JACKKNIFE

Trailer parking, the game. Back a real articulated rig into the bay — reversing is mirrored: steer left, the trailer goes right. Overdo it and you jackknife.
←→ steer  ·  ↑ drive  ·  ↓ reverse  ·  Space brake
G guide line  ·  R reset rig  ·  3 stars: parked, clean, under par.
A jackknife costs a rig pip and 250 pts. Grab the $, dodge forklifts, chain perfect docks for up to ×2.

Best: 0  ·  stars + time bonus = score

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About Jackknife

A parking game with a truck and trailer. Back an articulated rig into marked bays, through cone slaloms and round blind corners. When you reverse, the trailer goes the opposite way to the wheel, and if the angle gets too sharp the rig jackknifes. Each level has three stars: parked, clean, and under par time.

How to play

  • Desktop: ↑/↓ or W/S to drive and reverse, ← → to steer, Space to brake.
  • Press G to show where the trailer is heading.
  • To finish, get the trailer fully inside the bay and stop.
  • Jackknifing costs one of your three lives and 250 points. Lose all three and the run ends.
  • Grab the $ bags for points (get them all for a bonus) and the wrenches to repair your rig.
  • Three-star parks in a row raise your score multiplier, up to ×2. Watch out for forklifts.

Tips

  • Go slowly. Every jackknife starts with too much speed.
  • Steer in short nudges, then straighten and look.
  • Start straightening the wheel as soon as the trailer swings the way you want.
  • If the angle gets past about 45°, pull forward and try again.

FAQ

Is it free? Do I need an account? It's free, paid for by ads. No account: you only type a name if you want to post a score.

Does it work on a phone? There are touch controls, but it's really a desktop game. The steering needs a keyboard.

Why does the trailer go the wrong way? That's how reversing a trailer works: it mirrors your steering. Turn the other way, then straighten to follow it.

More games like this

  • Overstack — another game about placing something exactly right.
  • Castaway — slow, deliberate, and punishing about mistakes.
  • Sonar — manoeuvring carefully with incomplete information.

Or read How to get better at browser arcade games — one of our write-ups on how these games are built and how to play them better.