Tack Line

Tack Line is a powerboat slalom racing game built on a real boat simulation. You drive a small outboard speedboat through a course of buoy gates against five computer-driven rivals, and the first boat across the finish line takes the race. THROTTLE, WHEEL AND BRAKE Hold the Throttle pad to open the outboard and let the hull climb onto the plane. Hold the large Left and Right pads to steer, and hold the Brake pad to put the drive astern and scrub off speed before a buoy. At full throttle the boat needs a wide circle; ease off and it turns much tighter, so every gate is a choice between speed and line. THREAD THE GATES Each course is a slalom of six to ten gates that sit alternately left and right of the track, followed by a straight run to the finish. Pass between the two buoys of every gate to score it. Overshoot and you have to come back for it. Touch a buoy or another boat and you lose speed while the engine recovers. WATER THAT FIGHTS BACK Head-on chop slows the hull, a side wind pushes it off line, and patches of rough water break up your run. A compass shows the bearing to the next buoy and whether the boat is driving, sliding or going astern, and an arrow at the edge of the screen points to a gate you cannot see yet. THE TOUR 15 meetings across three venues: Harbor Bay, Pine Lake and Open Water. Each meeting is two or three races. Finish on the podium, win the meeting or sweep every race to earn up to three stars, and collect stars to open the next venue and climb from Rookie to Commodore. THE BOATYARD Pennants earned in races buy four upgrade lines over five levels: - Outboard: more thrust off the buoys and a higher top end. - Hull Finish: a smoother bottom that drags less through the water. - Steering: a tighter circle at speed, with trim tabs from level 3 that cut the slide. - Nav Radar: marks the patches of rough water on the course. The Boatyard measures your boat after every upgrade: top speed, time to get on the plane and turn radius. PRACTICE WATER Pick an open venue and a wind strength and drive five gates with no rivals and no clock. A COACH ON THE FIRST RACE The first race walks you through throttle, steering, braking before a buoy, scoring a gate and keeping clear of contact, one step at a time. RACE LOG Your races, wins, podiums, fastest start, top speed and recent results are kept on the device. OFFLINE, NO ACCOUNT There is no advertising, nothing to buy and no sign-in. The game works without an internet connection and your progress stays on your phone.