Scrap Smash tips: clear the platform in fewer shots

Scrap Smash is a slingshot brawler on a round junkyard platform hanging over a canyon. Pull back, let go, and knock every machine and bit of junk off the edge. It's a free physics game in your browser with no download, and it is very hard to play just one level.

The basics

Put a finger down anywhere and drag back. You aim the opposite way, and a longer drag means more power. While you aim, time slows right down, so there's no rush. Let go and your machine shoots off, bounces off rivals and junk, and slides to a stop. Anything that leaves the platform falls into the canyon and bursts into bolts.

Clear the platform in par shots or fewer for three stars. Careful near the rim: from level 4 you can fall off too. You get two free recoveries per level, but each one you use takes a star off the top.

Seven tips from the garage

1. Chain your knock-outs. Each knock-out in the same shot pays more than the last. The second pays double, the third triple. One messy shot beats three tidy ones.
2. Go for trick shots. A rival knocked off by something you hit, not by you, pays 50% extra. Five knock-outs from one launch is a RAMPAGE!
3. Barrels go boom. Fuel barrels explode on a hard hit and set off their neighbours. Aim at the barrel next to the rival, not the rival.
4. Use less power near the edge. Overshooting costs a recovery and a star. Zippy, the dune buggy, gets a free bounce off the rim on every shot, which helps a lot.
5. Hit bosses from behind. Bosses are armoured until you land three hard hits on the weak spot at the back. Circle round first.
6. Pick up the leftovers. Loose bolts stay on the floor until you drive near them. A Magnet upgrade, or Trash Panda the garbage truck, hoovers them up.
7. Buy Weight against rammers. A heavier machine gets pushed around less, which matters a lot on oil and salt.

Machines worth chasing

You start with Rusty's pickup, the Rustbucket: no tricks, all heart. Blueprints unlock the rest. Dozer plows everything in a wide arc. Tow Hook yanks the nearest rival in after it stops. Big Wheels hops and stomps out a small shockwave. Hot Rod is the fastest thing on the platform and leaves a flame trail. Each machine has its own Engine, Bumper, Weight and Magnet upgrades.

Six places to smash

The tour runs from Junkyard Canyon through the Rust Refinery, Dust Storm Flats, Bolt Bazaar and the Thunder Cage to Salt Flats Speedway, with a boss every tenth level. Big Bruno, Tanker Tess, The Drillworm, The Auctioneer, Cage King and The Convoy each need a different trick. After level 60, the endless Wasteland Tour begins.

Puzzle level? Missing the shot target only costs stars. Take your time and line it up.

More to play

Like physics chaos? Try Ring Ramp, where you build the jump yourself, or browse the Arcade shelf. The wrecks you make here get fixed in Scrap Pit.