You hold to surge the ball and release to coast. Air stays at zero until the whole ball sits more than 20 pixels above the terrain.
Dune Dash Controls
Hold to surge. Release to coast. Keyboard Space held down, a mouse button, or a finger held anywhere on the canvas is the same surge. There is no jump key: that hold is surge, not a tap off the sand. The ball has no left key, no right key, and no crouch: you only surge or coast.
| Action | Input |
|---|---|
| Surge | Hold Space, or hold click / finger on the canvas |
| Coast | Release |
| Jump | None — there is no jump key; hold is surge |
| Move left / right | None — the ball only surges or coasts |
| Crouch | None |
| Restart after Slam or Drift | Release, then press once — a held surge will not restart |
If you keep holding after a Slam or Drift, the next run does not start until you lift and press once. The canvas prints Air at the top left and Peak at the top right, in English. A fullscreen button sits on the same canvas that prints Air and Peak. Space is a hold for surge; Space in Run 3 is the gap-clear input.
How to Play Dune Dash
A score line sits 20 pixels above the terrain. Air does not move until the whole ball sits above that line. Hug the sand and your Air stays at zero. The rate is excess height times 3.2 per second. Height and hang time above the line are your whole score. You have no other way to add Air besides riding above that 20-pixel line.
Air sits at the top left and tracks this run. Peak sits at the top right and stores your best Air in this browser on this machine. Peak stays after you close the tab; it is your best Air. Air starts at zero on the next hold.
The run ends as Slam or as Drift. Slam is a landing whose impact is over the threshold. Drift is speed that carries the ball off the screen. After Play, hold to surge so the first crest can throw you over the 20-pixel line.
Why a Run Ends
A run ends only as Slam or as Drift. Slam fires when the ball hits the dunes with impact over the threshold. That hit is a drop from high Air, or a surge driven into the sand instead of along it. Height above the 20-pixel line builds Air; dumping that height straight down is how Slam starts. Release before the ball falls so the landing stays under the Slam threshold. Land along the face so Slam impact sheds down the dune.
Drift fires when speed carries the ball out of the frame. Hold on the sand cuts ground friction to about 22%, so the hold that builds surge also keeps that speed. Hold in the air adds forward thrust and cancels about 4% of gravity. A long hold at high speed is how Drift starts. Let go to coast before Drift throws the ball out of the frame. The ball cannot steer left or right off Drift; the only brake is release to coast.
Tips for a Higher Score
Air stays at zero until the whole ball sits more than 20 pixels above the terrain. You build speed on the sand first so a crest can throw the ball over that line. Hold on the ground cuts friction to about 22%. Release at the crest so the ball coasts above the 20-pixel line. Hold over the lip and the forward thrust spends that speed along the dune instead of into height.
Once the ball is off the sand, hold again for forward thrust and about 4% gravity cancel, so you reach the next slope. Time the hold so you land along the face and stay under the Slam threshold. A steep hit is Slam. A long hold at high speed is Drift. Hug the sand between crests if you need to bleed speed; you will not add Air there. The ball has no A or D steer: it only surges or coasts. Those keys belong on Escape Road 2.
Dune Dash vs Drift Boss
Hold is surge; hold in Drift Boss is a right turn. Release is coast on the dunes; release in Drift Boss is a left turn on the floating platform. You time the hold to clear the 20-pixel line and the release to keep Slam and Drift off. In Drift Boss you time that hold to keep both wheels on the platform; that hold is not surge.
A miss is Slam or Drift, and that miss zeros Air for the run. Drift Boss ends when one wheel leaves the platform edge; this run does not end that way. Air is excess height times 3.2 per second once the whole ball is above the 20-pixel line. Drift Boss scores distance on the platform and has no Air; you score only Air. Peak in this browser is your best Air.
FAQ
Is Dune Dash free?
Yes, it is free to play, and you do not pay to unlock content.
Can I play Dune Dash unblocked at school?
You can play here if your school has not blocked this domain; if the school filter already blocks this site, you cannot play from school.
Is there a no-ads version?
No. There is no no-ads version.
Is there a Dune Dash 2?
No official control list, score rule, or launch date has been published for Dune Dash 2. Open Dune Dash 2 for the sequel page; that URL does not load a second surge/coast canvas.