COLDHIVE

Free to play in your browser. Just hit Run game. Tips are optional.

COLDHIVE is a first-person shooter set in a dark neon arena. The hive wakes up in waves, and you hold the room with a six-shell pump shotgun. Closer is stronger. Skitterers rush you, spitters keep their distance and fire on the snare, brutes are slow and knock you back, and a crystal boss arrives every fifth wave.

There is no gore. Hits throw sparks, and dead aliens dissolve into light. The drum and bass is synthesised live and gets heavier when the fighting starts. Cells drop shells and health, and quick kills build a score multiplier.

Controls

• Move: W A S D. Look: mouse (click the game to capture the mouse). The arrow keys also look.
• Fire: click (Space also fires). Reload: R. Sprint: Shift.
• Pause: Esc. The game also pauses if you click away or switch tabs.
• Mute: M, or the speaker button.
• Gamepad: sticks move and look, RT fires, X reloads, Start pauses, A starts and retries.
• Phone: left thumb moves, drag on the right to look, hold FIRE to shoot, RLD to reload.
• On phones, open in Safari or Chrome and turn sideways.

This game has muzzle flashes, bright hit effects and screen shake. Set Effects to reduced on the title or pause screen to turn off the screen shake and weapon kick and cut back the particles. Brightness has five steps (1 to 5) on the same screens if the arena is too dark or too bright for you.

If you enjoy it, a small tip helps keep these coming.