Air Racer for parents: what the game is like
Air Racer is a 3D plane racing game in the browser for kids from about 8 to 12. The player flies a small race plane through gates over a fjord, a coast and a red canyon, against the clock. There are no weapons, no blood and no game over, and there are no ads. This page lists the facts a grown-up may want before their child plays.
What does the player do?
- Flies a race plane through a line of gates in the air, as fast and as cleanly as possible.
- Follows simple rules at each gate: wings level, wings upright, through a ring, or past a pole on the marked side. Mistakes add seconds; they never end the game.
- Wins Bronze, Silver, Gold or Author medals, which pay coins inside the game.
- Spends coins on three more planes in the Hangar, and wins paints with Gold medals.
- Races a see-through "shadow" of their own best flight, and four friendly rival pilots in the same way.
There are nine courses in all; see all nine courses. Nobody else flies in the same air: there is no live multiplayer, and no chat.
Content notes
- Painted portraits. Grandpa and the rivals appear as painted portraits in the menus, the lessons, guided practice and on the result screen.
- A kind story. Grandpa teaches the player to fly and cheers them on. Four rival pilots (Kite, Bolt, Nova and Blaze) are kind whether they win or lose. Nobody in the story is ever hurt or in danger. There is no war or military backstory. See Grandpa and the rival pilots.
- Crashes. Flying into the ground or a structure shows sparks, fire and smoke on the plane, with a bang. Flying into the water shows a splash. The player just presses Try again. Grandpa's words after a crash are gentle: "Are you OK? Planes can be fixed. Let's try again!"
- No weapons, no blood, no strong language and no gambling.
- Motion. Planes roll, loop and fly upside down, which can feel intense on a big screen. Moving effects: Calm in Settings means fewer sparks, less confetti and no camera shake, and Level horizon keeps the horizon flat.
How much reading is there?
All text is written, with no voice acting. The lessons, Grandpa's lines and the messages in flight use short sentences and everyday words, like "Too slow! Add power and lower the nose." A younger child may need help with the five Learn to fly cards. Grandpa's tips can be turned off in Settings.
How hard is it?
The game starts gently. A guided practice waits for the player at each step, and Helper on levels the wings when the stick is let go. Every course can be finished without a medal, and finishing a course is enough to unlock the next one. Gold and Author medals take real practice. The tips for new pilots help.
How long is a session?
One race lasts about half a minute to a minute and a half. After each race the result screen is a natural stopping point. The game pauses whenever the menu is open, and on a phone or tablet held upright.
Where is progress saved?
The game saves by itself in the browser on the device being used. There are three separate save slots, so siblings can each have their own coins, planes and medals. If the browser blocks saving, for example in a private window, the game says so. When a member starts the game from the Contenta Games portal with a player profile, the game can also keep that progress online, and a small status button shows Saved to cloud or Progress on this device. More on settings and saving.
Ads, purchases and data
- There are no ads in the game.
- There is nothing to buy with real money inside the game. Coins are earned only by flying and buy only planes.
- The game never links out of the Contenta Games portal. The credits for the 3D models and music list their web addresses as plain text.
- The game sends a few play events and error reports to the Contenta Games portal. With a player profile, it also sends saved progress and weekly-race flights there.
- Friend challenges are small files the player saves and shares by hand. They hold the flight, not the player's name.
Devices, controls and languages
- Plays in a web browser on computers, phones and tablets, with no download. It needs a browser that can show 3D (WebGL).
- Keyboard, game controller or on-screen touch controls. On phones and tablets the game is played in landscape.
- Nine languages: English, Swedish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
- Settings include volume, music and effects, a sound on/off switch, Moving effects, camera options, touch sensitivity and graphics quality.
All controls are listed on the controls page.
How to get the game
Air Racer can be tried in a demo. The full game is part of the Contenta Games membership, which opens every game on the portal. See what a membership includes, or browse the guides to all our games.
See also
- The guide's front page: what the game is about.
- FAQ: quick answers to common questions.
- Your first flight, step by step: what the first ten minutes look like.
- Play Air Racer together.
