Play Scorched Earth online — free, instant Works — shareware release runs via DOSBox in your browser
Guide updated July 2026 · Runs via DOSBox + WebAssembly
Scorched Earth — Wendell Hicken's 1991 artillery game, self-described as "the mother of all games" and the direct ancestor of Worms and every turn-based tank game since. Up to ten tanks trade shots across a destructible landscape, buying increasingly ridiculous weapons between rounds. The shareware release is hosted here — click Play and it boots in your browser.
D-pad: aim & power · FIRE: space · TAB: weapons
⌨ Keyboard — for menus & name entry
Controls — what does what
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse |
|---|---|---|
| Aim turret | Left / Right arrows | — |
| Set power | Up / Down arrows | — |
| Fire | Space | Left-click |
| Cycle weapons | Tab | — |
| Menu / back | Esc | — |
| Sound | — | Use the Sound button under the screen to mute |
Runs in your browser tab with DOSBox + WebAssembly — nothing is uploaded. Click the screen to capture input; press Ctrl+F10 to release mouse.
How it works & what to expect
The original DOS release runs in a WebAssembly DOSBox build on this page. Set the number of players and computer opponents on the first screen — the AI difficulty levels have real personality, and "Cyborg" will punish you. Between rounds you spend winnings in the shop, which is where the game really opens up.
Playing tips
Wind is shown top-right and changes every round — reading it is most of the skill. Between rounds you spend winnings in the shop, which is where the game really opens up; the AI's higher difficulty levels have real personality.
Shareware — and buying it
Scorched Earth was distributed as shareware, and author Wendell Hicken's site whicken.com has hosted it for decades. If you enjoy it, the registration the game asks about is the author's own.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scorched Earth free to play here?
It's the shareware release, distributed freely by its author for over thirty years. The in-game registration prompts are the author's original ones.
What are the controls?
Left/Right aim, Up/Down set power, Space fires, Tab cycles weapons, Esc opens the menu. Watch the wind indicator — it changes every round.
How many players can play?
Up to ten tanks per battle, in any mix of humans and computer opponents. Hotseat multiplayer works on one keyboard.
Does my progress save?
Settings and scores persist in this browser between visits, best-effort.
