Shooting guide
Archery Game Tips From 12 Test Shots on Level 1
Key takeaways
- Level 1 gives 6 arrows for 4 lanterns, so 2 shots can miss.
- A press and release without moving the mouse used no arrow in 2 tests; a slow drag fired in 2 of 2.
- Holds of 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 seconds all fired, so a long hold is not needed.
- With random aim, 1 of 12 shots hit a lantern: aiming matters more than speed.
The first archery game tip is to count your arrows before you shoot: level 1 of Lanternbow gives you 6 arrows for 4 lanterns, and in 12 test shots with random aim only 1 hit. We played level 1 in a test browser, watched the two counters at the top left and wrote down what each shot did.
How the game works
Lanternbow is a first-person archery game. You press and hold the mouse button to raise the bow, move the mouse to bring the small crosshair onto a paper lantern and release to shoot. The first counter at the top left shows your arrows and the second shows the targets left. On level 1 they start at 6 and 4.
Two runs of six arrows
We loaded level 1 twice and fired all six arrows each time without aiming at anything in particular, then read both counters after every shot. The arrows went down by one with every shot that fired. The lanterns only moved once.
| Shot | Arrows left (both runs) | Lanterns left, run 1 | Lanterns left, run 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 6 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
Twelve shots from one test browser are a small sample, not an average for every player.
Run 1 hit nothing and run 2 hit one lantern with its third shot. Both runs ended on a Level Fail panel with a home button and a retry button, because the arrows were gone while lanterns were still standing.
What makes an arrow fire
We also tested how a shot is triggered. A press and release without moving the mouse used no arrow in 2 of 2 tests. A slow drag of about 30 pixels over 0.6 seconds fired in 2 of 2 tests. Then we dragged and held for 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 seconds, and all five shots fired, taking the counter from 6 to 1. A long hold was not needed.
4 tips that follow from the numbers
- Count your spare arrows. 6 arrows for 4 lanterns leaves 2 misses. Once you have missed twice, every remaining arrow has to hit.
- Aim before you release. With random aim only 1 of 12 shots hit, so take the time to put the crosshair on a lantern.
- Drag a little while you hold. A press and release without moving did not shoot in our tests.
- Do not hold longer than you need. Holds from 0.4 to 1.0 seconds all fired, so a short, steady hold is enough.
Where to try it
Try it yourself in Lanternbow. If you like aiming games, Heatwave Sniper puts you behind a rifle scope and Rustwalker puts you in a mech cockpit.
Frequently asked questions
How many arrows does level 1 of Lanternbow give you?
The counter at the top left starts at 6 and the target counter under it starts at 4, so two arrows can miss.
Why did my click not fire an arrow?
In our tests a press and release with no mouse movement used no arrow. A slow drag of about 30 pixels over 0.6 seconds fired in 2 of 2 tests.
How long do you need to hold before you shoot?
We held for 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 seconds while dragging and all five shots fired, so a long hold was not needed.
What happens when the arrows run out?
A Level Fail panel appears with a home button and a retry button; in our two six-arrow runs the targets counter still showed 4 and 3.
Is aiming by chance enough to clear level 1?
No. In two six-arrow runs with random aim, 1 of 12 shots hit a lantern, and both runs ended on Level Fail.
Does Lanternbow work on a phone?
Yes, in landscape: touch and hold, drag to aim and lift your finger to shoot fired an arrow in our phone-sized test.