Fly Pieter
A fun free-to-play MMO flight sim, made with AI, without any loading screens and GBs of updates every time you wanna play
A fun free-to-play MMO flight sim, made with AI, without any loading screens and GBs of updates every time you wanna play
The game lets players fly planes, engage in dogfights, and explore a simple 3D world—think low-poly cliffs, a runway, and later additions like Mars. Its unpolished, rapid-development charm became a big part of its story. Fly.pieter" is a free, browser-based flight simulator at fly.pieter.com, built by Pieter Levels in three hours using AI tools like Cursor and xAI’s Grok. Launched in February 2025, this minimalist game offers real-time multiplayer dogfights over a low-poly world of cliffs, a runway, and Mars—added after Elon Musk’s viral retweet: “Wow, this is cool.” With simple controls and a $29.99 F-16 microtransaction, it’s chaotic fun, not polished depth. X buzzed with praise for its AI origin and scorn from devs calling it overhyped. By March 5, 2025, it’s a niche hit—proof AI can spark gaming fast.
Browser-Based Gameplay
You play "fly.pieter" directly in your web browser at fly.pieter.com—no downloads or installs needed. Built with vanilla HTML and JavaScript, it’s lightweight and accessible, letting anyone with a modern browser jump in instantly.
Real-Time Multiplayer.
The game uses PeerJS and WebSockets for live multiplayer action. You can fly alongside or dogfight other players in real-time, creating chaotic aerial battles. This social aspect turned it into a viral hit, with X posts showing off mid-air clashes.
Simple Flight Controls
Controls are basic and intuitive—press any key to start, then use your mouse or keyboard to steer (left/right, up/down). There’s no complex setup or tutorial, making it easy to pick up, though some X users called it “clunky” for the same reason.
AI-Driven Development
A standout feature is its origin—built in three hours using AI tools like Cursor and xAI’s Grok. While not a gameplay mechanic, this AI backbone is central to its identity, sparking X debates about the future of game creation.
Minimalist 3D World
The game features a low-poly environment: a runway, jagged cliffs (inspired by Levels’ beach town), and later Mars, added after Elon Musk’s shoutout. It’s sparse and unpolished, focusing on function over fancy visuals.
F-16 Microtransaction
Post-launch, Levels added an optional $29.99 F-16 plane you can buy. It’s a cosmetic upgrade, not a power boost, letting you flex a different ride in the skies. It stirred some controversy on X, but it’s a tangible feature for players who pay.
It’s a free-to-play, multiplayer flight simulator you can play in your browser at fly.pieter.com. Created by Pieter Levels in February 2025, it’s a simple 3D game where you fly planes, dogfight with others, and explore a basic world with cliffs, a runway, and later Mars. It’s unpolished but gained fame for being built in just three hours using AI tools.
Go to fly.pieter.com, press any key to start, and you’re flying a plane. Use your mouse or keyboard to steer (it’s basic—left/right, up/down). You can dogfight other players in real-time thanks to its multiplayer setup with PeerJS and WebSockets. There’s no deep tutorial; it’s meant to be intuitive and messy.
Pieter Levels, an indie developer with no prior game dev experience, used AI tools like Cursor (an AI code editor) and xAI’s Grok to build it. He gave the AI prompts like “make a 3D flying game in the browser,” and within three hours, he had a working prototype in vanilla HTML and JavaScript. The speed and AI angle are why it went viral.
It’s free, but Levels added a $29.99 microtransaction for an F-16 plane after it blew up. It’s cosmetic, not pay-to-win, though some X users griped about it, calling it a cash grab on a “bare-bones” game.
The form has been successfully submitted.
