Awesome Tanks

Original name:
Awesome Tanks
Date published:
February 2012
Date modified:
May 2026
Technology:
Flash (Emulated)
Platforms:
Browser (Desktop)
Awesome Tanks

Awesome Tanks is a fast-paced top-down tank shooter where you battle through 15 maze-like levels, destroy enemy tanks and bases, collect coins, and upgrade your combat tank into a true machine of destruction.

In Awesome Tanks, you control a tank from a bird's-eye view as you navigate dark, maze-like maps with one simple goal: eliminate every enemy tank, turret, and base on the level. As you move, only a small circle of visibility surrounds your tank — so every step forward carries a hint of risk, revealing new enemies and corridors lurking in the shadows.

Every enemy destroyed and every crate smashed drops coins, which you spend between levels on tank upgrades and new weapons. The classic campaign features 15 progressively harder levels: the deeper you push, the more enemies, the more turrets, and the heavier the fire raining down on you.

Tank Combat: Coins, Barrels, and Health Packs

Combat revolves around the constant interplay of movement and firepower — you're always rolling across the arena, blasting enemies, scooping up coins, and doing your best to dodge return fire.

Along the way you'll find crates that explode into showers of gold, and red explosive barrels you can detonate near clusters of enemies to take out several at once.

Rush in too fast and charge into a crowd, and your tank's health will drain in seconds — so grabbing health packs and ducking behind walls to wait out a barrage is essential. Even in the early levels, the game teaches you to keep moving: hang back and just spam shots, and you'll get overwhelmed by sheer numbers before you know it.

Upgrading Your Tank and Weapons

Between levels comes the best part — the upgrade screen. With the coins you've collected, you improve your tank across several stats: armor makes you tougher, speed helps you dodge incoming shells, and enhanced visibility expands the lit area around your tank so you can spot enemies and spawners earlier.

The real star of your progression is your arsenal. You start with a minigun — fast-firing with unlimited ammo — and can upgrade it up to 5 levels, boosting damage and fire rate. From there, new weapons unlock:

  • a shotgun that fires a spread of projectiles, perfect for clearing enemies at close range;
  • a ricochet gun whose shells bounce off walls and hit enemies around corners;
  • a heavy cannon that, once upgraded, frequently one-shots weaker enemies.

In more advanced versions of the game — including the mobile version — you'll also encounter other weapon types: rockets, a laser, a flamethrower, a railgun, a blaster, and more. These appear on enemy tanks and become available for purchase, turning your tank into an even deadlier force.

Every weapon has multiple upgrade tiers, and mission by mission you can feel your tank transforming from a fragile rookie into a heavy war machine.

Enemies, Levels, and Escalating Difficulty

The campaign in the original Awesome Tanks spans 15 levels, and each one pushes you harder than the last. Early on you face basic tanks; then faster, more armored units start appearing alongside stationary turrets that lock down the corridors, and spawner bases that keep pumping out enemies if you don't take them out first.

In the expanded versions — Awesome Tanks and Awesome Tanks Mobile — you'll encounter a whole roster of special enemies: tanks armed with rockets, lasers, flamethrowers, and railguns, plus kamikaze units that try to blow themselves up right next to you.

This adds a real tactical layer — against these threats you need to keep moving constantly, use walls as cover, make smart use of long-range weapons, and pre-detonate explosive barrels before enemies reach them.

Tactics and the Fog of War

One of the game's defining elements is the fog of war and the limited circle of visibility around your tank. You never see the whole level at once, which forces you to advance carefully — peeking around corners, listening for gunfire, and reading the battlefield through tracer rounds and muzzle flashes in the dark.

In newer entries in the series, another tactical layer is added: stealth through bushes and trees. Hide in green zones and enemies may not spot you right away, giving you the chance to creep closer and strike first — especially useful against tough tanks and bosses.

Extra Modes and Long-Term Replayability

Beyond the main campaign, the Awesome Tanks series offers several additional modes, especially in the mobile version and updated releases.

  1. Survival Mode — an endless waves mode where the goal is to hold out as long as possible and beat your own high score.

  2. Arena — procedurally generated levels with a fresh map and enemy layout every time, keeping you constantly on your toes.

  3. Level Editor — a built-in editor that lets you design your own maps and share them with other players, spawning dozens and even hundreds of community-made levels.

  4. Achievements — a system that rewards you for tackling levels in different ways and experimenting with various playstyles.

These modes keep the game compelling long after you've cleared the 15 main missions — whether you're chasing high scores, building and playing community levels, or experimenting with different tank builds.

How to play Awesome Tanks?

Shoot: mouse
Movement: arrow keys, W, A, S, D Pause: P

What is Awesome Tanks about and what is the main goal?

Awesome Tanks is an arcade top-down shooter where you control a tank, destroy enemy tanks, turrets, and bases on each level, collect coins, and gradually upgrade your tank. The main goal is to complete all 15 campaign levels while surviving heavy enemy fire and smartly improving your armor, weapons, speed, and visibility.

How many levels are in Awesome Tanks and are there any additional modes?

The first part of Awesome Tanks features 15 main campaign levels, with the number and difficulty of enemies increasing at each stage. Extended and mobile versions include additional modes such as Survival, Arena, a level editor, and an achievement system, all of which add even more content to the game.

How does tank and weapon upgrading work?

After each level, you spend the coins you have collected to upgrade your tank's stats, including armor, speed, and visibility, as well as to purchase and upgrade different weapon types. Each weapon, such as the minigun, shotgun, ricochet, cannon, and others, has several upgrade levels that increase damage, fire rate, and overall usability in combat.

What types of weapons are available in Awesome Tanks?

You start with a basic minigun that has unlimited ammo and can be upgraded for increased damage and fire rate. As you progress, you unlock the shotgun, ricochet, and heavy cannon, while more advanced versions of the game also offer rockets, a laser, a flamethrower, a railgun, and other powerful options.

Is Awesome Tanks suitable for children and beginner players?

The controls are straightforward: you move the tank with one hand and aim and shoot with the other, and the core mechanics of shoot, collect coins, and upgrade your tank are easy to understand even for newcomers. That said, the difficulty increases as you advance through the levels, with new enemies and tactical challenges appearing along the way, keeping the game engaging for more experienced players as well.