Is Robot Tank on Steam?

No. Robot Tank is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Robot Tank on?

Robot Tank is available on Atari 2600.

When did Robot Tank release?

Robot Tank was first released on December 31, 1983.

Robot Tank

Dec 31, 1983ShooterSimulatorArcadeAtari 2600

Robot Tank — frequently asked questions

Is Robot Tank on Steam?: No. Robot Tank is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Robot Tank on?: Robot Tank is available on Atari 2600.
When did Robot Tank release?: Robot Tank was first released on December 31, 1983.

About Robot Tank

There are numerous enemy tanks crossing the countryside, destroying everything in their path! Your job is to command a robot tank to stop them. Robot Tank is a first person perspective arcade style action game. There are twelve squadrons of tanks to destroy, each containing twelve tanks. Each time you destroy a complete squadron, you earn an extra reserve tank before moving on to the next, more difficult squadron. The game takes place twenty four hours a day; gameplay will alternate from early morning to mid afternoon to late at night. In addition to the constantly changing time of day, the weather can also change unexpectedly. Snow, rain, and fog will appear occasionally making it tougher to spot your targets. Luckily your tank is equipped with radar to help locate the enemy when visibility is poor. As your tank takes damage you will lose some capabilites, such as speed, the radar, or your canons. If your tank takes too much damage, it will be destroyed; the game ends when all of your reserve tanks are gone.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Activision
Publisher: Activision
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action, Warfare

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

Complete

$29

Sealed

$37

Label variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Blue Label	$8	$18	—

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Activision	Standard	AZ-028	Scarce
North America Activision	Blue	AZ-028	Scarce+
Australia HES	—	—	—

Also released in South America by Polyvox.

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1983
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

Alan Miller's first-person tank game, one of Activision's most impressive 2600 carts and still cheap.

Alan Miller wrote Robot Tank, and Activision published it in June 1983. It is a first-person tank shooter in the mold of Atari's Battlezone, and especially its 2600 port. Robot Tank adds systems that can be damaged separately instead of the tank always exploding when hit, and it has weather effects.

It was well reviewed: Computer and Video Games gave it 85% and AllGame 4/5. It was released only on the 2600.

How it was made

Written by Alan Miller and published by Activision in June 1983, with a PAL release in 1984.

What the press said at the time

AllGame		4/5
Computer and Video Games		85%
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games		3/4
Micro & Video		4/5
Computer Entertainer Vol. 2 No. 3	June 1983	Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★★
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 1 No. 11	September 1983	3 joysticks
Video Games Player Vol. 2 No. 2	November 1983	A

“Robot Tank is perhaps the finest target-arcade program ever developed for the 2600.”
— Electronic Games, November 1983

“ROBOT TANK is no exception: this is the best combat game yet for the Atari 2600 system. The changes of weather and time of day are inspired graphic touches that add a lot to the realism, too.”
— Computer Entertainer, June 1983

“On the surface, Robot Tank sounds pretty straightforward—search and destroy. … This is a good solid challenge for anyone looking for a different breed of shoot-em-up.”
— Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, September 1983

“"Excellent," "fantastic," and "incred- ible" are not good enough words to describe this Battlezone-done.”
— Video Games Player, November 1983

Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks. Video Games Player graded games like a report card, A+ down to C-.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 8 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

The 3-D guru. Electronic Games' November 1983 review called designer Alan Miller "The guru of rendering three-dimensional effects on the VCS".
1985 Arkie nominee. Electronic Games listed the VCS Robot Tank among its 1985 Arkie nominees.

Before you buy

Low risk; Activision carts of this period were made in quantity and are not reproduction targets. Two labels are priced: the standard cart and a Blue Label cart. Both are cheap loose, and the Blue Label is sometimes the cheaper of the two. Check which label the photos show if you are collecting variants.