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Defender cover art

InstallSource port

Defender

1981 · Arcade

Get it on GitHubHow to play

Doesn't play in a browser tab yet: it plays on your own device. Opens github.com in a new tab. Follow it to see on your home page when it comes out, or plays here.

On your device

Install

A build to download from the project and run on your device.

  • Falcon

    By therealsark0213 stars on its repository

    Releases

    Source port

    Latest release v1.02, Aug 17, 2025Code last updated Aug 17, 2025License: BSD-2-Clause

    How to play
    1. Download a build from the project's release page: its files say which systems they run on.
    2. The project's page says what it needs from your own copy of Defender, if anything.
    3. Launch it.

Build from source

The project publishes its code and no build: you build it as its README says.

  • Defender-Source-Code

    By AaronBottegal11 stars on its repository

    Source

    Decompilation

    Code last updated Jan 8, 2022

    How to play
    1. There is no build to download: get the code from the project's repository.
    2. Build it as its README says. What the build gives, a program to run or the original game rebuilt for an emulator, is written there too.
    3. The project's page says what it needs from your own copy of Defender, if anything.

From SubmitGame's list, read Oct 21, 2026, with releases, stars and licenses as each project's repository gives them. The steps are the same for every project of a kind: its own page has the details.

Under the hood: every project behind it, its license and code, how they connect, and who made them.

News

All news
  1. Release · Aug 17, 2025Falcon v1.02, and 2 more since Apr 17, 2025

About

Defender is an arcade video game developed released by Williams Electronics in 1980. A shooting game featuring two-dimensional (2D) graphics, the game is set on a fictional planet where the player must defeat waves of invading aliens while protecting astronauts. Development was led by Eugene Jarvis, a pinball programmer at Williams; Defender was Jarvis's first video game project, and drew inspiration from Space Invaders and Asteroids. Williams planned to display the game at the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) trade show, though development delays resulted in the team working on the game up until the show started. Defender was commercially successful, selling over 55,000 units to become the company's best selling arcade game. Praise among critics focused on the game's audio-visuals and gameplay. It is frequently listed as one of Jarvis's best contributions to the video game industry, as well as one of the most difficult video games. Defender was ported to numerous platforms, inspired the development of other games, and was followed by sequels and many imitations.

Description from IGDB.

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