An air traffic control game puts you in charge of the airspace rather than flying an aircraft. You read a radar display, talk to pilots, and decide where every aircraft goes. In Talk to Tower you issue headings, altitudes, speeds, approach clearances, and handoffs while keeping aircraft separated from each other.

What does an approach controller actually do?

An approach controller owns a volume of airspace roughly 30 to 40 miles around one airport. Arriving aircraft enter that airspace high, fast, and not aligned with the runway. The controller turns, descends, and slows each one until it can intercept the runway ILS beam, arranges the arrivals into one evenly spaced stream, then transfers each aircraft to the Tower controller who issues the landing clearance.

How does the ILS work?

The Instrument Landing System transmits two radio beams from the runway. The localizer indicates whether an aircraft is left or right of the runway centreline. The glideslope, normally angled at 3 degrees, indicates whether the aircraft is above or below the correct descent path. When an aircraft captures both beams, its autopilot follows them down to the runway.

Why do aircraft need vectors to the ILS?

The ILS beams are usable only from a narrow window: approximately 10 to 14 nautical miles from the runway, within about 30 degrees of the runway heading, and below the glideslope. An aircraft arriving too high or crossing the centreline at a steep angle passes through the beam without capturing it. Positioning aircraft inside that window is the controller core task.

What am I looking at when the game starts?

A radar scope with the airport at the centre. Each moving symbol is a simulated airliner labelled with its callsign, altitude, and speed. A dashed line extending west of the airport is the ILS approach path for runway 27. You select an aircraft, then talk to it.

Do I need aviation knowledge to start?

No. The guided training shift assumes you know nothing and explains each concept at the moment you first need it. The aviation logic is realistic, but the pacing and feedback are designed for a first-time player.

Can I play this air traffic control game with my voice?

Yes. Talk to Tower is built around push-to-talk voice clearances and spoken pilot readbacks. Keyboard input is always available, so the complete game works if you would rather not speak or cannot grant microphone permission.

Is Talk to Tower realistic?

It uses recognizable approach-control procedure: real callsigns, absolute headings, altitude and speed assignments, separation minima, localizer and glideslope capture, and Tower handoffs. Mumbai runway geometry and the ILS procedure are projected from published charts. It is a game and a training aid, not certified software, and is not for operational use.

Is the game free, and do I need an account?

The web beta is free to start and guest play requires no account. You can optionally create a controller account to keep career progress across supported devices.

Can I play on mobile?

The web game runs in modern desktop and mobile browsers, and the desktop version is a wide information-dense console. A dedicated Android build exists, with iOS planned; both use the same voice-first control concept.

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Open an issue on the GitHub repository at github.com/aliacollins/talk-to-tower/issues. Bug reports, phraseology corrections from controllers, and airport requests are all welcome.

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

A game about the people
who keep the sky moving.

Talk to Tower is an independent, voice-first air traffic control game created by Arpan Jha. It makes the thinking behind Approach control understandable without pretending to be operational software.

CREATORArpan Jhagithub.com/aliacollins ↗

STATUSIndependent public betaProject repository ↗

ACCESSFree guest playTake the frequency →

WHY IT EXISTS

Real ideas.
Readable pressure.

Air traffic control is compelling because every instruction changes a shared system. Talk to Tower keeps that responsibility—the callsigns, headings, separation, sequencing, ILS capture, and handoffs—then makes the feedback immediate enough for a first-time player.

What it is

A strategy game built around voice and keyboard clearances.
A beginner-readable interpretation of Approach control.
A public beta that can be played as a guest.

What it is not

Not a live air traffic display.
Not certified training or operational aviation software.
Not a replacement for real-world procedures or instruction.

OPEN DEVELOPMENT

See who is behind it.

The creator profile and project repository are public so players can identify the work, follow development, and report issues without guessing who operates the game.

CREATOR PROFILE ↗PROJECT & ISSUES ↗

Real ideas.Readable pressure.

What it is

What it is not

See who is behind it.

Real ideas.
Readable pressure.