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HOW TO PLAY

MASTER GRAVITY · REACH YOUR DESTINATION

The Basics

Gravitydrift is a physics-based puzzle game. Your ship sits in space, surrounded by planets whose gravity will pull it in every direction. Your job is simple: get the ship to the glowing destination ring.

To launch, click and drag the ship backwards — just like a slingshot. The further you drag, the faster your ship will travel. Release to fire.

Think of it like a real slingshot: pull back, aim, release. The planets do the rest.

Once your ship is in flight, you cannot steer it. Every launch is a commitment. Observe where the planets are, think about how their gravity will bend your path, and aim carefully before you let go.

Gravity

Every planet in the game exerts a gravitational pull on your ship. The closer your ship flies to a planet, the stronger the pull. Heavier planets (denser types) pull harder than lighter ones at the same distance.

Gravity is both your obstacle and your tool. A well-aimed trajectory can use a planet's gravity to curve your ship around corners, gain speed, and reach angles you couldn't hit with a straight shot. This technique — used by real spacecraft engineers — is called a gravity assist.

Fly too close to a planet and you will crash. Learn to thread the gap between "useful pull" and "fatal attraction".

Checkpoints

Some levels include checkpoint rings placed along the route. You must pass through every checkpoint ring before the destination ring counts. Checkpoint rings glow a distinct colour; the destination ring glows bright.

If you reach the destination without hitting all checkpoints, nothing happens — your ship just passes through. Retrace your steps and plan a path that hits them in order or in any order, depending on the level design.

Force Fields

Certain levels feature force field barriers — dangerous electromagnetic barriers that will destroy your ship on contact. They appear as glowing lines or arcs stretched between anchor points.

There is no way to survive a force field hit. Plan your trajectory to fly around them, or use a planet's gravity to curve your path safely past.

Planet Types

Planets come in nine types, ranging from light rocky worlds to exotic collapsed stellar remnants. The heavier and denser the planet, the stronger its gravitational pull.

White Planet

The lightest world. Minimal gravitational pull. Good for gentle course corrections.

Grey Planet

A small rocky world. Slightly more pull than white. Useful for subtle bends.

Blue Planet

Earth-like. Moderate, reliable gravity. The baseline around which most levels are designed.

Green Planet

A denser world. Noticeably stronger pull. Begin to respect the margin when flying close.

Yellow Planet

A gas giant analogue. Strong gravity. Great for large-angle redirects but easy to crash into.

Red Planet

Very dense. Powerful gravitational field. Approach with caution and give wide berth.

Red Star

An intense stellar body. Massive gravity well. Can slingshot you across the entire screen if used correctly.

Neutron Star

Extreme density in a tiny body. The visual target is very small, but the gravity is immense. One of the most dangerous objects in the game.

Black Hole

The most massive object in the game. A tiny visual target with overwhelming gravity. Fly anywhere near one and you will be captured. Mastering black hole levels separates beginners from experts.

Controls

Mouse

Click and hold on your ship, drag backwards in the direction opposite to where you want to launch, then release. The drag vector is shown as a line while you hold.

Touch

Tap and hold your ship, drag backwards, release. The same drag indicator appears. Works on phones and tablets in both portrait and landscape orientation.

The further you drag, the faster the launch. Short drag = gentle nudge. Long drag = high-speed trajectory.

Scoring & Rating

There is no time limit or shot counter in Gravitydrift. You are free to attempt a level as many times as you like without penalty. The challenge is purely in finding the correct trajectory.

Once you successfully reach the destination, you are invited to rate the level from 1 to 5 stars. Your rating helps other players find the best community-created levels. Ratings are completely anonymous — no account is required, and your rating is linked only to a random identifier stored in your browser.

Single Player

From the main menu, select Single Player to access two modes:

Saved Maps — browse levels created by the community. Filter by difficulty, sort by rating or newest. Each level shows its average star rating and play count.
Generate — instantly create a random level at your chosen difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard, or Very Hard. Generated levels are unique every time and are not saved unless you choose to publish them via the editor.

Multiplayer

Select Multiplayer from the main menu to play with friends in real time. Up to 8 players can join a single room.

Create Room — generates a unique 4-letter room code. Share this code with your friends.
Join Room — enter the 4-letter code to join an existing room.
The host selects the level and starts the game when everyone is ready.
All players launch simultaneously. You can see other players' ships in flight.
First to reach the destination wins. Results are shown at the end with finish positions for all players.

Multiplayer rooms are ephemeral — they exist only while players are connected. There is no account system required.

Level Editor

Select Editor from the main menu to build your own levels from scratch.

Place planets of any type anywhere on the canvas.
Set the ship start position and destination ring.
Add optional checkpoints and force fields.
Use Test Mode to play your level in real time without leaving the editor.
Undo and redo are supported.
When you are happy with your level, save it — it becomes publicly available in the Saved Maps browser for all players.

Saved levels can be updated or deleted at any time from the Saved Maps page.

Tips

Swing wide around heavy planets. The edge of a gravity well can redirect your ship dramatically without pulling you in. Aim to graze the outer atmosphere, not the surface.
Chain gravity assists. Plan trajectories that use two or three planets in sequence — each one redirecting you closer to the goal.
Aim at the planet edge, not the center. Heading straight at a planet is almost always a crash. Aim just past it to let gravity curve you around.
Use slow launches for precision. On tight maps with multiple force fields, a short drag gives you more control over the curve of your path.
Study the flight path preview. While dragging, the line shows your initial trajectory. But remember — planets will bend it once you're in flight.
On neutron stars and black holes, give extreme margins. Their gravity is so strong that even a distant pass can capture your ship. Start with very wide paths and close in cautiously.
In multiplayer, watch other players. If a teammate finds a working trajectory, you can learn from their path — but you still have to execute it yourself.
Generated levels are great for practice. If a saved map is frustrating you, take a break with a few easy generated levels to rebuild your intuition.