How to play updraft (and why short taps beat long holds)
updraft is a free one-button game you play in the browser. A small drone flies through a cave that never ends. You have one control, and the cave keeps getting narrower and faster until you touch something.
No download, no account, no app. It runs on a phone on a bad connection, and it keeps working with the network switched off.
The rule, in one sentence
Hold anywhere (or hold Space, W or the up arrow) to climb, let go to fall, and fly as far as you can without touching a wall or a block.
Your score is the distance you covered, in metres. The first hold starts the run, so take a breath before you press.
Why short taps beat long holds
The drone does not move up at a fixed speed. Holding pushes it upward, and that push keeps building until you let go. Releasing does the same thing in the other direction. The drone always carries the speed you gave it.
That is why a long hold is the most common way to die. By the time the drone is where you wanted it, it is still travelling fast, and it overshoots into the ceiling. A short tap nudges it and lets it settle.
The climb is also deliberately a little stronger than the fall. A hold answers quickly, and a release gives you a moment to think. Most good runs are a steady rhythm of short taps with an occasional longer hold for a steep climb.
Read the cave ahead, not the drone
The drone sits near the left edge of the screen so you can see the cave coming. Everyone sees exactly the same amount of cave ahead, on a phone or a wide monitor, so nobody gets an advantage from a bigger screen.
Watch the walls a short way in front of the drone and aim for the middle of the gap there. If the cave is bending upward, start climbing early. By the time the wall is next to you, it is too late to change direction cleanly.
When you pass close to a wall you will hear a scrape. It is a warning, not a crash, and it gets louder the closer you are.
Blocks, and why there is always a way past
After the first stretch, blocks start to appear in the middle of the cave. They are glowing slabs, and touching one ends the run like a wall does.
Every block is placed so there is always a way past, above it or below it, with room to spare. The cave never generates a dead end. If a block looks impossible, the way through is on the other side of it, and you need to commit to that side early.
The three levels
- easy — a wide cave with a gentle climb and fewer blocks. Good for learning the rhythm.
- normal — the real cave. It narrows as you go, and blocks appear in the middle. This is the default.
- hard — starts narrow, gets narrower, and moves fast.
Every level speeds up the further you go, and every level narrows until it reaches its tightest width. Each level has its own personal best and its own leaderboard.
The daily cave and challenge links
Daily mode gives everyone in the world the same cave for each level, based on the UTC date. Your first daily flight on each level is the one that counts. Later flights that day are marked as practice.
After any run you can press challenge a friend. It shares a link to the exact cave you just flew, with your distance attached. Whoever opens it flies the same cave and sees the distance they need to beat.
Frequently asked
Is this like the old helicopter game? Yes. It is the same one-button cave-flying idea that game made popular years ago: hold to rise, let go to drop, and see how far you get. The cave, the drone, the blocks, the levels and the scoring here are all our own, and the cave is built so that it is always passable.
Why do I keep hitting the ceiling? Because you are holding too long. The drone keeps the upward speed you gave it, so a long hold carries it past where you meant to stop. Let go earlier than feels natural, then tap to hold the height you want.
Is there always a way past a block? Yes. Every block leaves an open path above or below it that is comfortably wider than the drone. If you hit one, it was a timing problem rather than an unfair cave. Pick your side as soon as the block appears.
Is the daily the same for everyone? Yes. The daily cave comes from the UTC date and the level, so every player gets the same cave on the same day, whatever their time zone. Your first flight on each level is your scored run.
How do I challenge a friend to the same cave? Finish a run and press challenge a friend. The link carries the cave and your distance. When your friend opens it and picks the same level, they fly the exact same cave and their result screen shows the distance to beat.
Where updraft sits
updraft is the portfolio’s game about touch: how little input it takes to keep something steady. Its siblings test other kinds of nerve. graze is about how close you dare let a shot pass; deadband is about not overcorrecting; filter is about asking better questions; overload is about spending a limited hand; closure is about which move you are forced to make next; tint is about the cost of correction; and bridge is about blocking and winning with the same move.
Every one of them is free, runs in a browser, and works offline.