Rooftop Rush is a free browser race for two players sharing one keyboard. Use WASD and the arrow keys to run, jump, and slide across steampunk rooftops toward an airship. You can also play solo against a rival courier through five districts; solo mode includes phone controls.
Key Takeaways
- Rooftop Rush is a side-scrolling rooftop race for two players on one keyboard: Wren uses WASD, Juno uses the arrow keys.
- The screen scrolls by itself, follows whoever is in front and speeds up. Drop off the left edge and you lose the round.
- Jump gaps, slide under laundry lines, ride steam vents, swing from balloon hooks, stomp your rival and grab parcels with gadgets like a rocket boost or an oil slick.
- In 1 vs 1, the first player to win three rounds takes the match. In solo, you beat the rival courier in all five districts with three hearts.
- Five districts each have their own time of day, from the docks at sunrise to the crystal heights under the aurora.
A 2 player game for one keyboard
Sit side by side at one keyboard: Wren uses the left-hand keys, and Juno uses the arrows. Both players join from the title screen, then Space starts the match. No second device is needed for local play.
The setup is simple. Two couriers, Wren and Juno, start on the same roof with the same parcel. At the far end of the district an airship hovers over the rooftops with a rope ladder hanging down, and whoever climbs it first wins the round.
What makes it a race and not just a run is the screen. It scrolls on its own, it follows the courier in front, and it keeps getting faster. If you fall too far behind and drop off the left edge, you are out on the spot. So falling behind is as dangerous as falling into a gap, and the leader is always pushing the other player toward the edge just by running well.
A missed jump or a gadget can change the lead quickly. Watch the left edge as well as the next obstacle: recovering from a fall takes time, and a trailing courier can run out of screen before reaching the airship.
Controls: WASD for Wren, arrow keys for Juno
In this 2 player game both racers use the same four keys, just on different sides of the keyboard:
- Run with A and D (Wren) or Left and Right (Juno).
- Jump with W (Wren) or Up (Juno). Hold it for a higher jump, tap it for a short hop.
- Slide with S or Down while on the ground to get under low obstacles.
- Dive with S or Down in the air to drop quickly.
- Swing by holding the jump key when you are next to a balloon hook in the air, then let go to fly off.
On the title screen, each player presses their own Up key to join (W for Wren, Up for Juno), and Space starts the match. If only one of you joins, Space starts a solo run instead. P or Esc pauses the game, and M turns the sound on or off.
Rooftop tricks: hooks, vents, awnings and stomps
The rooftops are full of things that help you, and a few that try to stop you.
- Balloon hooks. Tethered balloons carry a brass ring. Grab it in the air, swing under it and let go at the bottom of the swing to fly across the widest gaps. A good swing is the fastest way to overtake.
- Steam vents. Vents in the roof blow a column of steam that launches you up to higher roofs. A red lamp lights up just before they blow, so you can time your run.
- Striped awnings. Land on an awning and it bounces you high into the air.
- Laundry lines. Lines strung between brass posts hang low enough that you need to slide under them.
- Crumbling planks. Some bridges between buildings are old wooden planks that fall shortly after you step on them. Keep moving.
- Stomps. Land on the other courier's head and she is stunned for a moment while you run off. It works both ways, so watch the player above you.
If you miss a jump and fall into a gap, it is not the end of the round. A moment later you float back into the race under a parasol. The time you lost, though, can be enough to put you too close to the edge of the screen.
There is one more small help for the player in second place. When you trail well behind your rival, you catch her slipstream and run a little faster. It will not win the race for you, but it keeps the chase alive.
Parcels and gadgets that swing the race
Purple parcels sit on the rooftops along the way. Run through one to get a random gadget:
- Rocket boost: a burst of speed with a trail of flames.
- Oil slick: leaves a puddle behind you that makes the other courier slip.
- Smoke bomb: a cloud that slows down whoever runs through it.
- Clockwork bird: flies at your rival and stuns her.
- Spring jumps: your next few jumps go much higher.
Race position affects the gadget pool. The leader gets defensive items such as oil and smoke more often, while the trailing courier has better access to catch-up items. These can help close a gap, but they do not guarantee a recovery.
