Penguin Game

Penguin Game is a one-button sliding game where a cartoon penguin belly-slides down endless snowy hills with a blizzard rolling in behind it. Dive into the downhill slopes to build speed, let go to launch off crests and ramps, flip in the air and land belly-first to keep your momentum. You can play Penguin Game online free in your browser with no download, using a keyboard, a mouse or a phone’s touch screen.

How to play

The whole game uses one input: hold Space, hold the mouse button, or hold a finger anywhere on the game. What holding does depends on where the penguin is.

• Tuck on the snow: while you hold, the penguin tucks in and presses into the hill, as if it were heavier. On a downhill slope that adds a lot of speed. On an uphill slope it slows you down faster, so let go as the hill starts to rise.
• Launch: if you are moving fast and not tucking when you reach the top of a hill, the snow drops away under you and you fly. The blue kicker ramps throw you upward even at lower speeds. Holding through a crest keeps you stuck to the snow instead.
• Flip: hold in the air to spin forward, and release to stop.
• Land belly-first: come down with the belly roughly along the slope. Land on your back or head-first and the penguin tumbles, losing most of its speed.

Snowmen and ice holes sit on the drops just past the ramps. Hit a ramp with speed and you fly over them. Bump a snowman and you tumble and slow down. Slide into an ice hole and you splash, stopping you for almost a second. Fish lie in the valleys and hang in short arcs over crests and ramps, and a glowing sled power-up turns up now and then.

The blizzard and the two modes

A wall of snow follows you down the mountain, and the Blizzard meter in the top-left corner shows how many meters ahead of it you are. It keeps getting faster.

• Endless run: slide as far as you can until the blizzard catches you. Your score is the meters you slide, plus trick points, plus 10 for every fish. Your best score is saved in your browser.
• Levels: 12 fixed courses that each end at a checkered flag. You have to reach the flag ahead of the blizzard and meet that level’s goal: catch a number of fish, land flips, make perfect landings, finish with no tumbles or splashes, or beat a time limit. Clearing a level unlocks the next one.

Tricks and scoring

• Flips: a single flip is worth 300 points, a double 900 and a triple 1,800.
• Big air: staying in the air for more than 0.8 seconds adds a hang-time bonus.
• Perfect landing: land neatly on a downhill slope for 50 points and a small speed boost.
• Sled power-up: for 8 seconds the penguin rides a sled with less friction, smashes through snowmen for 25 points and skims over ice holes.

Fish, hats and sleds

Every fish you catch, in either mode, goes into your fish bank. Spend it in the Shop on a beanie, top hat, party hat or crown, a red, blue, striped or gold scarf, and different sleds for the power-up. Items are cosmetic. Your fish, unlocks and level progress are saved in your browser.

Tips

• Tuck down, release up. Hold from the top of each hill to the bottom of the valley, then let go as you start to climb. That rhythm builds speed every hill.
• Release before the crest. The big launches come from letting go just before the top while you are moving fast.
• Land on the downslope. Coming down on the far side of a hill keeps your speed and can earn a perfect landing. Overshooting into the next uphill costs speed.

FAQ

Is Penguin Game free?

Yes. It is free to play with no account and nothing to install. Press Start, Space or tap the game to begin an endless run.

Does it work on phones and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a phone or tablet, hold a finger anywhere on the game to tuck and flip. The game area won’t scroll the page while you play. On a Chromebook or laptop, hold Space in any modern browser.

Can I pause?

Press P or Esc, or use the Pause button. The game also pauses when you switch tabs.

Is this a sled game?

Mostly it is belly-sliding, but the sled power-up puts the penguin on a sled for 8 seconds, and you can unlock four sled designs.

Want more snow? Try Snowboard to carve gates and spin off ramps on an endless slope, or Surf Rider for flips and tricks on a rolling wave.