Computer Space
Computer Space is a 1971 space combat arcade video game. Created by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in partnership as Syzygy Engineering, it was the first arcade video game as well as the first commercially available video game. Computer Space is a derivative of the 1962 computer game Spacewar!, which is possibly the first video game to spread to multiple computer installations. It features a rocket controlled by the player engaged in a missile battle with a pair of hardware-controlled flying saucers set against a starfield background. The goal is to score more hits than the enemy spaceships within a set time period, which awards a free round of gameplay. The game is enclosed in a custom fiberglass cabinet, which Bushnell designed to look futuristic.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA, read 5 September 2026.
SimulationFirst-Person Shooter
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- Released
- 1971
- Developer
- Nutting Associates
- Platforms
- 1 systems
- Critics
- Not scored
- Steam Deck
- Unknown
- Download
- Not stated
The record
| First released | 1 November 1971 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nutting Associates |
| Publisher | Nutting Associates |
| Platforms | Arcade |
| Genres | Simulation, First-Person Shooter |
Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q1122324, seeded 30 August 2026.
How long is Computer Space? How long to beat it
Total play time for Computer Space is about 0.2 hours to do everything, and around 0.1 hours to reach the end of the main story. These are player-submitted times from HowLongToBeat, not our own, shown with the number of players behind each.
| How you play | Hours | Players logged |
|---|---|---|
| Just the main story: straight through the critical path | 0.1h | 2 |
| Main + the extras: story plus the side content most people do | 0.1h | 2 |
| Completionist: everything: 100% the game | 0.2h | 2 |
Source: HowLongToBeat community submissions, read 2026-10-19.
Where Computer Space sits on the grid
The grid places every game in the catalogue on measured axes rather than on an opinion. This is where Computer Space lands on each map it has the data for, with the share of the catalogue it beats on each axis.
- Year
- 14ahead of 0% of the catalogue
- Reach
- 45ahead of 84% of the catalogue
Percentiles are against the games that carry a reading on that axis, not the whole catalogue: counting a game with no figure as a zero would flatter everything that has one. How the grid works.
What readers say about Computer Space
Reviews written by people who have played it. These are separate from the GamingPickz Score and are never averaged into it: that score comes from thousands of Steam reviews with a sample-size correction, and a handful of unverified ratings would distort it rather than improve it.
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Where Computer Space appears
The ranked lists and finder pages Computer Space qualifies for, from its own genre and platform to what it takes to run.
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Common questions about Computer Space
What platforms is Computer Space on?
Computer Space is available on Arcade. It first released in 1971.
Who made Computer Space?
Computer Space was developed by Nutting Associates and published by Nutting Associates.
How long does it take to beat Computer Space?
about 0.1 hours for the main story, 0.1 hours with the main extras, 0.2 hours to complete everything, from HowLongToBeat's player-submitted times. These are community medians, so your own run may be shorter or longer.