Shootz — Play Free Online

Shootz is a browser shooter from the Action & Shooting section of the catalogue, credited to the developer No Power-up. You steer your character around the screen and use the mouse to aim, so the game is about positioning and accuracy rather than the single-button timing that defines the platform jumpers this site is known for.

It loads straight in the browser with nothing to install, which suits a quick break between longer games. If you came here for Doodle Jump and want something where you decide where to point rather than only where to land, this is a reasonable change of pace.

How to play

Move with the arrow keys or WASD, and aim and select with the mouse. On a phone or tablet, the game uses taps and swipes instead, so you do not need a keyboard to try it.

The basic rhythm of a shooter like this is to keep moving, line up the cursor on a target, fire, and avoid standing still in the line of incoming threats. The exact enemies, weapons and stages are best discovered by playing the first few minutes, since the game explains itself on screen.

Tips

• Keep one hand on the movement keys and the other on the mouse from the start; switching grip mid-fight is where most early mistakes happen.
• Aim ahead of a moving target rather than directly at it, and favour short, controlled movement over big sweeps that make your aim harder to hold.
• On a touch screen, give yourself room for your thumbs and play in landscape if the page lets you, so your hands do not cover the action.

Similar games on Doodle Jump

Doodle Jump is the headline game here and is all about climbing upward with tilt-style steering. Bloons Tower Defense 2 is a strategy game where you place defences and watch them work, while Fireboy and Watergirl is a puzzle-platformer that rewards co-operation. Shootz sits apart from all of them because the mouse does the aiming.

It suits short sessions on a desktop or laptop best, though the touch controls mean a phone works too.