Orbit Hop

Orbit Hop is a one-button space game starring Pip, a small clay creature standing on a spinning planet. Tap and Pip leaps off along the spin, straight out into space, and the gravity of nearby planets bends the leap. The whole skill is timing: tap when the dotted line points toward the next planet, let gravity curve the path, and land. Each level is a climb through clay planets dressed with little trees, houses and lanterns, up to the planet with the flag.

The campaign has 120 levels in eight galaxies of fifteen levels each. You start every level with three bubbles, which work as lives. Drifting into space, hitting a comet or falling into a black hole costs a bubble and puts you back on your last planet; lose all three and the level is failed. Each galaxy adds one idea: planets that glide back and forth or circle around, crumbly planets that shrink under your feet, gravity wells that pull hard from far away, comets that zip across the sky, wormholes that link two spots in space, black holes that bend your path, and jelly bumpers that bounce you off in a new direction.

The last level of every galaxy is a boss, a grumpy giant planet covered in glowing pods. Pop all the pods by leaping into them, but avoid the shell, since hitting it costs a bubble. Normal levels hide three stars: two lie on the natural path and the third sits on a daring line, such as skipping a planet, taking a wormhole or leaping early. Your stars for a level are the ones collected on the winning run, and on a boss they are the bubbles you have left. Stardust picked up along the way buys colours, hats and trails for Pip. Every level is verified with the game's own physics, so each one can be completed.

Some tips. Before your first tap, watch how fast your planet spins and where the next one sits. On gliding planets, aim for where the planet will be when you arrive. Use a gravity well's pull to curve around corners rather than fighting it, and give black holes plenty of room. Crumbly planets punish waiting, so plan the next leap as you land. Once you know the safe route through a level, go back for the daring third star.

After level 5 the Endless Climb opens: new planets keep coming, each one checked to be reachable, for as long as you keep landing, and your best height is saved. Orbit Hop runs in the browser on desktop and on phones and tablets, in portrait or landscape.

Each level hides three stars, and one of them always sits on a daring line, such as a skipped planet or a wormhole shortcut. Stardust collected on the way buys colours, hats and trails for Pip.

After level 5 the Endless Climb opens. Planets keep coming for as long as you keep landing, and the goal is to climb as high as you can.