Into Space
- Genre Skill games
- Players 1
- Session 5 min
- Price Free
- Updated
A bald scientist sits at his desk sketching a rocket, and a man in a blue suit appears with a speech bubble that sums up the deal: a rocket in orbit equals a trophy and a stack of money. That is the whole story of Into Space, a 2010 Flash game by Barbarian Games, and it is all the reason you need to press the big red Start button. Every launch is a numbered day. The rocket lifts off past a block of flats, climbs while the main engine burns, and drifts back down once the fuel gauge runs dry. On the way you can catch floating bonuses that pay cash, top up fuel or patch the hull, fly through boost gates for extra speed, and dodge whatever is up there; hitting an object damages the hull and a lightning strike from a storm cloud switches the engine off. The flight result sheet then pays you for altitude, collected money, checkpoints passed, achievements and flight time. That cash goes into a workshop with five upgrade rows, from a 160 coin hull to a 28,000 coin fuel tank, and the next day the rocket climbs a little higher toward the final goal marked at the top of the altimeter.
| Mouse move | Mouse mode: the rocket turns toward the cursor |
|---|---|
| Left click (hold) | Mouse mode: fire the side boosters |
| Cursor on the rocket | Mouse mode: bring the cursor close to the rocket to cut the main engine |
| Up or W | Keyboard mode: fire the boosters |
| Left / Right or A / D | Keyboard mode: steer |
| Down or S | Keyboard mode: switch the engine off, handy for tight turns |
| Esc | Pause the flight |
How to play Into Space
- Press Play under the loading bar, then New Game on the title screen and click through the short comic.
- Hit the red Start button. Three help cards explain bonuses, hazards and the dashboard; the last one asks you to pick mouse or keyboard control.
- Each day starts with a countdown. Steer upward, collect money bags and fuel cans, pass the yellow checkpoint lines on the altimeter on the right and avoid anything solid.
- When the flight ends, read the result sheet and press OK to open the workshop.
- Spend your money on Hull, Fins, Engine, Fuel tank or Booster upgrades, or on the three cheaper extras under the grid, then press Start for the next day.
Tips
- The first upgrade worth buying is a cheap one. Fins at 80 coins made our second flight noticeably steadier than the first.
- Boosters burn their own fuel, shown on the smaller gauge. Save them for the moment the main engine sputters instead of tapping them at the launch pad.
- A lightning strike cuts the engine, so give dark clouds a wide berth even when a bonus is floating right next to one.
- Checkpoint rewards and achievements are part of the payout, so a flight that reaches one more line on the altimeter can pay more than a longer, lower one.
Questions about Into Space
Who made Into Space?
Barbarian Games released it in 2010. This copy carries Not Doppler sponsor screens and runs in the browser through Ruffle, with nothing to install.
What is the black box on the result screen?
It is an empty space where the original release showed an advert. Nothing is broken; the OK button next to it takes you to the workshop as usual.
Is it mouse or keyboard?
Either. The game asks before your first flight: mouse steering with a click for boosters, or arrows and W A S D.
Does it work on a phone?
It is not built for touch. Mouse mode relies on the cursor hovering near the rocket, so play it on a computer.
