LET’S GET YOU
FLYING AGAIN.

The iPhone game is free on the App Store. Search for Starlight Ascendant, or use the App Store link on the home page. You can also play the original browser game now through the link at the bottom of this page.

Yes. The game is free to download and play. It has no energy, no timers, and no currency to buy. An ad can play between some waves. The one-time Supporter Pack removes ads.

No. The game plays fully offline and needs no account. With a connection, iCloud can sync your progress, and Game Center can record your achievements if you sign in.

The game is made for iPhone and requires iOS 18 or later. It uses a portrait layout and touch controls.

Touch anywhere and drag to fly. The ship follows your drag, so your thumb never covers it. Lift your thumb to stop. Your weapons fire on their own at enemies in range. Between waves, choose level-up upgrades and buy gear in the Workshop. Survive all 20 waves to win. A boss comes on the last wave.

The Vanguard, Gunship, and Corsair are ready from the start. A win at Ascension 0 to 5 unlocks the Scout, Cruiser, Merchant, Tempest, Carrier, and Phantom, in that order. Win with the Corsair for the Ironclad, then with the Ironclad for the Warden. Win a run with melee weapons only for the Harrier. Win with each of the original seven ships for the Prototype. Beat both bosses of Bellgrave, Cinderbloom, or Parallax Vault for the Ferryman, Botanist, or Surveyor. Ship Select shows what each locked ship needs.

Meridian Reach is open from the start. Win a run there to open Bellgrave. A win in Bellgrave opens Cinderbloom, and a win in Cinderbloom opens Parallax Vault.

Ascension is the difficulty level, from 0 to 5. A win at one level opens the next level for every ship. Each level adds a new threat, such as more enemies, elite waves, or both bosses at once on Ascension 5.

Assist settings are on the Ascension screen. Three sliders set enemy health, damage, and speed from 50% to 150%. A run with any slider below 100% unlocks nothing: no ship, item, world, or Ascension level.

Protocols are passive tools that you bring into a run. Each ship and each world teaches one. Clear 20 waves with a ship, or 40 waves in a world, to learn its Protocol. Equip Protocols on Ship Select. A Protocol has no drawback. Earn more achievements to get more Bandwidth for them.

The game saves checkpoints. Use Save & Title in the pause menu or the Workshop. To continue, select Continue on the title screen. If you save during a wave, that wave starts again from its beginning.

Open Records on the title screen. It has four tabs: Achievements, Recipes, Runs, and Stats. The Achievements tab also shows your fleet and which worlds are open.

The game has 226 achievements, and Records tracks all of them. Game Center is optional. Sign in from the Achievements screen to send 100 of them and your scores on 5 leaderboards to Game Center.

iCloud sync is on by default. It copies your progress and saved run to your other devices. Sign in to iCloud on your device. Use the iCloud sync switch in Settings to turn sync on or off.

Keep the app installed and contact support. Include your device model, game version, and what happened before the problem. Do not delete the app while we look into the issue.

Open Settings from the title screen or the pause menu. Music and sound effects each have a volume slider. Slide one to 0% to mute it. If you still cannot hear the game, check your device volume and audio output.

Turn off Auto aim in Settings. Most weapons then fire straight ahead. Missiles, sentries, and drones still seek their targets. The change starts with your next run.

The game contains flashing lights. Turn on Reduce motion in Settings to stop screen shake and decorative motion. You can also turn off haptics, damage numbers, and the ship health bar in Settings.

An ad can play when you start the next wave after wave 5, 10, or 15. You see at most two ads in a run and four in a day. Ads never appear in combat, on the death screen, or in your first run.

Buy the Supporter Pack to remove ads from the game. If you already own it, select Restore Purchase on the Supporter Pack screen or in Settings on the title screen.

No. The optional pack removes ads and adds a gold supporter badge to the build cards you share. It changes nothing in a run. It is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.

Select Restore Purchase on the Supporter Pack screen or in Settings. Use the Apple Account that made the purchase and connect to the internet. If the pack still does not appear, email support.