Gridlock Getaway A free car jam puzzle: clear the jammed lot
Tap toy cars, buses and trucks to drive them out of a jammed lot. Bump another vehicle and you lose a heart.
About Gridlock Getaway
Gridlock Getaway is a free online traffic jam puzzle you can play in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer. A top-down parking lot is packed with glossy toy cars, buses and trucks, and every vehicle points one way. Tap one and it drives forward until it leaves the lot, with a puff of tyre smoke and a whoosh. If another vehicle is in the way it drives up to it, bumps, honks and rolls back, and you lose one of your three hearts. Three bumps and the level is lost, so read the jam before you tap.
The twists are what make the lots tricky. Buses and trucks are three cells long, so they block more of the lot. Parked cars wear a number badge and must leave in order: number 1, then 2, then 3. Lane gates sit on the roads out of the lot, and they open for three moves and then close for three, so timing matters. Tap Wait to pass a move without driving and let a gate change. Every level is checked by a solver before it ships, so there is always a way out, and the solver also knows the fewest moves a level needs. Match that number and you earn all three stars.
The Journey has 150 levels in four districts: City Centre, Sunny Beach, Snow Pass and Night Market, each with its own lot and scenery. Lots grow from a tiny four by four with three cars to a seven by eight lot with fourteen vehicles, four gates and five parking numbers. Every tenth level is a lighter relief level so you can catch your breath. A new daily jam arrives every day for everyone, scored by the fewest moves, with a streak counter for coming back. Stars unlock new car skins in the garage: Sunny Side, Cool Breeze, Night Shift and Rainbow.
Two boosters help when you are stuck. Undo takes back your last move, even a bump, and gives the heart back. Hint highlights the best next move from wherever you are, even after mistakes. You start with three of each, earn more by clearing levels with three stars, and can watch a short ad for more.
Tips: look for vehicles whose road is already clear and drive those out first, because each one that leaves frees the next. Follow the little arrows on the roofs to see which way each vehicle goes. Count moves when gates are in play: a gate that is open now may be closed after three more taps. If every vehicle you can reach is held up by a closed gate, Wait costs no heart. A level takes one to three minutes, loads instantly, works with touch, mouse or keyboard, and saves your progress automatically.
How to play
Tap a vehicle to drive it forward until it leaves the lot. If something is in its way it bumps and you lose a heart; three bumps lose the level. Numbered cars leave in order. Gates open for three moves and close for three; tap Wait to pass a move. Clear the lot in the fewest moves for three stars. On a keyboard, move the selection with the arrow keys or A and D, drive with Space or Enter, undo with U, hint with H, wait with W and restart with R. P or Esc pauses and M mutes.
Controls and devices
- Controls: Touch, Mouse, Keyboard
- Works on: phones, tablets and computers
- Screen: portrait orientation
- Price: free, no download or sign-up
FAQ
- Is every level solvable?
- Yes. Every Journey level and every daily jam is checked by a solver before you play it. The solver also finds the fewest moves, which is the target for three stars.
- How do the three stars work?
- Three stars for clearing the lot in the fewest possible moves, two stars for one move more, and one star for any clear. A bump counts as a move, and so does a Wait. Undo takes a move back.
- What do the lane gates do?
- A gate blocks its lane while it is closed. Gates open for three moves, then close for three, and so on. Every tap that drives or bumps counts as a move, and so does Wait, which passes a move without costing a heart.
- How do I unlock more car skins?
- Collect stars. Sunny Side opens at 12 stars, Cool Breeze at 40, Night Shift at 90 and Rainbow at 150. Pick a skin in the Garage from the main menu.
- Does my progress save?
- Yes. Your stars, boosters, car skin and daily streak are saved on this device, and to your account when you are signed in.
Credits
- Game design, code and sound: Playora Games
- Generated art: UI skin, vehicles, lot backdrops, thumbnails: Codex CLI image tool (OpenAI)