Awesome Tanks

Awesome Tanks – Destroy Enemy Bases and Upgrade Your Tank

Awesome Tanks is a top-down tank shooter where you move through maze-like battlefields, destroy enemy tanks and spawners, collect coins, and attack the enemy base to complete each level. Movement and turret aiming are controlled separately, allowing you to retreat or circle around cover while continuing to fire. Coins earned during combat can then be spent on stronger weapons, armor, visibility, and other tank improvements.

The original Awesome Tanks was developed by EmitterCritter and released in January 2012. The game contains 15 levels, with each stage increasing the pressure on your tank and making smart use of upgrades more important.

How Awesome Tanks Gameplay Works

Each level places you inside a compact combat arena filled with walls, enemy vehicles, tank-producing structures, coins, and a hostile base. You control the tank body with the keyboard while the turret follows the mouse, so driving direction and firing direction do not need to match.

Your objective is to eliminate the threats blocking your progress and destroy the enemy base. Defeated enemies and objects can provide coins, which become the currency for improving your tank between stages.

This creates a simple progression loop: survive the arena, collect as much money as possible, finish the objective, upgrade your tank, and enter a tougher level.

How to Play Awesome Tanks

1. Enter the battlefield carefully: Explore the nearby area without rushing deep into unexplored sections where several enemies may be waiting.
2. Aim with the mouse: Point your turret toward enemy tanks while continuing to move independently.
3. Fire while moving: Avoid remaining stationary during fights because enemy tanks can quickly surround or hit a motionless target.
4. Destroy enemy tanks: Remove hostile vehicles before pushing farther into the map.
5. Target enemy structures: Destroying tank spawners can reduce the number of additional enemies entering the battle.
6. Collect coins: Gather money from the battlefield so you can purchase useful upgrades.
7. Destroy the enemy base: Complete the level objective after dealing with the major threats around the map.
8. Upgrade your tank: Spend earned coins before beginning another stage.

Awesome Tanks Controls

The original browser version supports both WASD and Arrow Key movement. Aiming and firing use the mouse, while keyboard shortcuts let you switch between unlocked weapons.

• W, A, S, D: Move your tank.
• Arrow Keys: Alternative movement controls.
• Mouse: Aim the turret.
• Left Mouse Button: Fire the selected weapon.
• Spacebar: Switch weapons.
• Q / E: Cycle between available weapons.
• 1–6: Select a weapon directly with its number key.

Coins and Tank Upgrades

Coins are important because your tank does not remain at its starting strength throughout the campaign. Money collected during levels can be invested in upgrades including armor, weapons, visibility, and other performance improvements.

Armor helps you survive more enemy fire. Weapons improve your offensive options, while visibility lets you see farther into unexplored sections of the battlefield.

Visibility can be particularly valuable because seeing enemy positions and spawners earlier gives you more time to attack before driving into their effective range. Coolmath specifically recommends improving visibility so distant tank spawners can sometimes be destroyed before their vehicles become a larger problem.

Why Moving While Shooting Matters

One of the most important skills in Awesome Tanks is learning to control movement and aiming simultaneously. Since the mouse handles the turret separately from the keyboard-controlled tank body, you can drive in one direction while firing somewhere else.

This makes several useful maneuvers possible. You can reverse away from an enemy while continuing to shoot, circle around a wall while keeping your turret on a target, or move sideways through open space instead of waiting for an incoming projectile to reach you.

Standing still removes this advantage and makes your position easier for several enemies to attack at once. Coolmath's gameplay guidance also emphasizes staying mobile during combat.

Use Walls and Corners as Cover

The levels are built from enclosed arenas rather than completely open battlefields. Walls can therefore become part of your defense.

If several tanks are firing from the same direction, move behind a solid obstacle and approach the fight from another angle. You can also use corners to limit how many enemies have a direct line of fire at the same time.

Instead of charging into a room containing several hostile tanks, try to draw one enemy toward your position and fight it near cover before exposing yourself to the rest of the group.

Enemy Spawners Should Be High-Priority Targets

Some battlefield structures produce additional enemy tanks. Leaving these spawners active means you may continue fighting new vehicles even after destroying the tanks that were initially present.

