1982

1982

Binary Zoo · June 28, 2017 · Free to Play, Retro, Pixel Graphics, Arcade, Action

1982 is free to play — no purchase needed. We track it so you know if that ever changes.

PC
Very Positive94% · 8071playing now
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →

Screenshots

1982 price

1982 is free to play — there is no purchase price, on Steam or anywhere else we track. We keep watching it, so if it ever stops being free the price history on this page will show when that happened and what it changed to.

About 1982

✦ AI summary

Blast through 50 levels of classic arcade action in this retro-inspired shooter where you chain kills for multipliers, catch power-ups for bonuses, and battle familiar early-80s enemies across three game modes. Master the risk-reward mechanics of killing, catching, or collecting dynamic power-ups that transform your ship's capabilities while managing a constantly-shifting score multiplier against relentless alien threats.

1982 is a FREE retro inspired blasta-thon that will test your gaming skills to the max.

The game was created using AppGameKit an easy, quick and powerful game development tool.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/325180/

1982 GAME MODES


  • Arcade - battle through 50 progressively difficult levels against some familiar early 80's home computer and arcade enemies.
  • Survivor - how many points can you score with only one life?
  • Time Attack - score as many points as you can in 3 mins. Unlimited energy, but each hit reduces your score multiplier

POWER-UPS - Kill, Catch or Collect



Each power-up has 2 uses, one when collected by the players ship and the other when shot and destroyed.
If you catch a power-up before it hits the ground then it's effect is increased. (ie. More energy is regained or lasers, rockets or shield last longer.) A successful catch is indicated by a heart.

Kill, Catch or Collect?

The 4 types and uses are as follows:

1. Energy Power-ups (green)
Kill - creates a large explosion
Catch or Collect - restore player energy

2. Laser Power-ups (red)
Kill - deploys a temporary horizontally firing laser turret
Catch or Collect - grants the player a temporary weapon increase

3. Rockets Power-ups (purple)
Kill - deploys a temporary rotating rocket launching turret
Catch or Collect - grants player a temporary rocket power-up

4. Shield Power-ups (cyan)
Kill - creates a temporary portal that destroys all enemy bullets
Catch or Collect - grants the player a temporary shield protecting against all impacts

SCORING



General
Each enemy kill is worth 1 pt x score multiplier.
The Score Multiplier is increased by filling the kill gauge on the left of the screen. To do this string a lot of kills together quickly. Failing to kill anything causes the gauge to drop.

Abductions...of Man & Multipliers
When a certain number of enemies reach the ground a Man will be abducted by a yellow saucer. As well as abducting Man the saucer takes x3 from your multiplier.

Kill the saucer and allow Man to fall safely to the ground and your x3 multiplier is returned.

The number of enemies reaching the ground needed to trigger an abduction reduces as your multiplier increases. High multipliers are hard to defend.

Coins
Many in game actions such as killing certain enemies trigger a coin drop. Pick up the coins for extra points (5pts x multi), catch them for a further bonus (10pts x multi). Caught coins are indicated by a heart.

Bonuses
Complete any of these in game actions to trigger a bonus coin drop...
  • Arcadia - Survive a level
  • Astro Blaster - get a new high multiplier for your current game
  • Major Havoc - trigger 2 Astro Blasters within 5 secs
  • Missile Command - have 2 remote missile launchers active at the same time
  • Laser Zone - have 2 remote lasers active at the same time
  • Bomberman - kill lots of enemies in an energy power-up explosion
  • Defender - stop any enemy reaching the ground for 30 secs
  • Repulsar - Ram an enemy with your shields
  • 2084 - rescue Man from the saucers 3 times in a row

If you like 1982 then checkout this other game made by Binary Zoo:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/338000/Echoes/

1982 — game info

Platforms
Windows
Steam Deck
Playable
Player modes
Single-player
Controller
Full controller support
PC Game Pass
Not included

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

Not recommended Aug 17, 2026
In 1982, we got masterpieces like Friday the 13th Part 3, The Thing, Poltergeist, Ms. Pac-Man, and the Commodore 64. In 2017, we got a boring ass game called 1982.
2 found this helpful
Recommended Sep 11, 2026
Go ahead, rot your brain with this arcade mashup. I have all these expensive games that I don't finish, but I will mindlessly shoot things for 181 hours. Crazy
Recommended Sep 2, 2026
Very cute game. Interesting take on some of the great games of the genre.
Recommended Aug 22, 2026
1982 is a retro-inspired arcade shooter that focuses on delivering a pure action experience built around fast reflexes, high scores, and constant improvement. Created by Binary Zoo, the game embraces the design philosophy of classic arcade titles by keeping the gameplay easy to understand while gradually increasing the challenge. Instead of relying on complex mechanics or a heavy narrative, it concentrates on creating an addictive shooting experience where every attempt encourages players to perform better than before. The gameplay revolves around controlling a spacecraft through waves of enemies while avoiding incoming attacks and searching for opportunities to gain advantages. The structure is simple but effective, with carefully designed encounters that test awareness, movement, and timing. As the difficulty rises, players need to recognize enemy patterns, manage their positioning, and make quick decisions under pressure. This creates the same type of satisfying learning curve found in traditional arcade shooters, where success comes from practice and mastery rather than excessive progression systems. A particularly impressive aspect is the power-up system, which adds more str…
Recommended Aug 21, 2026
1982 is a free retro inspired arcade shooter that feels like it was made specifically for me to pick up and start blasting without having to learn a huge amount first. I control a small ship while enemies fill the screen and I try to survive increasingly difficult stages. The whole thing has a strong early 80s arcade feel, with pixel graphics, familiar enemy ideas and a simple score chasing structure. It is very straightforward, but I think that is part of the appeal because I can get into a game almost immediately. The main Arcade mode gives me 50 levels to work through, and the difficulty keeps increasing as I progress. I like the way the game builds from relatively manageable stages into much more hectic ones because it gives me something clear to work towards. There are also Survivor and Time Attack modes, so I can switch things up when I do not want to simply work through the main levels. Time Attack gives me three minutes to score as much as possible, while Survivor gives me one life and basically asks how long I can keep everything under control. The power up system is probably my favourite part because I have to decide what to do with the things that appear on screen. Pow…
Not recommended Jul 4, 2026
kinda mediocre, just a space invaders game. i wouldnt exactly come back to it. echoes is more unique

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