Stick Rush — Play Free Online

Stick Rush is a wave-defence shooter where the enemies are a swarm of red stickmen and you are the one thing standing between them and your base. It comes from the developer EasyCats and mixes shooting with a bit of loadout management: you hold the line, earn the means to upgrade, and try to outlast one more wave than last time.

It is a very different kind of game from the hopping and bouncing that Doodle Jump is known for, but the pull is similar. Rounds are short, the goal is obvious, and every failed attempt leaves you with a specific idea about what to change. Anyone who comes here for a quick score chase will feel at home.

The game runs in the browser with nothing to install, on desktop as well as phones and tablets. It can be played alone, or on one computer with a friend.

How to play

Move with WASD or the arrow keys. You can also click and drag with the mouse to steer, which is the natural way to play on a touch screen. Press F to call the next wave, and press the spacebar to equip a weapon.

The weapons on offer include machine guns and rocket launchers, and you can upgrade your arsenal between fights. The core loop is simple: clear the stickmen, spend what you earn on better gear, then start the next wave. Because you decide when the next wave comes, you control the pace of each session.

Tips

• Keep moving. Standing still against a crowd is the quickest way to lose, so circle and shoot rather than hold one spot.
• Take a moment to finish upgrading and equipping before you press F. The next wave only starts when you ask for it, so that pause is free.
• Match your weapon to the situation. A machine gun suits a stream of single targets, while a rocket launcher is better when they bunch up.
• If you play with a friend on the same computer, split up the area so you are not both chasing the same enemy.

Similar games on Doodle Jump

If you like the shooting side, Day D Tower Rush is another game about holding a position against waves, and Bloons Tower Defense 2 is a slower, more strategic take on defence. For something that asks for reflexes without a weapon, Ovo 2 is a precise platformer. Doodle Jump itself remains the pick when you want a score-chasing game you can play with one hand.

Stick Rush suits short sessions with a goal of beating your own best wave, whether you play on a keyboard or by dragging a finger on a phone.