Airtime

Summary

Airtime is a great addition for the OG gamers out there, as it looks (and plays) like a 1990s PC racer you’d have loaded off a floppy disk, and the creator even offers to send you the game on one!

It’s a free, top-down voxel game from hobby developer VirtualHat, built around genuine DOS-era hardware limits (a Pentium MMX, to be exact), along with heavy influences from the likes of plenty of Super Skidmarks, R.C. Pro-Am, and Micro Machines. (If you don’t know any of those, you’ll also wanna check them out.)

You get to throw tail-happy rally-style cars around tight circuits against computer rivals, banging doors, catching air off ramps, and holding silly angles through the corners with physics as good as your favorite modern-day offerings.

Fair warning – there isn’t loads to do in the browser version yet, but it’s a quirky, seriously fun blast of retro sideways action, and it seems the dev is keen to keep it updated.

Features

• Release date – November 2026
• Difficulty – Beginner/Intermediate
• Levels/environments – 2 tracks (4 in the DOS version)
• Number of vehicles – 7
• Vehicle customization/upgrades – Customization only
• Multiplayer – No (experimental in the DOS version)
• Mobile – No
• Developer – VirtualHat

Physics

The cars are super slidy, and the slippery terrain makes it more like a rally game than a circuit racer. It takes a few laps to adjust, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be confidently kicking the back end out, holding massive angles, and not even needing to hit the brakes.

You’ll need to navigate the likes of grass, rumble strips, and hay bales (all of these scrub off speed), so staying on the track (mostly) is the quickest way around.

In the DOS version, it penalizes you for going off track or taking shortcuts. You’ll need to go back to the point where you went off, which makes it much harder.

For another game with a similar top-down vibe to this one, but with more of drift train/tandem focus, make sure you give Arcade Car Drift a try.

Graphics

Think Pentium-era PC game styling, with voxel cars so pixelated you’ll struggle to make out what they are. But it’s all about the classic gaming feel and the super-smooth physics.

Controls

PC/laptop/Chromebook

• W/Up arrow – Accelerate
• S/Down arrow – Brake/reverse
• A/Left arrow – Steer left
• D/Right arrow – Steer right
• Space – Handbrake
• R – Restart
• P – Pause
• Shift+F2 – Slo-mo
• F10 – Graphics

Mobile/tablet (iOS/Android)

Airtime requires a keyboard, so it won’t work on phones or tablets. We’ve got plenty of other mobile games if that’s what you’re after.

How to Play Airtime

Initial Setup

There are two ways to play in your browser. The DOS version of Airtime emulates an entire old-school computer, and it’s the one the developer is focusing on, with more tracks and features. I had heavy frame drops in it, even on low settings, although it worked smoothly for others.

The modern browser version runs natively with the same retro feel. It’s an older build with less content, but it’s the one I played, so it’s what this guide mostly covers.

Prefer downloading instead? The Airtime itch.io page has builds for Windows, Mac, Linux, and DOS. VirtualHat even says he’ll post you a copy on an actual floppy disk if you want the full experience. (Younger readers, you might need to ask your parents).

Getting Started

The menus are keyboard-only, just like the old days. You’ll need to press Enter to select and Backspace to go back (Esc can kick you out of full screen). Just don’t hammer Backspace, or you might close the session.

Press Z to swap cars, from a pickup to something bus-shaped to a few other options that vaguely resemble old-school JDM legends. Their size changes the feel a little, so give them all a go.

Game Modes

The modern (non-DOS/emulator) version has three single-player modes, all using the same two tracks. There’s a tight, crowded figure-eight where everyone’s bashing doors the whole way around, and a bigger course with ramps, jumps, and track-side obstacles.

You can increase the difficulty level if you fancy more of a challenge, though.

Tournament

This was my favorite pick from the browser build.

Choose your paint (shades, striped themes, or custom colors), press D to pick a driver (amusing well-known faces including a familiar “Albert”), and race through three rounds before heading into the final. The final points accumulation tally decides the winner, and only the top three score points in each round.

If you’ve got the difficulty set too easy, and you finish miles ahead, you’ll have to wait for everyone else to cross the line before you can carry on (in case you’re wondering why nothing’s happening, as I did!).

Challenge

A standalone, single race against other competitors, ideal for a quick blast.

Practice

Just you and the track, so you can learn where the sneaky jumps are and chase time attack-style track records without anyone ramming into you.

DOS version extras

The DOS build goes further, with a four-track championship, car specials such as NOS and oil slicks, three hidden cars, and experimental multiplayer.

New track themes and an Arcade mode are planned, so keep an eye on the official Airtime changelog. It seems this is the one the dev is most focused on, but hopefully the browser version will play catch-up too.

Mastered both tracks already? Toy Car Racing has a similar Micro Machines spirit, with five tracks unlocked from the start and rivals that get properly aggressive on Expert. Just don’t get too greedy with the shortcuts, or your car (amusingly) explodes.

Advanced Tips & Tricks

Lift off into the corners instead of braking

Your drifting know-how will undoubtedly come in handy here. Lifting off the throttle into a corner before initiating often scrubs enough speed to slide through without relying on the brakes, and makes it much more fun (and risky!). Don’t be shy with using the brakes when you genuinely need them to secure the victory, though.

Cut the odd corner, but stay off the grass

You can get away with minor shortcuts without much of a penalty (although the DOS build is harsher), so hunting for sneaky lines to cut inside rivals is a cheeky way to steal places.

Run too wide, and the grass and rumble strips will scrub off loads of speed, and the hay bales are surprisingly heavy and bulky.

Check the standings (Tab) before going into the final

Since only the top three score in each Tournament round, consistency is what wins. Press the Tab key to see where you sit overall.

If you’re comfortably ahead going into the final, a tidy podium might be all you need, so you can focus on having fun instead of worrying.

Airtime FAQ