Windward Balloon

Windward Balloon is a hot-air balloon game where you can’t steer left or right. You only have two controls: a burner that heats the air so the balloon rises, and a vent that lets heat out so it sinks. Each height has its own wind, so you travel by climbing or dropping into the layer that blows the way you want to go. Play this balloon game free in your browser on desktop or phone, with no download or sign-up.

How to play

Each level is a side-view valley with a striped landing field somewhere along it. Your balloon starts on the ground at the launch pad.

• Burner: hold Space, W or the Up arrow (or the BURN button on touch screens) to heat the envelope. Once the air is hot enough, the balloon lifts off and climbs. Every second of burning uses fuel.
• Vent: hold S or the Down arrow (or VENT) to let hot air out and sink faster. When you use neither control, the air slowly cools and the balloon drifts down.
• Heat takes time: the balloon keeps rising for a while after you let go of the burner and keeps sinking for a moment after you start burning again. The heat gauge in the top-left corner shows how hot the envelope is, and the white mark is the point where the balloon floats level.
• Wind layers: dashed lines split the sky into bands. The arrows on the right edge show each band’s direction and speed; the drifting streaks and flags agree. Your balloon slowly matches the wind of whatever band it is in.
• Mail: some levels have houses with an envelope over the roof. Touch down gently on that roof to deliver the mail, then burn to take off again. You can’t finish a level until every letter is delivered.
• Landing: come down softly on the striped field to finish. If you land faster than the safe speed, the basket breaks and the flight ends.

Hazards: power lines and their poles, tree crowns, birds flying back and forth, and dark storm cells with lightning all end the flight on contact. If your fuel runs out, the balloon can still sink and land. But if it lands anywhere other than the field, it can’t take off again and the level is over.

Stars: each level awards up to three stars. One is for finishing with at least 40% of your fuel left, one is for a soft touchdown, and one is for landing at or under the par time. Stars, best times and unlocked levels are saved in your browser, so you can come back later or replay any level from the level select.

Tips

• Read the wind before you launch. Check the arrows on the right edge first. On some levels the low air blows back toward the start, so you need to climb above it before the balloon goes anywhere useful.
• Burn in short bursts. Because heat lags, holding the burner too long overshoots your target height and wastes fuel. Tap, wait, and watch the heat gauge settle near the float mark.
• Start descents early. A descent takes several seconds, and you keep drifting with each layer you pass through. Begin dropping well before you reach a roof or the field.
• Use a headwind as a brake. When a layer blows the opposite way, dipping into it briefly slows you down. That helps with short fields and narrow rooftops.
• Let it cool onto the ground. For the soft-landing star, let the balloon cool slowly as you near the ground instead of venting all the way down.

FAQ

Is Windward Balloon free?

Yes. It’s free to play with no account and no install, and it runs in any modern browser.

How many levels are there?

There are 12 levels. They go from a simple first flight to deliveries, power lines, an orchard, birds, storm cells, three-roof mail runs and a final Grand Tour that mixes everything. Clearing a level unlocks the next one.

Why does my balloon keep rising after I stop the burner?

The hot air in the envelope takes time to cool, just as it takes time to heat up. Plan your moves a few seconds ahead and use the vent if you need to stop a climb quickly.

Can I play on a phone or tablet?

Yes. Hold the BURN and VENT buttons under the game, or hold the upper or lower half of the sky. With a mouse, hold the upper half of the sky to burn and the lower half to vent. Press P or Esc to pause and R to restart a level.

Like flying games? Try Plane Pilot or take the controls in our helicopter game.