SPACEWAR!
A faithful web recreation of the 1985 DOS game by Bill Seiler, itself based on the 1962 original.
The Project
SPACEWAR! is a web-based recreation of Bill Seiler's 1985 DOS adaptation of the legendary 1962 Spacewar! — one of the earliest video games ever made. The original ran on a PDP-1 at MIT; Seiler brought it to IBM PCs with CGA graphics.
This version preserves the amber monochrome aesthetic and gameplay mechanics while making the game accessible in any modern browser. No plugins, no downloads — just pure vanilla JavaScript and HTML5 Canvas.
Features
CGA Amber Aesthetic
Authentic DOS-era monochrome visuals
1P & 2P Modes
Play against AI or a friend
Full Arsenal
Phasers, photon torpedoes, cloaking, hyperspace
Energy Management
Balance shields, weapons, and propulsion
Toroidal Space
Wrap-around screen edges like the original
Retro Sound FX
Web Audio API synthesized sounds
Demo Mode
Watch AI ships battle with authentic attract screens
Zero Dependencies
Pure JS, no frameworks, works offline
Technical Details
The entire game lives in a single ~2700-line JavaScript file. Key technical decisions:
- HTML5 Canvas for all rendering — ships, projectiles, stars, UI
- Web Audio API for synthesized sound effects with ship-specific frequencies
- RequestAnimationFrame game loop with delta-time physics
- Parametric animations with easing functions for smooth effects
Game mechanics were reverse-engineered from the original 1985 DOS binary to match energy costs, damage values, and physics constants exactly.
The Original (1985)
Screenshots from Bill Seiler's 1985 DOS version, used as reference for this recreation.
Tech Stack
Ready to Play?
Experience the game that started it all — in your browser, right now.
Launch SPACEWAR!