Gali Glow guide: every favour, oil and a 100% night
To light the whole colony in Gali Glow, light the main galis first, pick up every oil bottle you pass, then work into the park, godown, back gali and rooftops one diya at a time, because each diya lights the way to the next. Do every neighbour's favour for oil, catch the cat for a rangoli piece, and hang the akash kandil last.
What is Gali Glow?
Gali Glow is a free pixel-art adventure for Diwali, which falls on Sunday 8 November in 2026. The power has gone out across a whole colony, and you play a kid with a matchbox and a bottle of oil. Between 7 pm and midnight (about fifteen minutes) you walk the galis relighting diyas, help the neighbours and look for secrets. It runs in the browser on computers and on phones held sideways.
Controls
| Input | What it does |
|---|---|
| WASD or arrow keys | Walk |
| E, Space or Enter | Light a diya, talk, pick something up |
| M | Map of the colony |
| Q | Your list of favours |
| Esc | Pause |
On a phone, walk with the stick on the left and tap the hand button on the right. The map and favours buttons sit at the top.
How does light work?
Every new diya costs one spoon of oil and lights up the area around it. Most of the colony is merely dark: you can walk there with your little flame. Four places are too dark to walk into: the park, the old godown, the back gali behind the temple and the rooftops. You can only step onto ground that a lit diya reaches, so you go in one diya at a time. Light the one at the entrance, walk to the edge of its glow, light the next, and so on. The diyas inside are placed so that each one lights the way to the next.
If you ever stand somewhere that goes dark (the cat!), you can always walk back out.
Where does the oil come from?
You start with 14 spoons. Oil bottles hidden around the colony hold three each, and every neighbour you help pays you in oil. Catching the cat is worth three more. Over a whole night there is just enough oil for every diya in the colony, with a little to spare, so pick up every bottle you see. If you run out, Mummy's oil tin at home always gives one spoon when you're empty, so you can never get stuck.
The neighbours' favours
A yellow ! over someone means they need you.
- Sharma Aunty (main gali, by your street): her phone is somewhere in the dark park. Light your way in from the little lane south of the main gali. Reward: 4 oil.
- Pinky (on the rooftops, up the ladder from the main gali): she wants sparklers. Get them from Raju's phuljhadi stall in the bazaar and bring them back up. Reward: 3 oil, and her sparklers light the roof.
- Gupta-ji (mithai shop in the bazaar): take his box of laddoos to Pujari-ji at the temple. Reward: 7 oil from the temple.
- Pujari-ji (temple steps): after the laddoos he gives you the akash kandil, the star lantern for the water tank.
- Dadaji (your courtyard): his glasses are in the old godown past the chowk. The doorway is dark, so light it first. Reward: 4 oil.
The six rangoli pieces
Five are hidden around the colony: one on the rooftops, one by the park wall, one behind the temple, one deep in the godown and one in a corner of the bazaar. The sixth is on the cat. The cat lives in the godown and prowls the lit galis knocking diyas over (relighting them is free). It's a little slower than you: when you see it, run at it. The first catch drops the rangoli piece and a bottle of oil.
When should I hang the kandil?
The kandil can go on the hook at the water tank once 60% of the colony is lit, and hanging it ends the night with fireworks. Your score is mostly the share of the colony you lit (up to 10,000 points), plus 400 per rangoli piece, 300 per favour, 200 for the cat and 10 for every minute left before midnight. A diya is worth far more than a few spare minutes, so for a high score, light everything first and hang the kandil last. If you reach midnight with at least half the colony lit, you still win.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gali Glow free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with nothing to install.
Does it save my night?
Yes, as you play, in your browser. Choose Continue on the menu to pick up where you left off.
What happens at midnight?
The power comes back. If at least half the colony is lit, the fireworks start and you win; otherwise the night is lost.
How do I get on the leaderboard?
Create a free account (18+) and finish a night with at least half the colony lit. Your best score and your best share of the colony lit go on the boards.
Free browser gameGali GlowA pixel-art Diwali adventure: the power is out across the colony and you relight it one diya at a time. Light opens the way, the neighbours need favours and the cat keeps knocking diyas over.▶ Play free
