What is Perigee?
Perigee is a daily gravity puzzle. Every day gives you one level: a probe, a target,
and a few planets sitting in the dark between them. You draw a single aim vector and
let go. From that instant a real n-body gravity simulation takes over and flies the
probe for you. It curves toward the planets, whips around them, and either threads the
target in one clean arc or sails off into empty space. There is no thrust and no
steering. The only thing you control is that first aim, so the whole puzzle is reading
the gravity correctly before you commit.
How to play
- Drag out from the probe to set your aim. A dashed ghost path shows where that shot
would fly, computed by the same physics as the real flight.
- Release to launch, then watch it go.
- Reach the target under par to win, then copy your shot count to share. Prefer the
keyboard? Arrow keys rotate and power the aim, Enter or Space launches, Escape
cancels.
Why it plays differently
- The trajectory is computed, never scripted. Every frame integrates
the pull of every planet in the level, so a slingshot behaves like an actual
slingshot instead of a canned animation.
- You see the physics before you commit. The ghost path runs the real
simulation forward while you aim, so a good shot is a read, not a blind guess.
- One level a day, keyed to the date. Everyone solves the same puzzle
and compares the same par. Five hand-designed levels rotate and repeat.
- It respects five minutes. No account, no install, no clock ticking.
Open it, solve today's, close it.
FAQ
- Is the gravity real or faked?
- Real. The probe's path comes from velocity-Verlet integration of Newtonian gravity
against every planet, recomputed each frame. Nothing about the flight is
pre-animated.
- Do I need an account or a download?
- No. Perigee runs in the browser as a static page. There is no sign-up, no backend,
and nothing to install.
- How is the daily level chosen?
- The level is picked from the calendar date, so the same day always gives the same
puzzle to every player. The rotation cycles through the hand-designed levels and
repeats.
- Can I play without a mouse?
- Yes. The game is fully keyboard-operable: arrow keys aim, Enter or Space launches,
Escape cancels, and the canvas takes focus with a visible ring.
- What happens if I miss?
- The probe resets and you try a new aim. Your shot count is what you keep low against
the level's par.
View the source on GitHub