---
title: "Defend Your Homes"
subtitle: "An 80s inspired shoot-em-up created for Homes.com, one of the top real estate sites in the US."
date: 2017-08-11T00:00:00.000Z
category: game
url: https://phaser.io/news/2017/08/defend-your-homes
site: Phaser - https://phaser.io
copyright: © 2026 Phaser Studio Inc. All rights reserved.
---

# Defend Your Homes

*An 80s inspired shoot-em-up created for Homes.com, one of the top real estate sites in the US.*

![image](defend-your-homes1.png)

Merix Studio worked with Homes.com to create a cross-device game similar to the pixel-based games of the 70s and 80s. Over several months they created not only the look and the vibe of a retro gaming experience but also a functioning, fun & challenging game that fully engaged its players.

"In early 2016 we started working on a project with Homes.com, one of the top real estate search engines in the United States that provides advertising and marketing services to help real estate professionals connect with homeowners, buyers, and sellers. Their goal was to capture interest around Sci-Fi Summer blockbusters while entertaining and educating consumers on the various locations around the US.

![image](defend-your-homes2.png)

"Homes.com wanted their game to connect with the 80’s generation, a key home buying group. This audience remembers such generation-defining 8-bit video games like Space Invaders, Caterpillar, or Pac-Man. Since familiarity is a key when developing games, we wanted to use simple controls that mirror arcade machines. Our designers faced the challenge of capturing the retro style while introducing brand messaging and key client-requested features. The final result included original pixelated objects, simple controls (on both desktop & mobile devices) and 8-bit soundtrack as a tribute to the 80’s classics."

You can play the game and also read their technical case study on their site. The case study alone is a fantastic piece of work and surely an inspiration for how game case studies should be done!

[Play Game](http://www.merixstudio.com/case-studies/space-invaders/)

---

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