Supernova: The "Charon" Protocol

Mission briefing

Supernova: The "Charon" Protocol is a vertical space shoot 'em up where the screen floods with fire and you thread your ship between hundreds of bullets. The last fleet is making its run — and you are flying point. Fight through eleven sectors, from Earth orbit to the void rift. At the end of each one waits an enemy flagship: a multi-phase machine with turrets you can shoot off one by one and attacks of its own. It forgives one mistake. Never two. Between sorties there is the hangar. Pick your hull and your gun, add drones, a bomb bay and a wing of escorts, paint the ship your way and fly back stronger. Every credit you earn in battle goes into the next upgrade. Features - 11 sectors with their own skies, obstacles and enemy waves - 11 flagship battles against multi-phase bosses with turrets you can shoot off - 9 weapons that power up mid-fight: pulse, spread, laser, missiles, plasma, arc, wave, boomerang and railgun - A hangar with 6 hulls, drones, a bomb bay, an escort wing and 6 paint jobs - 20 medals and orders for skill, awarded right in the heat of battle - 3 difficulty levels and a two-player mode on one keyboard - Plays on desktop and mobile, progress saves automatically Clear the campaign and see what waits past the final sector.

Field manual

Survive the waves, shoot down the enemy flagship at the end of each sector and spend your credits in the hangar between sorties. PC Arrow keys or WASD = move The ship fires on its own (autofire is on; Space = fire when you switch it off) Right Shift = focus: half speed, hitbox shown / = bomb, clears enemy fire off the screen Hold the left mouse button = the ship follows the cursor P or Esc = pause M = sound on / off Two players on one keyboard Player 1: arrow keys, Space, Right Shift, / Player 2: WASD, F, Left Shift, Q Mobile / Tablet Drag anywhere on the screen = move (the ship follows the movement of your finger, not its position) The ship fires on its own Buttons on the left edge: pause at the top, bomb at the bottom; a fire button appears when autofire is off Every key can be remapped in Controls.

Launch orders: press Launch mission above and the game loads on this page itself — nothing downloads and no form stands between you and the first move. It is designed for a portrait (upright) screen and takes its orders from mouse, keyboard or touch, depending on the mission. It is built tall, for an upright screen — a phone held normally frames it best, though any window will run it. If it offers a fullscreen control, use it — a fight this size deserves the whole screen.

Field notes for shooting operations

• Short bursts beat long ones. Recoil, spread and plain panic all grow the longer you hold the trigger; three controlled shots land where one long spray writes poetry on the wall behind your target.
• Reload behind something. The reload animation is the most dangerous second in any shooter — spend it behind cover, mid-jump, or not at all if the magazine still has work in it.
• Sound is intelligence. Footsteps, reload clicks and distant fire tell you where the fight is before the screen does; play with the volume up and treat every noise as a map marker.

Supernova: The "Charon" Protocol — questions from the ranks

What does it cost to play Supernova: The "Charon" Protocol?

Nothing at all. The mission is free from the first order to the last — no sign-up, no download, no paid tier guarding the good levels. The advertising around this page is what keeps the board free.

What sort of mission is Supernova: The "Charon" Protocol?

Supernova: The "Charon" Protocol is filed in our Shooting theatre. Like every operation on this board, it is a browser game — read the briefing above for the publisher's own account of what you are deploying into.

Can I run Supernova: The "Charon" Protocol on a phone or tablet?

Yes. It plays in the browser on phones and tablets exactly as it does on a computer. It is built tall, for an upright screen — a phone held normally frames it best, though any window will run it.

Do I have to install anything before playing?

No installation of any kind. Supernova: The "Charon" Protocol is an HTML5 game: press the launch button and it loads on this page, and closing the tab leaves nothing behind.

After-action

Mission complete, or still pinned down? The full Shooting theatre is one click away — Trigger discipline optional, aim compulsory. Two hundred and thirty-one shooting operations, from arcade galleries to full online firefights, posted in roster order — the strongest files first.