Dash Masters

Dash Master is a 2.5D vertical platform game that is controlled with either the mouse or the keyboard. The keyboard is recommended for convenience and response time. Press the Spacebar to have your hero do a little hop either left or right upwards which alternates automatically and press the Up Arrow to dash straight upwards a short distance. The goal is to complete the mission objective while still trying to get as high as you can.

As your hero moves up the shaft, they'll encounter robots blocking their way. These robots can be destroyed by dashing up into them or destroying them with missiles. They can also be avoided by hopping around them. As you get higher, you'll encounter boss robots that block your way forward and require multiple hits to destroy. Each robot you defeat will earn you a few coins.

Both dashing and missiles have their own limitations. Missiles fire automatically, are unlimited, and home in on the nearest target, but take time to reload. Dashing consumes energy which is represented by a Lightning Bolt counter on the left side of the screen. One dash costs one bolt but can be refilled by collecting them in the shaft. You also have a health counter in the top right corner represented by hearts and when those run out, you'll need to restart or spend Power Cells to keep going. Hopping and using boost pads will let you ascend without expending resources.

The biggest threat is a horizontal orange laser that slowly moves up behind you. If it touches you, you'll be knocked out and you'll have to restart. The good news is that you can use the coins you get during and from completing missions to buy upgrades that improve your Health counter, your Energy counter, your Missile Reload speed, and your Coin Magnet. At the start of each run, you can also spend coins on boosters like shields and increased dash power.

Since hopping is the only free movement that you have, you need to use it rhythmically while managing your timing to maneuver upcoming obstacles. However, you want to make sure not to slow down as the laser chasing you moves much faster than you realize.