Paper Plane Game

Paper Plane Game is a two-part paper airplane game. First you pick one of five classic designs and watch it get folded, one crease at a time. Then you throw it in side view through a house, an office, a school hall and a playground, riding warm drafts, dodging fans and furniture and keeping the nose from stalling. You can play it free in your browser with no download, on a keyboard, a mouse or a phone’s touch screen.

How to play

• Pick a level: there are 12 levels, three in each setting. Level 1 is open from the start, and earning at least one star unlocks the next one.
• Fold a plane: choose a design and the game plays its fold sequence with an arrow for each fold and a short caption. Tap (or press the Right arrow) to move to the next fold, or press Space to skip straight to the throw.
• Throw: press anywhere on the game, drag back and let go. Dragging further throws harder, and the direction sets the angle. On a keyboard, Up and Down change the angle, Left and Right change the power, and Space throws.
• Fly: hold the top half of the game (or Up or W) to raise the nose, and the bottom half (or Down or S) to lower it. Pause with P or Esc.

Stalls, dives and drafts

Each plane flies on a simple lift and drag model. Raising the nose a little gives more lift and a flatter glide. Raise it too far and the angle of attack passes the stall point: lift collapses, drag jumps, the nose drops and the plane sinks. Pointing the nose down trades height for speed.

Moving air is shown with drifting arrows. Radiators, wall heaters and warm playground asphalt push you upward. Ceiling fans and air-conditioning vents push you down. Desk fans and pedestal fans blow you along, open windows let in gusts, and outdoor wind can be at your back or in your face. Flying into furniture, lamps, banners or trees crumples the plane and ends the flight.

The five paper airplanes

• Classic Dart: the fastest. It can be thrown the hardest but has the shortest glide.
• Blunt Glider: a folded-down nose and wide wings for lots of lift and a slow glide. It is the twitchiest in drafts.
• Nakamura Lock: the classic locked-nose design. It has the best glide and is very steady.
• Delta: a short blunt nose and folded-up winglets. It is quick and the steadiest of the five, so drafts barely nudge it.
• Wide Floater: the front edge is rolled down three times for weight, with broad flat wings. It is the slowest and has a long, gentle glide.

Goals and stars

• Distance levels: fly past the first marker to pass. The second and third markers on the floor are worth more stars.
• Landing levels: land on the kitchen table or the stage, or in the wastebasket or the sandpit. Landing earns one star, hitting the gold bullseye earns another, and flying through the bonus ring on the way earns the third.
• Ring levels: fly through every ring in one flight. Going further after the last ring earns more stars.
• Longest Flight: an endless hallway with heaters, fans, door frames, hanging lamps and shoe racks in a new order every throw. It unlocks once you clear level 1.

Your stars, your best distance on each level and your longest flight are saved in your browser.

Tips

• Feather the nose. Use short taps of nose up. If you see “Nose too high”, let go before it stalls.
• Use the heaters. Glide into a rising draft and let it lift you before the next obstacle. Slow planes spend longer inside a draft, so they get more out of it.
• Match the plane to the level. The Dart and the Delta go far on a hard throw. The Nakamura Lock is the most forgiving.

FAQ

Is Paper Plane Game free?

Yes. It is free to play with no account and nothing to install.

Can I fold these paper airplanes for real?

Yes. Each design shows its folds in order with a caption, including rough measurements in centimeters and inches. A real plane will fly a little differently from the game.

Does it work on phones and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a phone or tablet, drag to throw and hold the top or bottom half of the game to steer. The game area won’t scroll the page while you play. On a Chromebook or laptop, you can use the mouse or the keyboard.

Want more time in the air? Try Plane Pilot to take off, fly through rings and land a small propeller plane, or Windward Balloon to steer a hot-air balloon using the wind at different heights.