ICY TOWER — FROSTBOUND
How to play Frostbound.
Frostbound is a free, Icy Tower-inspired browser game. Run to build momentum, jump through a frozen cathedral, and stay above the rising frost. Play solo, try a daily tower, or race a friend online.
Play in your browserControls
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Move | A / D or ← / → |
| Jump | Space, W, or ↑ |
| Pause | Escape or P |
| Begin / retry | Enter |
On a phone or tablet, hold left or right with one thumb and tap JUMP with the other. Release jump before the next jump. Portrait and landscape layouts are supported.
Climb higher, one landing at a time
- Build momentum. A running jump reaches higher ledges than a standing jump.
- Use the walls. Release and tap jump while airborne beside a wall to launch up and away.
- Keep the chain. Land on new higher floors within 3.8 seconds to extend your combo.
- Stay ahead of the frost. Automatic scrolling starts at floor 5 in Classic and Party and accelerates as you climb.
- Watch the tower. Crumbling ledges, falling icicles, and frost bats make later floors more demanding.
Start with Menu → Guided practice to learn with movement tips and no automatic frost chase.
Choose your climb
Open Menu on the title screen to choose a mode or the daily tower.
- Classic
- Build momentum, chain jumps, and climb before the rising frost catches you. Completed runs can be submitted to the Classic leaderboard for replay verification.
- Party
- Lower gravity, pink spring platforms, and crystals that grant eight seconds of double jumps. Release and press jump again in midair for the extra jump. Party has its own leaderboard.
- Practice
- Learn with guided tips and no automatic frost chase. Hazards remain, and falling into the frost still ends the run. Practice runs are unranked.
- Daily tower
- Everyone gets the same Classic tower for each UTC date, with unlimited retries. Your best attempt is saved in this browser. Daily runs can join the Classic leaderboard; there is no separate online daily ranking.
Race a friend
Choose a name, hat, and sweater, then create a private 2–4 player lobby and share its invite. Everyone sees your name and chosen kit. Pick a finish floor from 5–100, a one-, two-, three-, or five-minute limit, and optional shoves. You can edit your name and kit in the lobby before getting ready. Everyone in the room readies up to start. Falls return you to the last five-floor checkpoint, and equal verified floors draw.
Dodge frost bats and falling ice as you climb. After a hit or checkpoint recovery, a brief shield protects you from obstacles and shoves.
With shoves enabled, press E or the shove button while facing a nearby friend. Race results stay separate from solo rankings.
Open the race lobby →Frequently asked questions
What is Icy Tower — Frostbound?
Frostbound is a free, independent Icy Tower-inspired 2.5D browser game set in a frozen cathedral. Build momentum, jump between ledges, collect crystals, and climb above the rising frost. It is a browser prototype with no original game assets or affiliation with the original Icy Tower.
Do I need to download anything or create an account?
No download or account is required. Play in a browser with JavaScript and WebGL enabled. Leaderboard submissions use a public display name without a login.
Can I play on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Touch controls support portrait and landscape layouts. Hold left or right with one thumb and tap JUMP with the other. Touch devices start in Performance quality; quality, sound, music, and reduced motion are available under Menu → Settings.
How do I jump higher and keep a combo?
Run to build momentum before jumping. Release the jump key or button before jumping again. While airborne beside a wall, release and tap jump to launch up and away. Land on new higher floors within 3.8 seconds to keep a combo. Automatic scrolling starts at floor 5 in Classic and Party.
Can I race a friend online?
Yes. Open Menu → Race a friend, create a private two-player lobby, and share the invite. Choose a finish floor from 5 to 100, a time limit, and optional shoves. Both players ready up before the race; falls return you to the last five-floor checkpoint. Race results are separate from solo leaderboards.
Where are my records, outfits, and ghosts saved?
Personal progress, unlocked outfits, daily bests, and your saved ghost stay in this browser and do not sync across devices. Clearing browser storage resets them. Scores you submit to the online Classic or Party leaderboard are stored separately on the server.