Earn to Die
- Genre Racing games
- Players 1
- Session 10 min
- Price Free
- Updated
Earn to Die starts with a man on top of a water tower, a pair of binoculars and a desert full of the dead. Somewhere ahead an evacuation helicopter is waiting, and the counter in the corner of the screen tells you exactly how far: a little over three thousand feet on the first morning. The only way to cover it is by car, and the only car you can afford with your opening $500 is a rusty Small Hatchback. Day one ends a few hundred feet down the road with an empty tank, the cash for that distance is added up, and you are back in the garage bolting a propeller or a roof-mounted rifle onto the wreck. This is the 2012 Flash original by Toffee Games, released through Not Doppler, in the edition marked Now with Super Wheel. Every later entry in the series grew out of this short, stubborn loop of driving, failing and upgrading.
| Up arrow | Accelerate |
|---|---|
| Down arrow | Brake |
| Left and Right arrows | Tilt the car backward or forward in the air and on slopes |
| Esc | Open the in-game menu during a drive |
| Mouse | Pick a save slot, buy cars and parts, press Go |
How to play Earn to Die
- Press Play, then New Game, and choose one of the three empty save slots. Skip the short intro if you like.
- In the garage open Buy new car and take the Small Hatchback for $500, which is exactly your starting cash.
- Press Go. A popup lists the controls; confirm it, hold Up and drive right along the desert road.
- The run ends when the fuel needle hits zero or the car stops. The Day complete card shows distance money and any stunt bonus.
- Back in the garage, click the six part slots around the car (boost, weapon, engine, fuel, wheels, gearbox) and spend the cash, then go again until you reach the helicopter.
Tips
- On day one the hatchback earned $109 for 185 feet, so the $1500 propeller and the $2300 rifle are several days away. Cheap fuel and wheel steps pay off first.
- Use the tilt keys in the air to land on all four wheels; a car stuck on its back is a wasted day.
- The Old Good Pickup costs $25,000 and the Cool Heavy Truck $200,000, so plan to drive the hatchback for a long time and upgrade it fully.
- Zombies standing in the road sap your speed, so keep the throttle down when a group appears instead of slowing for it.
Questions about Earn to Die
Is this the first Earn to Die?
Yes. This is the 2012 Flash game where the goal is a helicopter in the desert. Earn to Die 2012 and Earn to Die 2 came later and have their own pages here.
Does my progress save?
Yes. The game asks for one of three save slots when you start, and Load Game on the title screen picks the run up again in the same browser.
What is Challenge on the main menu?
A separate mode listed under New Game. The main story is the New Game route described above.
Do the App Store and Google Play buttons matter?
No. They are part of the original game screen and point to the mobile version; the browser game is complete without them.
Can I play it on a phone?
No. Driving needs the arrow keys, so play on a computer with a keyboard.
