If you’ve ever pointed at a map and thought, “It’s probably that way,” Red Eye To is going to test that feeling. It’s billed as Wordle for your sense of direction: from a starting city, you point a dial toward the first step of the shortest flight to a destination. You get 25 seconds per round, and a new destination appears every midnight New York time. If you’ve just landed here, here’s how to make your first night useful instead of embarrassing.
What a 25-second round looks like
The core loop is simple, but the timing keeps you honest.
- You’re shown a departure city and the night’s destination.
- Drag the dial to point where you think the shortest route begins.
- Use the arrow keys to fine-tune your heading — hold Shift to adjust in 10° jumps.
- Press Enter to lock in before time runs out.
If you don’t lock in, your heading gets locked wherever the dial is currently pointing. That can be a rough way to learn, so treat the timer as part of the puzzle.
The key is to aim for the first step of the actual flight path, not the direction a flat map would suggest. The real route curves across the globe, so the correct heading can look counterintuitive.
Tip: The globe is centered on your departure city, so every direction from the center is true. The red line shows the shortest route; the dashed line is the flat-map trap. Trust the red line.
How scoring works
Each round is scored out of up to 5,000 points for accuracy, and you can earn a speed bonus of up to 20% if you lock in your heading within 5 seconds.
That means a quick, confident guess can give you a serious boost — but a fast wrong answer won’t save you. Accuracy still makes up the bulk of your score.
After each round, a full report shows your heading, the shortest-route heading, how far off you were, your time, and your points. That’s useful feedback, especially on your first night.
Easy mode: practice without the pressure
Before you dive into the nightly contest, use free play. Easy mode is available there and adds a world map, making it much easier to see where your starting city and destination actually sit relative to each other.
The nightly contest gives you three attempts, and your best score counts. Easy mode is where you can make mistakes without burning those attempts or worrying about tonight’s score.
Free play also includes options like Classic, Rome, Random destination, and Show coordinates, so you can practice different starting situations and get more comfortable with how the dial works.
| Mode | What you get |
|---|---|
| Nightly contest | New destination every midnight, three attempts, best score counts |
| Free play | Practice with different starting-city setups |
| Easy mode | Free play only; adds a world map to guide you |
Your personal bests are saved on the device, so you can watch yourself improve night after night.
Quick beginner FAQ
What happens if I don’t lock in before 25 seconds? Your heading locks wherever the dial is pointing when time runs out. It still counts as your answer, so keep an eye on the clock.
Can I use Easy mode in the nightly contest? No. Easy mode is free play only, but that’s exactly what it’s for — practice before the real round.
How many attempts do I get each night? Three. Your best one counts, so it’s worth learning the interface before competing.
Your first night won’t be perfect — that’s fine. Red Eye To is less about knowing every city and more about noticing where your mental map lies. Use free play, read the flight reports, and let the midnight timer reset your score.
