Achtung, die Kurve!: the curve game, then and now
Achtung, die Kurve! ("Watch out, the curve!") is a multiplayer game from the 1990s in which every player steers a line that never stops, and the last one moving wins. It is also known as Zatacka, from the Czech "Bacha! Zatáčka". Coil Clash is a free game in the same style that you can play online today.
The rules
- Each player controls a curve that keeps moving, using just two keys: one turns left, one turns right.
- The curve leaves a line behind it, and touching any line or the wall knocks you out of the round.
- At random moments the line breaks, leaving a gap that a skilled player can slip through.
- Every time someone crashes, everyone still alive scores a point, and the game runs until someone reaches a target that grows with the number of players.
Where it came from
The game was made by Filip Oščádal and Kamil Doležal from the Czech Republic. It first appeared on the Amiga in 1993 and was released for MS-DOS as freeware in 1995. It built on an earlier Czech game, Červi ("Worms"), and added the gaps that make it what it is. Up to six people could play on one keyboard, and it became a favourite in school computer rooms and at LAN parties across Europe, with fan tournaments from 2004.
What came after
- Curve Fever (2011, by ZaaaK, Geert van den Burg and Robin Brouns) brought it online, with power-ups. Curve Fever 3 followed in 2016 and Curve Fever Pro in 2018, which is now on its way to Steam.
- Fan remakes keep it alive in the browser, in open source and on phones. A list of the ones you can play today.
How Coil Clash plays it
- Up to 8 players online, free, with no sign-up. Bots fill empty seats, so you can always play.
- Classic mode has no power-ups at all, like the original. The other modes add 19 power-ups.
- Works on computers and phones. Up to 4 people can also share one keyboard offline. How.
- Survival scoring as in the original, plus team modes, ranked ladders and private rooms for friends.
Questions
Is Coil Clash the original Achtung, die Kurve!? No. It is an independent game in the same style, made by one developer, and is not connected to the original authors or to Curve Fever.
Can I play it on my phone? Yes: Coil Clash runs in the browser on phones, with on-screen arrows.
Deutsch? Diese Seite auf Deutsch.
Coil Clash is an independent game and is not affiliated with the makers of Achtung, die Kurve! or Curve Fever.