Drone Race is a free online drone racing game seen from above. You fly a little racing quad round a course of gates against three rival drones: every gate has to be flown through in order and from the front, between its two posts, and the course is two or three laps of them. The drone points where you turn it and its motors push it that way, but it does not turn on rails — at speed it slides wide before the new heading bites, so the skill is knowing when to ease off or brake before a tight gate and when to keep the thrust on. Fly past a gate and you have to come back for it. Posts, trees, rocks, crates, shipping containers and the safety netting are all solid; brush one and you bounce off, hit one hard and the motors cut out for a moment. Eight courses run from Meadow Loop to a three-lap Championship, in Rookie, Pro and Ace leagues, and finishing in the top three unlocks the next. The rivals are not on rails either: each is a computer pilot flying the same physics on a drone with weaker motors, so their times are times the course really allows.
How to play Drone Race
- The race starts after a 3-2-1 countdown. Hold ↑ or W (or the Thrust button) to fly forward, ← and → (or A and D, or the two turn buttons) to turn, and ↓ or S (or Brake) to slow down.
- Fly through the gates in order. The next one glows cyan with arrows showing the way through; the one after it is outlined in white. A gate only counts from the front, between its two posts.
- If you overshoot a gate, turn round and come back for it — the race will not move on until you do. When the next gate is off the screen, a cyan arrow at the edge points to it, and the map in the corner shows the whole course.
- The drone slides wide when you turn at speed. Ease off the thrust or tap the brake before a tight gate, then get back on the thrust as soon as you are lined up.
- Posts, trees, rocks, crates, containers and the netting round the course are solid. A light touch bounces you off; a hard hit cuts the motors for a little over half a second.
- Race two or three laps against three rival drones. Your place is the big number in the top-left. Finish 1st for gold, 2nd for silver or 3rd for bronze; any podium unlocks the next course. Press R to restart.
Tips
- Look one gate ahead. Cross each gate on the side nearer the gate after it and the turn you have to make is gentler and faster.
- Braking in a straight line before a hairpin is quicker than sliding past the gate and flying back for it.
- Small taps of the turn keys hold a line better than holding one down — at full speed a held key swings the drone wide.
- Missed a gate? Brake, turn on the spot and come back square to it; a long loop round costs more time than a short stop.
- The narrow gates on the later courses leave little room: line up early, a few drone lengths out, rather than turning in at the last moment.
- Hard hits cost far more than the bounce itself, because the motors cut out. Give trees and posts a drone width of room.
- Watch where the rival drones go through a section you keep getting wrong — they fly the same physics as you, just with weaker motors.
FAQ
Is Drone Race free to play?
Yes. All eight courses are free to play in your browser, with no download, no account and nothing to buy. Your unlocked courses and best times are kept in your own browser.
Does Drone Race work on a phone?
Yes. On a touch screen the two turn buttons sit in the bottom-left corner and Brake and Thrust in the bottom-right, so you fly with both thumbs. The course is seen from above, so it plays the same held upright or sideways.
How do you win a drone race?
Fly through every gate in order, for every lap, and cross the start gate at the end ahead of all three rival drones. First place wins gold, second silver and third bronze, and any podium finish unlocks the next course. Fourth still finishes the race; it just does not unlock anything.
Why did the gate not count when I flew through it?
A gate only counts if it is the next one, if you fly through it from the front — the side its arrows point away from — and if you pass between its two posts. Fly through it backwards, round the outside or out of order and nothing happens; the next gate is always the one glowing cyan.
What happens if I crash into something?
You bounce off it and lose most of your speed. A hard, head-on hit also cuts the motors for a little over half a second while the drone steadies itself — you can still turn to line up, but you cannot thrust until they spin back up. Nothing ends your race.
Are the rival drones scripted?
No. Each rival is a computer pilot flying exactly the physics you fly, on a drone with weaker motors than yours: their times are whatever those drones actually manage on each course. The same pilot on your drone beats all three of them everywhere, so gold is always possible.
What are the Rookie, Pro and Ace leagues?
The first three courses are Rookie, courses four to six are Pro and the last two are Ace; the rivals get stronger motors in each league. We measured a casual pilot that just points at the middle of the next gate, holds thrust while facing it and brakes only when facing well away: it wins two of the three Rookie courses and one Pro course, never wins an Ace course, and makes the podium on all eight. To win the rest you have to fly a real racing line.
Is this a real FPV drone simulator?
No. It is an arcade racer seen from above, and you only steer, thrust and brake — there is no height to manage and no pitch-and-roll stick. What it keeps from real drone racing is the gates in order, the laps, and a quad that slides through its turns.
How is this different from Plane Strike?
Plane Strike is a vertical shooter: your plane slides left and right at the bottom of a scrolling screen, dodging fire while its guns bring down waves of enemies. Drone Race has no shooting at all — it is a race round a course of gates against three other drones, and the only thing that counts is your time.