About
Pop Caravan is a free online balloon-popping game that takes your caravan from Istanbul to Xi'an along the Silk Road. The journey has 40 hand-placed stages across eight stops, with five stages at each stop. Along the way, you visit Cappadocia, Konya, Tabriz, Samarkand, Bukhara and Kashgar.
You move across platforms, climb ladders and fire a harpoon straight up. Its rope splits balloons into smaller ones until the tiniest disappear. Clear every balloon before time runs out, and avoid contact with them. Each stop introduces its own twist, including crumbling ledges and breakable stone walls. Balloon drops can give you power-ups or dried fruit for points. Combos and a stage-ending time bonus also add to your score.
How to play
- Move left and right with the arrow keys, and use up and down to climb ladders.
- Press Space or J to shoot a harpoon straight up; press P to pause.
- Hit balloons with the rope to split them in two. Balloons have four sizes, and the smallest vanish when hit.
- Avoid contact with balloons and clear the stage before the timer runs out. You start with three lives and can hold up to nine.
- Collect dropped power-ups and dried fruit. Power-ups include double harpoon, sticky rope, quick crossbow, time stop, slow time, shield, dynamite and extra life.
- Complete five stages at each stop to continue the journey. You can also play with touch buttons or a gamepad.
Tips
- Watch the balloons above you before choosing where to fire.
- Remember that splitting a large balloon leaves two smaller ones to handle.
- Check nearby balloon positions before climbing a ladder.
- Keep an eye on the timer, since clearing the stage with time left earns a bonus.
- Adjust your route when a stop introduces crumbling ledges or walls you can break.
FAQ
Is Pop Caravan free?
Yes, you can play Pop Caravan for free in your browser. No download is needed.
Do I need to sign up?
No, you can play without signing up.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes, it works on phones and tablets with touch buttons, as well as desktop computers. On a phone, the game suggests turning your device sideways.
Is my progress saved?
Your progress and statistics are saved in the browser on this device only. Clearing the site's data removes them.
Do results depend on hidden luck, and what happens at game over?
The 40 stages have fixed, handmade layouts, and drops are seeded, so results do not depend on hidden luck. The same inputs on the same stage give the same result on every device. After game over, you can retry the current stage, with your score reset.