Spiral Tower
A glass sphere climbs an endless pastel spiral in space, and a spiky red virus climbs right behind it.
- Developer
- GAMEFREEX
- Released
- Updated
- Game engine
- HTML5 (WebGL, three.js)
- Platforms
- Browser (desktop, mobile, tablet), installable app (PWA)
- Orientation
- Portrait
- Controls
- Keyboard, Mouse, Touch, Controller
- Multiplayer
- Yes, with friends: score race, up to 4 players
- Offline play
- Yes, once opened or saved with Download games for offline
- Price
- Free, no download, no sign-up
- Arcade23
- 3D8
- WebGL9
- Portrait45
- Keyboard33
- Mouse47
- Multiplayer44
Controls
Computer
- Space, Up arrow or W to jump, or click
- Left and Right arrows to turn the camera
- Drag to turn, mouse wheel to zoom
Phone or tablet
- Tap to jump
- Drag to turn the camera, pinch to zoom
Controller
- A, B or X: jump
- Left or right on a stick or the D-pad: turn the camera
- Start: pause
Spiral Tower: how to play, tips and FAQ
Written by the GAMEFREEX team.
Spiral Tower is a short, tense climb in 3D. A glass sphere rolls up a staircase that winds around a column in deep space, three steps a second, and it never stops on its own. A spiky red virus starts five steps behind it and climbs too.
Your one job is the jump. Holes, red spikes and floating ghosts sit on the steps, and hitting any of them stops the sphere dead until you hop over. The virus does not wait. It also speeds up a little every second, so a run is a race you are bound to lose eventually: the question is how many steps you get first.
Each visit builds a new staircase, with its own radius, slope, turning direction and pastel colors.
- Timing
- Anticipation
- Focus
At a glance
- Climb speed
- 3.2 steps a second
- Virus head start
- 5 steps behind you
- Virus speed
- 2.7, plus 0.022 every second
- Obstacles
- One every 4 to 9 steps
- Powers
- 5 kinds, 6 seconds each
- Score
- Steps + pyramidions + 5 per orb
How to play Spiral Tower
- Tap the screen, or press Space, the Up arrow or W, to jump. Only a short tap counts: a drag turns the camera instead.
- Jump just before an obstacle. A jump lasts half a second, enough to clear one hole, spike or ghost.
- Pyramidions on the steps are picked up as you roll past (1 point each), and so are the glowing power orbs (5 points and a random power for 6 seconds).
- Drag to turn and tilt the camera, pinch or use the mouse wheel to zoom. The Left and Right arrows turn it too.
- The run ends when the virus catches the sphere. Your score is the steps you climbed plus your points.
Controls, action by action
| Action | Computer | Phone or tablet |
|---|---|---|
| Jump | Space, Up arrow, W or a click | A short tap |
| Turn and tilt the camera | Drag, or Left and Right arrows | Drag with one finger |
| Zoom | Mouse wheel | Pinch |
The race with the virus
The sphere climbs 3.2 steps a second and the virus starts 5 steps behind at 2.7, so for the first seconds you pull away. But the virus gains 0.022 steps a second every second: it matches your speed after about 23 seconds and closes in from then on. Even with every jump on time and no power, it catches up a little under a minute into the run.
Every obstacle you fail to jump costs you twice: you stand still, shaking on the step, while the virus keeps coming. A jump gets you moving again at once, so the moment you are stuck, tap.
Obstacles and jumps
There are three kinds of obstacle, drawn at random: a missing step, a red spike and a pale floating ghost. They all work the same way: land on that step without being high enough and you stop. A jump lasts half a second and covers about a step and a half, and it only clears an obstacle in its middle part, so tap when the obstacle is the next step ahead.
A tap only counts as a jump if it is short (under about a fifth of a second) and does not move. A longer press does nothing and a drag turns the camera, which is handy when the staircase hides its next steps behind the column.
Pyramidions and powers
Pyramidions sit 2 to 5 steps apart and are worth 1 point each. Power orbs come every 12 to 22 steps, give 5 points and one of five powers for 6 seconds, picked at random. Both are collected automatically as the sphere rolls past, even in the middle of a jump.
Boost makes you climb 1.7 times faster. Slow enemy drops the virus to about a third of its speed. Gap filler lets you roll straight through obstacles. Shield sends the virus 7 steps back if it touches you, then disappears. Magnet grabs every pyramidion within 4 steps. On GAMEFREEX each pyramidion also adds 1 Freex Coin at the end of the run.
Tips to score higher
- Watch the warning sign in the score line: it appears when the virus is less than four steps behind.
- Shield lasts 6 seconds or one catch: if the virus touches you meanwhile, it is knocked 7 steps back and the shield is gone.
- Tap when the obstacle is one step ahead. A jump carries you about a step and a half, so tapping two steps early lands you right on it, and a second tap in the air does nothing.
Common mistakes
- Tapping too early. A jump that starts two steps before an obstacle comes down right on it.
- Holding the screen to jump. A press longer than a quick tap is ignored, so the sphere rolls on into the obstacle.
- Turning the camera during a tight stretch. The sphere keeps climbing while you look around, so do it right after a jump, not before one.
Spiral Tower FAQ
Why does the virus always catch me in the end?+
It starts at 2.7 steps a second and gains 0.022 every second, so it passes your 3.2 after about 23 seconds. With clean jumps and no powers it reaches you a little under a minute in. Boost, Slow enemy and Shield are what make a run last longer.
How is my score counted?+
One point per step climbed, one per pyramidion and five per power orb. Freex Coins come from that score at the end of the run, plus one per pyramidion. Once per run you can watch a short ad to continue, and the virus is pushed back ten steps.
Can I play with a controller?+
Yes. A, B or X jumps, left and right on a stick or the D-pad turn the camera, and Start pauses.