Traffic Game

Traffic Game is a top-down traffic control puzzle. You run the junctions of a small town: you switch the traffic lights, wave cars through stop signs and onto a roundabout, drop the gates before a train rolls through and raise a drawbridge for passing boats. Cars arrive from the edges of the map, each heading for its own exit, and you keep them moving without a fender-bender. You can play Traffic Game online free in your browser with a mouse, a touch screen or a keyboard.

How to play

Each level gives you a number of cars to get through and a clock. Hit the target before time runs out to unlock the next level.

• Traffic lights: every road into a signal junction has its own light. Tap it to switch between red and green. When you turn a light red it shows amber for a moment, so a car already at the line can still go. Give two crossing roads a green at once and cars will meet in the middle.
• Stop signs and the roundabout: here every car stops at the line and waits for you. Tap a waiting car to wave it on, or tap a rolling car to stop it again. On the roundabout, cars circle counterclockwise, so look for a gap in the cars coming around toward the entrance.
• Bonks: if two cars touch, there is a cartoon bonk and the level ends. Nobody gets hurt, but you have to start the level again.
• Queue meter: the three small boxes beside each road at the edge of the map fill up as cars back up out of town. If a fourth car is left waiting, the road has backed up too far and the level ends.
• Don’t block the box: a car won’t enter a junction unless there is room on the far side, so a queue further on can hold up a whole street.

Trains, boats and ambulances

• Railroad crossing: trains run on a timetable and never stop. When the crossing lights flash and the word TRAIN appears, tap the crossing to lower the gates. Raise them after the train has passed. A car still on the tracks when the train arrives is a bonk.
• Drawbridge: boats sail down the river toward the road. Tap the bridge to raise it. It only lifts once no car is on it. A boat that reaches a closed bridge waits, and a small meter beside it fills up. If a boat waits too long, the level ends.
• Ambulances: a flashing red and white sign appears at the edge of the map a few seconds before an ambulance arrives. Ambulances drive straight through red lights and stop signs, so stop the cross traffic in time and give them a clear road.

The levels

The 12 levels start with a single crossing where every car drives straight ahead, then add turning cars, a four-way stop, a T-junction, a roundabout, ambulances, a drawbridge, a second crossing, a railroad, rush-hour waves and a night shift with fewer but much faster cars. The last level, Town Center, puts two crossings, a drawbridge and ambulances on one map. Cars arrive in the same pattern every time you play a level, so you can learn it.

Stars

Clearing a level earns one star. You earn a second star for finishing within the par time and a third for keeping the average wait per car under the target shown on the level card. Time spent backed up at the edge of town counts as waiting. Your best stars for each level are saved in your browser.

Tips

• One green per junction is always safe. Letting one road go at a time can never cause a bonk. Once you are comfortable, let opposite roads go together when nobody is turning left.
• Clear the box before you switch. Turn the old light red, wait for the cars inside the junction to leave, then turn the next one green.
• Watch the meters. A quiet side street can fill up while you are busy with the main road.
• Plan ahead. Lower the gate or raise the bridge a little early, and keep the road beyond it moving.

FAQ

Is Traffic Game free?

Yes. No account and nothing to install.

Does it work on phones and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a phone or tablet, tap the lights, cars, gates and bridge directly; the map won’t scroll the page. On a laptop or Chromebook, click or press the number keys to switch the numbered controls.

Can I pause?

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

Like driving games too? Try the Driving Simulator to learn the rules of the road from behind the wheel, or squeeze into tight spots in Parking Master.