Library review · LG-03 of LG-08
Line Rider, reviewed
A drawing toy first and a game second. Sketch a slope, add a jump, press play and see what the rider makes of it. Getting a run to land cleanly is surprisingly absorbing, and the gallery of other people's tracks shows how far the idea can be pushed.
Open Line Rider on the official site
Our take
Line Rider began in 2006 as a student project by Boštjan Čadež and became one of the best-loved toys of the early web. The official site today carries a modern edition by Emergent Studios. The idea has not changed: you draw lines, and a rider on a sled slides along them when you press play.
There is no score and no timer. The pleasure is in tuning a track until the run looks right: a slope steep enough to build speed, a lip that throws the rider over a gap, a landing that catches him. Different line types speed the rider up or simply decorate the scene.
It suits evenings when you want to make something rather than beat something. The web edition is free and carries adverts; there is also an app for iPhone and iPad.
A first sitting
Draw one long downhill with a small ramp at the end. Press play, watch where the rider lands, and adjust the ramp three times.
Where to stop
A finished run you like is the stop. Save it, play it once more, and close the tab.
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