level?
- Win the level for one star, lose at most one armour plate for the second, and finish without losing any plates for the third. You can replay any level to improve your stars.
- What do the different enemy tanks do?
- Scouts are fast and fragile. Heavy tanks take three hits. Mortars lob shells over walls and show a red circle where they will land. Mine layers drop mines that go off when you drive over them, but you can shoot a mine from a distance. Bosses guard levels 10, 20, 30 and 40.
- How does Survival mode score?
- Each tank you destroy scores points that rise with the wave number. Kills within three seconds of each other build a multiplier up to times four, and a kill with a bounced shell scores half again. Your best score is saved.
- Is my progress saved?
- Yes. Your stars, unlocked levels and best survival score are saved on this device, and to your account when you are signed in.
Credits
- Game design, code, art and sound: Playora Games