When a spawner can be attacked safely, destroying it early reduces future pressure. Higher visibility can help here because you may discover and attack certain spawners before driving directly into their surrounding area.

Do not sacrifice your tank just to reach one, however. Clear nearby threats first when the path is heavily defended.

Fifteen Levels of Tank Combat

Awesome Tanks contains 15 levels. Later stages continue the same movement, shooting, coin collection, and upgrade loop while demanding better use of the equipment you have purchased.

Because upgrades persist into later battles, inefficient spending can make progression harder. A player who purchases only offensive upgrades may deal heavy damage but struggle to survive, while spending everything on defense can make enemy bases and tanks slower to eliminate.

Try to identify what is currently stopping your progress and invest accordingly instead of purchasing upgrades simply because they are available.

Awesome Tanks Tips

Keep Moving While Firing

Use independent turret aiming to attack without stopping your tank. This is particularly important when several enemies are firing because movement makes incoming shots easier to avoid.

Increase Visibility Early

A larger visible area helps you identify threats and structures before driving directly toward them. It can also create opportunities to destroy tank spawners from farther away.

Collect Coins Before Leaving a Safe Area

Coins determine how much you can improve your tank. Once nearby threats have been removed, pick up accessible money instead of immediately rushing into another fight.

Attack Spawners Before They Produce More Problems

If you can safely reach an enemy spawner, destroying it can reduce the number of tanks you need to fight later in the level.

Use Corners to Reduce Incoming Fire

Walls and narrow passages can prevent every nearby enemy from attacking simultaneously. Fight from positions where only one or two tanks have a clear shot instead of exposing yourself in the middle of an open area.

Upgrade the Part of Your Tank That Is Holding You Back

If you are being destroyed quickly, more armor may be more useful than another offensive purchase. If you are struggling to see threats before they reach you, visibility may provide greater value.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Standing still during firefights: You lose one of the biggest advantages of independent movement and aiming.
• Driving blindly into unexplored areas: Multiple enemy tanks or spawners may be waiting beyond your visible range.
• Ignoring coins: Missing currency reduces the number of upgrades available for later stages.
• Leaving tank spawners active: They can continue adding enemies to the battlefield.
• Buying only damage upgrades: Armor and visibility can be just as important when survival or awareness is the real problem.
• Using only one weapon after unlocking more: The game provides dedicated weapon-switch controls so you can change your offensive option when necessary.

Awesome Tanks vs Awesome Tanks 2

The original Awesome Tanks establishes the series' core formula: 15 top-down battle arenas, coin collection, multiple weapons, tank upgrades, independent movement and aiming, and enemy-base destruction. Awesome Tanks 2 keeps that structure while introducing a completely new set of 15 maps and expanding the upgrade system.

If you are starting with the series, the first game provides the original progression curve and mechanics before the sequel expands them.

Similar Games on YaloGames

If you enjoy armored combat, shooting, upgrading equipment, or clearing enemy-controlled arenas, these related titles are available on YaloGames.

• Steel Legion
• Tiny Arena
• Veck.io
• Rocket Fortress
• Fortress Clash

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the objective of Awesome Tanks?

You control a tank, destroy hostile vehicles and structures, collect coins, and destroy the enemy base to complete each level.

How many levels are in Awesome Tanks?

The game contains 15 levels.

What are coins used for?

Coins let you upgrade your tank, including improvements to weapons, armor, visibility, and other capabilities.

How do you switch weapons?

You can switch weapons with the Spacebar, Q and E, or the number keys 1 through 6 in the original browser version.

Who developed Awesome Tanks?

Awesome Tanks was developed by EmitterCritter. Kongregate lists the original release in January 2012.

Clear Every Battlefield in Awesome Tanks

Awesome Tanks combines fast top-down shooting with an upgrade system that rewards efficient combat and careful coin collection. Keep moving while your turret stays on target, use walls to reduce incoming fire, destroy enemy spawners before they produce more tanks, and spend your earnings on the upgrades that solve your current weakness. Surviving all 15 levels depends as much on positioning and upgrade choices as accurate shooting.