About the game
Swallow the City is a free 3D arcade game that runs in your browser. You are a small black hole on a city street. Swallow pedestrians and traffic cones, grow big enough for cars and trees, then houses and shops — and keep going until you can take down skyscrapers. In the finale the hole spreads across the whole city and everything falls in.
The city is stylised but detailed: procedurally generated building facades with rows of windows, road markings and zebra crossings, paved sidewalks, parks and traffic. Things don't just vanish into the hole — they tip over the rim, tumble and crash into each other on the way down.
It plays well on phones: press anywhere and drag, and that spot becomes your joystick.
How to play
- Pick a skin and a mode on the title screen — eight skins, from ice blue to starry night.
- Eat what fits. Only things smaller than the opening fall in, and only once most of their body is over the hole. The line under the progress bar tells you what you can swallow right now.
- Grow. The more you eat, the wider the hole gets — and the faster you move and the further the camera pulls back. Tall buildings close to the camera fade out so you can always see the opening.
- Finish the city. In Start mode (no time limit), eat 90% of the city to trigger the finale. The minimap in the top-right shows which buildings are left.
Three modes
- Start — no time limit. Swallow the whole city; finish within 5 minutes for three stars or 8 minutes for two.
- Time Attack — three minutes to eat as much as you can: 25%, 55% and 90% of the city earn one, two and three stars.
- Battle — 2½ minutes against three AI holes of different strength. The biggest hole wins. A hole at least 8% wider can swallow a smaller one whose centre drifts into its opening.
Tips
- Clear small things first: pedestrians and street furniture are what get you to car size.
- Sweep along streets — traffic and parked cars are a fast way to grow.
- In Battle, watch the name tags: run from holes bigger than you and hunt the ones a little smaller.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Touch & drag | Move the hole. Where you press becomes the joystick centre; drag further to go faster. |
| Mouse drag | Move the hole on a computer, the same way. |
| W A S D / arrow keys | Move the hole with the keyboard. |
| Colour ring (title screen) | Pick one of eight skins. |
| ♪ · Pause · Sound | Toggle the music, pause the game, toggle sound effects. |
Screenshots
FAQ
Is Swallow the City free?
Yes. It is free and runs in your web browser on phones, tablets and computers — no download, no install and no account.
How do you play Swallow the City?
You are a small black hole in a city street. Anything smaller than the hole falls in once most of it is over the opening. Eat more to grow: start with pedestrians and traffic cones, then cars, trees, houses, shops, office blocks and finally skyscrapers.
What game modes are there?
Three. Start has no time limit: eat 90% of the city to trigger the finale, where the whole city falls in, and earn stars for finishing in under 5 or 8 minutes. Time Attack gives you 3 minutes, with stars at 25%, 55% and 90%. Battle lasts 2½ minutes against three AI holes, ranked by how much each hole has swallowed.
Can holes eat each other?
Yes, in Battle mode. A hole at least 8% wider can swallow another one when that hole's centre is inside its opening. The winner takes half of the loser's size, and the swallowed hole respawns a few seconds later.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Press anywhere on the screen and drag — the spot you press becomes the joystick, so you can steer with one thumb. It works in portrait and landscape.
What language is the game in?
The game is available in English, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, French, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian, Indonesian, and Filipino. It follows your browser language automatically, and you can switch with the language menu (🌐) on the title screen.
Is my progress saved?
Your fastest time, best Time Attack result, Battle wins, chosen skin and sound settings are saved in your browser on this device.
What is it built with?
It is a WebGL 2 game built with three.js, with cannon-es physics for objects tumbling into the hole. The city and its buildings are generated procedurally, and the music and sound effects are synthesized live with Web Audio.
Updates
Now in 11 languages
The game now speaks 11 languages: the 10 most widely spoken in the world, plus Filipino. It follows your browser language automatically, and you can switch with the language menu (🌐) on the title screen.
Physics, battle mode and skins
Objects now tip over the rim and tumble into the hole with real physics. New Battle mode against three AI holes, eight skins and a live-synthesized soundtrack.
The first city to swallow
A tiny hole grows from eating pedestrians to swallowing skyscrapers, ending with a finale where the whole city falls in.
Credits
Rendering by three.js and physics by cannon-es, both MIT licensed. The city, buildings and props are generated procedurally, and all music and sound effects are synthesized in real time — the game uses no external art or audio assets.
