Tips and Strategy

The Basics

Tap less than you think

The most common way to crash is panic-tapping: two or three quick taps that launch the bird into the top of a gap. One calm tap at the right moment beats three rushed ones. If you are crashing into the upper columns, slow down.

Aim low in the gap

A tap lifts you instantly, but falling takes time. That means you can always rescue a bird that is a little low with one tap, while a bird that is too high has to wait for gravity. Sitting in the lower half of each gap gives you the most room to correct.

Look at the next column, not the bird

Your eyes belong on the gap you are flying toward, with the bird in the corner of your vision. By the time you are through one gap you should already know the height of the next.

Find a rhythm

In SKYLINE, tapping on a steady beat keeps the bird at a near-constant height. Learn that beat, then adjust it for each new world.

World by World

SKYLINE (0 to 11 points)

Use the opening world to settle into your rhythm. There are no creatures on the first visit, so this is the cheapest place to practise near misses and to collect shields for later.

THE DEEP (12 to 23)

Gravity drops sharply, so tap far less often than you did in the sky. Currents push you up and down, and the streaks in the water show which way they are about to push. Watch the streaks, not just the gap. The Puffer always leaves one side of the gap clear, so pick that side early.

UNDERWORLD (24 to 35)

The opposite problem: heavy gravity after floaty water. The bird drops fast, so tap a little earlier than feels natural, and stay in the middle of the spikes rather than near their tips. A Spinner turns at a steady speed, so flying over the top of its arm is always safe.

CACTUS CANYON (36 to 47)

Wind pushes you back and projectiles arrive every couple of seconds. Look further ahead than usual and choose your lane early. When a lane is marked for a bolt, leave it straight away instead of hoping to slip through. Trotters are worth landing on: a squash bounces you, pays a coin and charges your meter.

THE EYE (48 and up)

Everything at once, in the tightest gaps of the game. Fly conservatively: skip risky coins and greedy near misses, and let shields, hearts and your next surge carry you through.

Near Misses

Passing a column with only a whisker to spare earns a bonus coin, and chaining near misses makes each one pay more, up to five coins a shave. Near misses also charge your surge meter faster than anything else: every one adds a fifth of the meter.

They are worth chasing in the early worlds, where the gaps are generous and the cost of a mistake is low. In THE EYE, flying safely is usually worth more than the coins. If you love flying close, the Long Tail trait makes near misses count from a little further out, and the STEADY HAND power keeps your chain alive through one cautious pass.

Shields, Hearts and Fever

• Collect shields early. They stack, and they are easiest to grab in SKYLINE. Every shield you carry into THE EYE is one crash you get to make there.
• Shields do not save you from the ground. Hearts do. If you are carrying shields, a column is a survivable mistake; the ground is not, unless you also have a heart.
• Protect your fever. Ten clean columns in a row doubles your score until you take a hit, even a hit a shield absorbs. When you are on fever, fly safely.
• A heart is a fresh start, not a panic button. When a heart brings you back, the bird reappears in clear air with a moment to settle. Take that moment instead of tapping straight away.

Getting More From Powers

• Every power fires together, so each new power makes every surge stronger. Buying a cheap power you will actually use beats saving forever for an expensive one.
• Buy for the world that ends your runs. Dying in THE DEEP? FORESIGHT or HALCYON. Dying to creatures? ANCHOR or THUNDERBOLT. Dying anywhere? PHOENIX gives you a second chance every run.
• Near misses bring the next surge forward, so a confident stretch of flying is also the fastest way back to your powers.
• See the powers guide for the full list and a suggested buying order.

The Daily Challenge

The daily course is the same for everyone and stays the same all day, so it rewards practice. Fly it a few times: you will start to remember where the tricky columns are. The coin bonus pays 3 coins per point up to 150 coins, so a score of 50 earns the full bonus. That makes the daily the steadiest way to build up coins for your next power.

Ready to try it? Play Flappy Dash now.