Log Rolling is a free online log rolling game — the lumberjack sport also called birling, where two rollers stand on one floating log and spin it with their feet until someone goes in the river. Your rival sets the spin; you keep your footing by running against it. Hold the left or right arrow, or press and hold either half of the screen, to speed your feet up that way, and let go to keep the pace you have. Match the log and you stay on the crown; fall behind and it carries you off the side, and the further off the top you get, the faster you slide. Every second on the log scores, three points a second on the crown. The rival speeds up the longer you stay on, and twelve stages bring sudden stops, reversals, waves from a passing boat, a skinny log, a lumpy log, rain on the bark and a dusk heat with no warning sign. Works on a phone, a tablet or a computer — no download, no sign-up.
How to play Log Rolling
- Pick a stage and press Start, Space, an arrow key, or tap the screen. After a three-count your rival, at the far end of the log, starts it spinning.
- The top of the log runs sideways under your feet, and standing still it carries you off that side. Hold the left arrow (or A, or the left half of the screen) to speed your feet up to the left, the right arrow (or D, or the right half) to the right. Let go and your feet keep the pace they have.
- Match the log — run left as fast as its top runs right, or the other way round — and you stay on top. Off the top, the curve of the log slides you further off, so steer back to the middle as well as matching the speed.
- The strip along the bottom shows where you stand: green in the middle, the crown, yellow on the shoulders, red at the edge. The white arrow from your marker shows which way you are sliding and how fast.
- Every second on the log scores: three points on the crown, two on a shoulder, one at the edge. Go past the edge and you are in the river; you climb back on, your rival starts the log again from still, and you have one heart fewer.
- Your rival changes the spin every few seconds — faster, slower, a sudden stop (a check) or a reversal. Their lean and the sign over their head show what is coming, about a second before it happens.
- Three swims end the heat, and so does the bell after 90 seconds. The rival gets quicker and changes the spin more often the longer you stay on. Reach the stage goal to clear it and unlock the next; keep going for the second and third stars.
Tips
- Watch the sign over your rival. A red bar means a check: ease your feet off as the log stops, or you will run yourself off the side.
- On a reversal, do not wait for the log to stop before you swap — start bringing your feet round as soon as it slows.
- Short taps beat long holds. Your feet keep their pace when you let go, so a quick tap is a small correction and a long hold is a big one.
- Watch the white arrow on the strip, not just the marker: if it points away from the middle you are already sliding, even while you are still on the crown.
- A wave rolls in from one side and shoves the log the other way. Lean into it with a tap in its direction just before it reaches you.
- At dusk there is no sign over your rival. Watch the ridges of bark sliding over the top of the log — when they slow, a change is coming.
FAQ
Is Log Rolling free to play?
Yes. Log Rolling is free to play online in your browser, with no download, no account and nothing to buy. All twelve stages are here and unlock in order.
What is log rolling?
Log rolling, also called birling, is a lumberjack sport: two competitors stand on a floating log and spin it with their feet, each trying to stay on longer than the other. In this game your rival spins the log and you keep your footing by running against the spin.
How do I control my feet?
Hold the left arrow or A to speed your feet up to the left, the right arrow or D to the right. On a touch screen, press and hold the left or right half of the screen. When you let go your feet keep the pace they have, so you only press to change it. Space starts and pauses, and so does P.
Why do I keep sliding off even when I run?
You have to match the log’s speed, not just run. If the top of the log runs right faster than your feet run left, it carries you right; if you run faster than the log, you walk yourself off the left. And once you are off the top, the curve of the log pulls you further off. The white arrow on the strip along the bottom shows which way you are sliding.
How does scoring work?
Every second you stay on the log scores: three points on the crown (the green middle of the strip), two on a shoulder (yellow) and one at the edge (red). A heat ends after three swims or at the bell after 90 seconds, so the score rewards both staying on and staying in the middle.
What happens when I fall in?
You lose a heart and climb back on after a moment, standing still, and your rival starts the log again from still. Three swims end the heat. If you reach the bell with a heart left, your rival goes in instead.
Do I get a warning before the log changes?
Yes, on every stage but Dusk. About a second before each change your rival leans and a sign goes up over their head: an arrow the way the log’s top will run (longer for faster), or a red bar for a check, a sudden stop. On Quick Feet and the Championship the warning is shorter, and at Dusk there is none — you read the bark on the log itself.
Is every heat possible to finish without falling in?
Yes. Before a heat is dealt, a simulated roller that knows what the rival will do rolls it to the bell without a single swim; a heat it falls off is never dealt. Your rival never spins the log faster than your feet can run, and never changes the spin faster than your feet can follow.
Can I win by standing still or running blind?
No. Standing still carries you off within a couple of seconds every time, and swapping between left and right at a steady pace without looking — anywhere from every 0.15 seconds to every 2 seconds — reaches the goal in fewer than 1 heat in 10 on every stage.
How are the goal and the star scores set?
They are measured, not guessed. Three simulated rollers — casual, regular and sharp, each with its own reaction time, its own slack, a chance of reading the rival’s sign and the odd lapse of attention — roll every stage 41 times. The goal is set so most casual rollers reach it, fewer on later stages; two stars is the regular roller’s middle score and three stars the sharp roller’s.
Is the game the same whatever my screen’s frame rate?
Yes. The river runs on a fixed clock of 120 steps a second, and every key press and release counts from the moment it happened, not from the next frame drawn. A 60 Hz phone and a 144 Hz monitor roll exactly the same heat.
Does Log Rolling work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Press and hold the left or right half of the screen to run that way; you can slide your finger across to switch. The game fits a phone held upright, and it plays sideways too.