Acceleration City / Getting started

Acceleration City controls and CoBot guide

Acceleration City combines driving and exploration with a programmable partner called a CoBot. Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy's official description identifies two ways to activate CoBot actions: keyboard events and colored zones on a racetrack.

Start with a short drive

1. Open the game on a computer with a keyboard and a browser that supports WebGL. Let the 3D game finish loading.
2. Choose Continue to preserve an existing session, or New Game when you intend to start over. Read any confirmation before accepting it.
3. Click inside the game, then press W to drive forward. Use the game's help to check other driving controls and your current setup.
4. Explore before attempting a complex route. Find a nearby obstacle, then try using your CoBot to change how you reach it.

Control labels on other game sites disagree. This guide does not assume that Space always jumps, E always activates a CoBot, or C always changes the camera. Check the in-game help and the program you are using.

Make a simple CoBot program

Use the switch in the top-left of the game to open the Blocks editor. Start small: one event and one action. Choose the key or event that should trigger it, then add an available CoBot action. Return to Play and test what happens. Change one thing at a time so you can connect the result to your program.

The official game description includes actions that create ramps or other objects. Your exact choices and shortcuts depend on the version and program in front of you. A key without an assigned action may do nothing.

For an Hour of Code lesson

Use the official Robotics Academy Hour of Code page for teaching context and activities. This independent player guide is not a replacement for the academy's lesson materials or an official school account.

If the game stays blank

• Wait for the 3D files. Opening the source page is only the first step; it does not mean Unity has finished loading.
• Check the browser. Try a current desktop browser with WebGL available. A slow device or disabled graphics support can prevent the game from starting.
• Try the source directly. Open the original CS2N activity to check whether the problem also occurs outside this page.
• Reload carefully. Reload reopens the embedded page; it does not deliberately clear the game's save data, but unsaved progress may be lost.
• Respect network rules. A school or work network may block access. This page does not bypass those restrictions.

Can I play on a phone?

The website adapts to smaller screens, but that does not add a touch controller to the original game. A desktop or laptop with a keyboard is recommended. You can try the original on your device; full mobile gameplay has not been verified here.