Frequently Asked Questions

The basics

Is Alpha Shot free to play?

Yes. Alpha Shot is free to play in your browser with no download, no installer and no purchase. There is nothing to buy in the game — every weapon, upgrade and item is earned by playing. The site is supported by advertising.

Do I need to create an account?

No. You can play immediately without signing in. Signing in with Google is optional and exists so your progression and leaderboard entry follow you between devices and survive clearing your browser data.

Does Alpha Shot work on phones and tablets?

Yes. On touch devices you move with an on-screen virtual joystick and fire by tapping anywhere outside it, and the terminal gives you tappable letter tiles so no physical keyboard is needed. Both portrait and landscape are supported.

Which browsers are supported?

Any current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari or another Chromium-based browser. Alpha Shot renders with WebGL through the Phaser engine, so hardware acceleration should be enabled. There is no plugin and no Flash.

Progress and scoring

Where is my progress saved?

The first time you open the game an anonymous account is created for your browser automatically, and your Alphabucks, weapon levels and permanent upgrades are saved against it, with a copy cached locally for speed. That anonymous account lives in your browser's storage, so clearing site data cuts you off from it. Linking a Google account from the pause or settings screen attaches the same progression to a real account, which is what makes it survive a data wipe and follow you to other devices.

Which words does the dictionary accept?

Words are checked against a list of roughly 81,000 English words. Ordinary vocabulary works; proper nouns, abbreviations and most obscure competitive-Scrabble-only strings do not. Invalid submissions cost nothing except the seconds you spent typing.

How does the leaderboard work?

Each completed run submits its final score to a single global leaderboard. Nothing you can buy or watch affects your score — the optional post-round ad only doubles the Alphabucks currency you earned, never the score or your placement.

How long is a run?

As long as you keep the clock alive. A run is a single time trial with no lives and no continues: spelling valid words at the terminal adds time back, and the run ends the moment the timer reaches zero. Early runs tend to last two or three minutes; a strong run can go much longer. The strategy guide explains exactly how much time each word length returns.

Ads, privacy and support

Are there ads, and can I control them?

Yes — a banner unit beside or above the game, and one optional rewarded video offered after a run ends if you want to double that run's Alphabucks. Ads never appear on top of the play area. If you are in a region covered by consent requirements, the Privacy Settings link in the footer reopens your advertising consent choices at any time. See the privacy policy for the full detail.

How do I report a bug or suggest a feature?

Email support@alphashot.io with what happened, which browser and device you were on, and what you expected instead. Bug reports that include the browser and device are acted on much faster. The contact page has more detail on what to include.