A physics arcade game
Dolphin Beyond
A one-thumb physics arcade game by Halfdan Harring. Build speed under the waves, launch into the sky, chain tricks and tailslides, and ride the momentum from the ocean all the way to space.
What is Dolphin Beyond?
Dolphin Beyond is a fast, skill-based arcade game built around a single idea: one dolphin, one thumb, one axis. You control the angle of your dive and launch, and everything else — speed, height, tricks and score — flows from how well you read the water.
It is designed and developed by Halfdan Harring, an independent developer from Aarhus, Denmark. The game runs in your browser and is built for iPhone as a native app.
How you play
Dive to build speed, then time your launch off the surface. A clean entry back into the water keeps your momentum and raises your speed cap; a sloppy slap resets it. The better you flow, the higher and faster you go.
- Tricks — front flips, back flips and corkscrews score points, and repeating the same trick is worth less each time, so variety wins.
- Tailslides — stand the dolphin on its tail along the surface, then pop for a speed-scaled launch.
- Starslides — in space, ride the star rails to bank a boost and reach the next milestone.
- Ocean to space — climb past the sky and out through the real solar system, from the ocean to the stars.
How it is built
Dolphin Beyond runs on a hand-rolled, fully deterministic physics engine: the same input always produces the same run, which is what makes fair leaderboards and replays possible. It is rendered on a single Canvas2D layer for a smooth 60 fps.
The stack is React, Vite, TypeScript and Tailwind CSS on the web, packaged for iPhone with Capacitor, and backed by Firebase for verified scores — the same production stack Halfdan Harring uses across his other apps.
Inspired by Dolphin Olympics
Dolphin Beyond is an independent homage to Dolphin Olympics and Dolphin Olympics 2 — the classic Flash games created by Alan Rawkins. Those games defined the "build speed, launch, and chain tricks" feeling that Dolphin Beyond carries onto modern phones and the web.
It is a tribute, not a copy. The code, art and sound in Dolphin Beyond are original, and the game is not affiliated with or endorsed by Alan Rawkins or Rawkins Games.
Frequently asked questions
Who made Dolphin Beyond?
Dolphin Beyond is made by Halfdan Harring, an independent app and game developer from Aarhus, Denmark.
Is Dolphin Beyond free to play?
Yes. You can play Dolphin Beyond for free directly in your browser, and it is built for iPhone.
What kind of game is it?
It is a one-thumb physics arcade game about building speed, launching off the waves, chaining tricks and travelling from the ocean to space.
More from Halfdan Harring
Dolphin Beyond is one of several products built by Halfdan Harring. Explore the rest of his work and his other sites: