Learn to Fly

Learn to Fly puts the player in the role of a penguin who has decided, against nature's odds, to learn to fly - it launches off an ice floe, slides down a slope, and tries to get as far as possible using gliders, rockets, and other equipment. What matters, though, isn't just the gliding through the air itself, but also what follows each attempt: with the money collected, the player upgrades the gear, stronger engines or better wings, and gets a little further with every new launch. As the game progresses, special items and tricks are added that can extend a flight by a decent stretch of distance, so even a single session can end up lasting much longer than the player expected.

It's precisely this "try, upgrade, try again" cycle that made the game one of the typical representatives of the so-called upgrade arcade games, which enjoyed enormous popularity on Flash portals in 2009. The controls are as simple as possible, timing the launch and any tricks in the air, which makes the game accessible even to players with no experience with similar titles. Cartoonish graphics and lighthearted humor - a penguin in a helmet with a rocket pack - lend the whole concept a lightness, even though at its core it's a repetitive grind.

Behind the game stands the studio Light Bringer Games, and Learn to Fly went on to receive several sequels, confirming how well the principle of gradual upgrading worked on the browser-game audience of the time. The series won a loyal following precisely because it combined an easily understandable goal with long-term motivation to keep collecting more and more upgrades.

Why play it: Players who want to unwind with an undemanding, addictive upgrade loop will enjoy this game whether they have a few minutes or a few hours.