Some of the best phone games need exactly one finger. Helicopter JetPack from Andrey Ushakov is one of them: press and hold to fly your jetpack, let go to fall, collect the gems and stay clear of the burning asteroids. We wanted that loop without the install, so we built Thrust Lab, a stripped-down jetpack runner that plays right here on this page. It’s free, there’s nothing to download, and you don’t sign up for anything.
Play Thrust Lab now
Tap Play to start. Hold anywhere on the screen to rise, release to drop. Sound is off until you switch it on.
How to play
Your pilot flies forward on its own. You control one thing: the jetpack. Press and hold on a touch screen, or hold Space, the Up arrow, W, or the mouse button on a desktop. Let go and gravity takes over. The floor and ceiling are safe to touch, so slide along them if you need a breather.
Amber zappers and missiles are the hazards. Touch one and the run ends, with no blood and no fuss. Coins sit along a path that threads each gap, so following the trail keeps you alive and adds to your score. Distance counts too.
The layout comes from today’s date, so everyone gets the same lab on the same day, and it changes at midnight. Finish a run each day to grow your day streak. Your best score and streak are saved in your browser’s local storage. Nothing leaves your device.
How it compares to Helicopter JetPack
Thrust Lab keeps the part that makes this genre work: one input, constant forward motion, and a run that lasts a minute or less. The first twenty seconds are easy on purpose, then the gaps narrow and the pace picks up. A failed run should always feel like your own mistake, so every pattern is built so a clear path exists.
We left out a lot. Helicopter JetPack has its own art, its own gem-and-asteroid setup, and a difficulty its own description calls nearly impossible. We copied none of that. Thrust Lab has a lab setting we drew ourselves, coins instead of gems, and one shared daily layout instead of endless random ones. There are no unlockable characters, no shop, and no ads.
If you enjoy it, the original is the better next stop. It is a proper Android game you can keep on your phone, and its difficulty is a different flavor from ours. Think of our version as the quick browser taster.
Get the full game
Helicopter JetPack is a free Android game. Tap and hold the left or right side of the screen to fly, collect the green gems, and avoid the asteroids.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play Helicopter JetPack in a browser?
We know of no official browser version of Helicopter JetPack, which is an Android game. The game on this page, Thrust Lab, is our own original jetpack runner built around the same hold-to-fly idea, and it runs in any modern browser on phone or desktop.
Is this the real Helicopter JetPack?
No. Thrust Lab is an original game we built, inspired by hold-to-fly jetpack games. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the publisher of Helicopter JetPack. All art and sound in our version are original work, and the download link above points to the Android app.
Is it free?
Completely. There are no ads, no purchases, no accounts, and no tracking. Your best score and day streak are stored in your browser’s local storage and are never sent anywhere.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded, the game makes no further network requests, so it keeps running through a dropped connection. If you want a game on your home screen, install the Android app.
Why is the lab the same every run today?
The obstacle layout is generated from today’s date, so everyone flies the same course on the same day. That makes scores comparable: if a friend reports 1,200 points today, you faced the exact same zappers. A new course arrives at midnight, which is also how your day streak grows.
What are the controls?
Hold anywhere on a touch screen, or hold Space, the Up arrow, W, or the mouse button on desktop. Release to fall. There is also a mute toggle in the top bar if you want sound.
