Centipede
Centipede is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade game developed by Atari, co-designed by Dona Bailey, one of the industry's few early female programmers. Players use a trackball to move a shooter around the bottom of a mushroom-filled field, blasting a segmenting centipede that snakes downward, along with spiders, fleas that drop new mushrooms, and scorpions that poison them.
The game's frantic pace, distinctive trackball control, and vibrant pastel color palette made it a huge arcade success and one of the era's most popular titles among a broad, mixed-gender audience. Shooting a centipede's middle splits the creature into independent halves, so the field grows increasingly chaotic as mushrooms accumulate and multiple enemies converge on the player at once.
Centipede endures through arcade compilations and retro re-releases, spawned a sequel in Millipede, and its trackball-driven gameplay is still fondly remembered as a landmark of the golden age.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Centipede, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Centipede: Recharged
€ 8,99Atari's official modern remake, with power-ups, challenges and local co-op.
Centipede: Recharged runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Nova Drift Indie
€ 16,99An indie arcade roguelike shooter with slick, evolving builds.
Nova Drift runs on PC, Mac, Switch. Not available on Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox. It is Steam Deck Verified.
Devil Daggers Indie
€ 7,15A pure survival arena where waves close in from every side, distilled to one weapon and a leaderboard.
Devil Daggers runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
€ 39,99A superb collection including Centipede and dozens of Atari classics.
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Sign in or create an account to add an alternative or vote.