Blastem

Blastem was one of those straightforward action games from the Flash era. You would find it on a gaming portal, load it up in your browser, and get right into the action without much setup. It had a simple premise that fit the quick-play style common at the time.

You control a stationary turret, using your mouse to aim and fire at waves of mutant animals moving across the screen. Your main goal is to stop them from reaching the escape point; if too many get through, the game ends. Each type of mutant is worth a different amount of money when destroyed, which you can then spend between rounds to upgrade your weapon's firepower or rate of fire. The pacing is relentless, with each wave introducing more and faster enemies, pushing you to manage your targeting and economy under pressure. It feels like a tense, focused test of your aim and quick decision-making.