USURPER: Throne of the Chief Pilot

A free roguelike about hangar monsters and airport politics. Climb from the ramp to the corner office.

How to play

• Walk the ASCII map of The Hangar Below with arrow keys, hjkl, the numpad, swipes or the on-screen D-pad. Bump into monsters to fight them.
• Press g to pick up items, i for your inventory, and < or > on stairs. You get 40 dungeon fights per day.
• Topside, shop at the tool crib and pilot shop, heal at the FBO, bank your gold, and train at the Mechanics' Guild.
• Join a crew at the bar, reach level 8, then beat the Standards Captains and the Chief Pilot to take the throne. Hold it for 10 days, or kill the Bureaucrat Dragon on level 50, to win.

Why pilots like it

If you have ever waited on an airworthiness directive, argued about torque values or lost a flashlight inside a cowling, the monsters will feel familiar. Gremlins really do hide in hangars, rust really does win in the end, and the Chief Pilot's decrees about ties are only slightly exaggerated. The helmet lamp even widens your field of view, a small nod to the pocket ADS-B receivers that Stratux pilots carry for better situational awareness.

FAQ

What is USURPER: Throne of the Chief Pilot?

A free browser roguelike. You explore a 50-level procedurally generated dungeon under an airport hangar, then climb the airport's politics until you can challenge and replace the Chief Pilot.

How do I become Chief Pilot?

Join a crew at the bar, reach level 8, then visit the Chief Pilot's Office and beat the three Standards Captains and the Chief in duels. Hold the throne for 10 days to win.

Does the game save my progress?

Yes. Progress saves automatically in your browser. Hardcore mode deletes the save when you die.

Is there a daily mode?

Yes. Daily Depths is a seeded 10-level run that is the same for everyone each day, with its own leaderboard.

More games

Legend of the Red Tail · SQUAWK 1200 · Squawkle · Seniority · All Stratux Arcade games

Curious how real ADS-B traffic works? Read how ADS-B works.