Star Swarm: a free shoot-'em-up with twikoi's creatures

What is Star Swarm?

Star Swarm is a free vertical shoot-'em-up (a bullet-hell-lite) made entirely of twikoi's drawings. You fly one of her winged creatures up five skies, from Strawberry Morning to Starry Ink.

You shoot by yourself, so all you do is move: drag anywhere on a phone and your creature flies just above your finger. Only the small white dot in its middle can be hit, so you can squeeze through gaps that look impossible.

Every sky ends with a boss, one of her biggest drawings, with phases of bullet patterns: falling water, heart-shaped rings, spirals of her ink stars and a staring eye beam.

How to play

Drag anywhere to fly (arrow keys or WASD on a computer, Shift to fly slowly). Your creature shoots by itself.
Only the white dot in your middle can be hit. Bullets brushing past it are a graze: points and chain.
Catch a bubble to change your shot: star spread, laser of hearts or homing planets. Ink drops fill your power bar.
Press BOMB (or X / Space) to clear every bullet on screen. You get fresh bombs every life.
Kills and grazes in a row build a chain up to x8 on every point. Fruit is worth more the higher you catch it.
Shoot a boss's dashed ring (its weak point) for extra damage, and beat a phase without being hit for a big bonus.

Features

Five skies, each with its own creatures, music, a mid-boss and a boss made from her biggest drawings.
Three shots that grow to power 4, helper drones, bombs, grazing and a x8 chain multiplier.
Eight ships to unlock with stardust, each one of her winged creatures with its own shot and perk.
A Hangar of upgrades, three difficulties (Gentle has an auto-bomb), a harder second loop and a practice mode for every sky.
22 goals that unlock her illustrations as postcards.
A practice flight that teaches you by playing, and a saved run you can continue later.

Modes, levels and unlocks

The five skies: Fly from Strawberry Morning to Starry Ink, with three continues. Your run saves at the start of every sky.
Daily score attack: One sky, one ship and one twist a day, the same for everyone. Three lives, no continues: then share your score.
Practice: Replay any sky you have reached to learn its patterns.

Tips

Watch the white dot, not the drawing: the rest of your creature can overlap bullets safely.
Small, slow moves beat big swerves. On a computer, hold Shift to fly slowly through tight gaps.
Fly up to the top of the screen when it's quiet: every fruit and ink drop flies to you.
Just got hit? Press bomb straight away and you can still save the life.
Gentle difficulty sets off a bomb by itself when you're hit: a good way to learn the bosses.

Who will like Star Swarm?

Star Swarm is for anyone who likes arcade shooters: easy to start (you only move), with real bullet patterns to learn in the later skies.

It is also for fans of twikoi's art: her creatures are the ships, the swarm and the bosses, and the end screens link to each one on her site.

Questions

Is Star Swarm free?

Yes. Star Swarm is free to play in your web browser. No sign-up, no ads. Stardust is a prize from your flights: it unlocks ships and upgrades and can't be bought.

Does it work on phones?

Yes. It is made for phones first: drag anywhere and your creature flies just above your finger, it shoots by itself, and there is a big bomb button for your thumb. On a computer use the arrow keys or WASD, Shift and X.