FireBoy & WaterGirl

Adventure games move at the speed of curiosity. You arrive somewhere, look around, pick things up, and try to work out what the place wants from you. Sometimes that means a locked door and a hunt for its key. Sometimes it means a conversation or a jump across a gap. Sessions tend to run longer than in other genres, because stopping mid-mystery is hard.

• - AWD to move Watergirl - Arrow keys to move Fireboy - R to restart level

1. 1Walk or tap your way around the first area and touch everything that looks interactive. Doors, chests, signs and characters all count.
2. 2Open your inventory, if the game has one, and try combining or using items on things that seem stuck.
3. 3Follow any marker, arrow or glowing object; adventure games use them to point you toward the next step.
4. 4If you hit a wall, go back to the last place you found something and look again. The answer is usually nearby.

• Free to play, nothing to install, no account needed
• Loads in the browser tab and opens full screen when you press Play
• Plays best with the phone turned sideways or on a wider screen
• Mouse and keyboard controls, with touch support on most devices
• Listed under Adventure

FireBoy & WaterGirl is for people who like to poke at a place until it gives something up. The pace is yours and the reward is a sense of having figured something out. It is free, runs in a browser tab with no download, and remembers where you were on the same device in many cases.

Suits players who enjoy exploring and problem solving, from older children up. Fans of point-and-click classics and story-led games will feel at home. It is less suited to very young children who want constant action.

How do I move around in FireBoy & WaterGirl?

On desktop, arrow keys or WASD usually walk, and clicking interacts. On a phone, tap where you want to go or use the on-screen controls the game provides.

Can I save and come back later?

Many adventure games store progress in your browser, so returning on the same device often restores your position. There is no account sync, so a different device starts fresh.

How long does it take to finish?

It varies a great deal. Some adventures wrap up in fifteen minutes, others take a few sittings. There is rarely a timer, so you set the pace.