Guide
How to play the lions game
Short answer
The lion runs by itself. You move between three lanes with the arrow keys or a swipe, jump rocks and logs, slide under low branches, and collect coins in an unbroken line to build a multiplier. One unprotected crash ends the run.
Your first run, step by step
Seven steps and you have the whole game. Nothing here is optional reading - there is no tutorial inside the game because there is nothing more to learn than this.
Open the game
Go to the play page and press Play. Nothing is downloaded and no account is needed - the savanna is generated as the run starts.
Change lane to dodge
The lion runs forward on its own down 3 lanes. Press the left or right arrow (or A and D), or swipe sideways, to move across. This is the only way past a boulder or a termite mound.
Jump the low obstacles
Press Space, W or the up arrow, or swipe up, to jump rocks, logs and thorn bushes. The jump peaks at about 1.75 metres, which is exactly enough for everything marked jumpable.
Slide under the branches
Hold the down arrow or S, or swipe down, to slide under a low branch. The slide lasts 0.62 seconds and ends the moment you let go, so hold it until the branch is behind you.
Keep the coin line clean
Collect coins in an unbroken line to build the combo multiplier (2x at 10, 3x at 25, 5x at 50 coins). Only a coin missed in your own lane breaks the streak, and every 25 clean coins bank a save that absorbs one of those misses.
Use the power-ups
Run into an orb to trigger it: magnet, shield, double coins or speed boost. Each one shows its own timer on the HUD, and picking the same one up again refreshes the timer instead of stacking it.
Beat your own distance
One unprotected crash ends the run. Your best score, best distance and local leaderboard are saved in this browser, so the target for the next run is the one you just set.
Controls
| Move | Keyboard | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Move left | ← or A | Swipe left, or the ◀ button |
| Move right | → or D | Swipe right, or the ▶ button |
| Jump | ↑, W or Space | Swipe up, or the ▲ button |
| Slide | ↓ or S (hold) | Swipe down, or hold the ▼ button |
| Pause / resume | Esc or P | The ❙❙ button on the HUD |
| Confirm a menu | Enter | Tap the button |
On a phone the on-screen buttons appear automatically. Swipes and buttons do the same thing, so use whichever you prefer.
What is on the track
Six obstacle types, each with a real collision box. The generator checks every row before it appears and always leaves a survivable lane.
Rock
Jump over it
Stands 0.95 units tall.
Fallen log
Jump over it
Stands 0.78 units tall.
Thorn bush
Jump over it
Stands 1.32 units tall.
Low branch
Slide under it
Hangs from 0.82 units up, so there is a gap underneath.
Boulder
Change lane - it cannot be cleared
Stands 2.1 units tall.
Termite mound
Change lane - it cannot be cleared
Stands 2.4 units tall.
Power-ups
Orbs float at chest height in one of the three lanes. Each one shows a timer on the HUD while it is running, and there are at least 320 metres between spawns.
Magnet
Pulls every nearby coin straight to the lion for 8 seconds.
Shield
Absorbs one crash. The bubble shatters and you keep running.
×2 Coins
Doubles the value of every coin you grab for 10 seconds.
Boost
A 6 second sprint that smashes straight through obstacles.
Picking up the same power-up again refreshes its timer rather than stacking it. The shield is the exception: it waits until it is used.
Tips for a longer run
Hold the slide key. A slide lasts 0.62 seconds and ends the moment you let go, so hold it until the branch is behind you.
Tap slide in mid-air to fast-fall. It is the quickest way to get back on the ground for the next jump.
A jump request made just before landing still fires, and you keep a fraction of a second of jump grace after leaving a ledge - so early inputs are not punished.
Coins sitting high in the air mark a jump arc. If a line of coins climbs, jump into it and you collect the whole run.
Passing an obstacle inside 0.78 of a unit scores a close call. Threading the gap is worth more than taking the safe lane.
Take close calls back to back. Each one within 70 metres of the last extends the chain, and the chain multiplies the reward up to x4.
Grab the magnet before a coin cluster, not after. It pulls coins in from 7 metres for 8 seconds.
Common questions
How do you play the lions game?
Four moves, one lion:
- Change lane to dodge anything you cannot clear - the track is 3 lanes wide.
- Jump rocks, logs and bushes.
- Slide under low branches.
- Collect coins in an unbroken line to build a combo multiplier, and grab power-up orbs when they appear.
There is no menu to manage and nothing to buy. Distance and a clean coin line are the whole game.
What are the controls for the lions game?
Keyboard: left/right arrows or A and D to change lane, up arrow, W or Space to jump, down arrow or S to slide, Esc or P to pause, Enter to confirm.
Touch: swipe left, right, up or down, or use the large on-screen buttons at the bottom of the screen. Both input methods are live at the same time, so a laptop with a touchscreen accepts either.
Can I clear every obstacle by jumping?
No. Rocks, logs and bushes can be jumped, low branches have to be slid under, and boulders and termite mounds cannot be cleared at all - those force a lane change. Because every row is checked before it appears, at least one lane is always open, so a jump is never the only answer.
Why did my coin combo reset?
A combo counts coins collected in an unbroken line. If a coin passes the lion in the lane the lion is actually in, that counts as a miss and the streak restarts. Coins in the other two lanes are ignored, so changing lane to dodge an obstacle never costs you the streak - only leaving a coin behind in your own lane does. One exception: every 25 coins in a clean line bank a combo save, and the next miss in your lane spends that save instead of wiping the streak. You can hold 1 at a time, and the HUD says "save ready" while you have one.
Does the shield save me every time?
No. A shield absorbs exactly one crash, breaks visibly, and then gives you 1.1 seconds of recovery before you are vulnerable again. A second hit without a fresh shield ends the run. Picking up a second shield while one is already up does not stack them - the shield simply waits until it is needed.
What ends a run?
A crash, and nothing else. There are no vital meters to run dry, no timer and no lap limit. Hit an obstacle without a shield and the run is over, your score is totalled and the game offers you the leaderboard and a restart. Hit one with a shield up and you keep going, minus the shield.
Does the lions game save my progress and work offline?
Yes to both, locally. Your best score, best distance, total coins, number of runs, audio setting and local leaderboard are written to your browser's localStorage as they change - there is no account and nothing is uploaded, so clearing site data clears your records. A service worker caches the game's own files after your first visit, so it keeps working with no connection, and you can add it to your home screen as an installable app.
Keep reading
- The lions game explained
What the game is, how a run develops and how it compares with lion RPGs.
- Survival and obstacles
Why every obstacle row is survivable, and the numbers behind the guarantee.
- Full FAQ
Every question about the lions game, answered in one place.