Five districts from sunrise to the aurora
The race moves through five districts of a steampunk city, and each one has its own time of day, its own skyline and its own colors:
- The Docks at sunrise: harbor cranes, warehouses and a pink morning sky.
- Market Row at noon: busy market rooftops under a bright midday sky.
- Clockwork Quarter at golden hour: clock towers and giant gears against a setting sun.
- Neon Alley at night: glowing signs, billboards and lit windows.
- Crystal Heights under the aurora: towers of crystal and a sky full of color.
In 1 vs 1, the next round moves to the next district, so a longer match visits more of the city. The districts have different arrangements of gaps, vents, hooks, and parcels to learn.
The pixel art scenery makes each district recognizable. Dust follows the couriers, vents signal with steam, and speed effects help show when a racer is moving quickly. Keep watching the route through those effects, especially near a hook or gap.
Solo mode: beat the rival courier
You do not need a second player to enjoy Rooftop Rush. Join with one player and press Space to race the rival courier, controlled by the computer, through all five districts in a row. Either set of keys works, and on a phone held sideways you get on-screen arrows plus JUMP and SLIDE buttons.
You start with three hearts. Win a district and you move on to the next one. Lose a district, either because the rival reached the airship first or because you fell off the edge, and you lose a heart and run that district again. Run out of hearts and the run is over. The rival also gets a little sharper in every new district, so the later ones are a real test.
Your score counts everything you did along the way:
- 1,000 points per district won, multiplied by the district's number in the run (the fifth district is worth 5,000).
- 20 points for every second you finish under the district's par time.
- 10 points per gear you collect and 50 points per stomp on the rival.
- 3,000 points for winning all five districts, plus 1,000 points for every heart you still have.
Sign in to put your solo score on the Rooftop Rush leaderboard. Head-to-head matches are just for fun and never count toward it.
Tips for winning 2 player rooftop races
- Keep moving from the start. The screen starts scrolling a moment after GO, and a courier who stands still is quickly in danger.
- Hold jump for the big gaps. A tap is a short hop, a held press is a full jump. Check the width of the gap before choosing your jump.
- Use hooks to overtake. Swinging from a balloon hook is faster than running, especially across a wide gap.
- Watch the red lamp. A steam vent about to blow is free height. A vent you arrive at too late is just a hole in the roof.
- Save stomps for the right moment. Stunning your rival right before a gap or a hook can win the round on its own.
- Leading? Expect oil and smoke behind you. If you are in second place, grab every parcel you can for a catch-up gadget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can two people play Rooftop Rush on one computer?
Yes. Rooftop Rush is made for two players on one keyboard. Wren uses W, A, S and D, and Juno uses the arrow keys. On the title screen each player presses their own Up key to join, then Space starts the match.
Is Rooftop Rush free to play?
Yes. Rooftop Rush is free and runs in your browser with no download. You only need an account if you want to save your solo score to the leaderboard.
Can I play Rooftop Rush alone?
Yes. Join with one player and press Space to race the rival courier through five districts. You have three hearts, and a lost district costs one heart and is played again.
How do you win a round in Rooftop Rush?
Reach the rope ladder under the airship before the other courier, or stay on screen while she drops off the left edge. In 1 vs 1, the first player to win three rounds wins the match.
Can I play Rooftop Rush on my phone?
Yes, in solo mode. Hold your phone sideways and use the on-screen arrows and the JUMP and SLIDE buttons. The head-to-head mode needs a keyboard, since both players share it.
What are some other racing games on PixelDen?
If you like Rooftop Rush, try the neon road racer Ion Rush, the kart racer Pixel Kart or the top-down Pixel Racer. You can find all of them in the racing games category.
Play Rooftop Rush now
Join with both sets of keys to start a local match, or join with one player for a solo run. Try the jump height and slide controls before relying on them at the first large gap.
Play Rooftop Rush, or browse the full PixelDen game catalog for more free browser games. For another platformer, read about Gloop's Escape, the pixel art platformer where you play the monster.