About Gigawatt
Gigawatt is a free isometric puzzle-strategy game about the collision between AI and the power grid. You run an AI data center on a city block: place GPU racks to serve tokens, put coolers next to them before they overheat, and lay cables to the city substation. Every time a new model drops, traffic goes 10x.
The catch is the neighbourhood. The substation that powers your racks also powers the houses next door. Push the load past its limit and the network trips: a blackout, the houses go dark and the neighbours get angry. Batteries soak up spare power, solar panels only work by day, and a gas peaker gives lots of power but its smoke makes people angrier still.
There are eight hand-made shifts, from your first rack to a heatwave and a two-substation finale, plus an endless mode where demand doubles every minute. It was made after forecasts that data center electricity use will grow by about a quarter in 2026. The city block and the company are made up.
How to play
- Place GPU racks next to the substation or connected to it by cables. Each rack serves tokens and earns money, and draws 10 MW.
- Watch Grid load at the top. The substation also feeds the houses; if the load goes over its limit, everything on it trips and the houses black out.
- Cool your racks: from shift 2 racks heat up and catch fire at 100. A cooler right next to a rack takes the heat away, shared between the racks around it; water next to a cooler makes it stronger.
- Use batteries to store spare power for peaks, solar for free power by day, and gas when you must, knowing the smoke angers the neighbours.
- Switch racks off by clicking or tapping them. Serving less can be smarter than a blackout.
- Earn stars: reach the goal, keep the houses lit, and serve half as much again or finish with money to spare.
Controls
| 1 to 6 | Pick rack, cooler, cable, battery, solar, gas |
|---|---|
| Click a tile | Build (drag for cables) |
| Right-click or X | Bulldoze (half your money back) |
| Click a rack | Switch it off or on |
| Wheel / right-drag / arrows | Zoom and pan |
| Space | Pause |
| Esc | Drop the tool or pause |
| Phone | Tap a building, then tap tiles; pinch to zoom; drag to pan (two fingers, or one with no building picked) |
FAQ
Is Gigawatt free?
Yes. It runs in your browser on computers and phones (in landscape), with nothing to install.
Why did my network trip?
Its load went over its supply. The substation also powers the houses, so their load counts too, and evening peaks double it. Add batteries, switch some racks off, or build your own power.
Why did my rack catch fire?
It reached 100 heat. Put a cooler on a tile right next to it; one cooler shared by two racks is enough on most shifts, and water next to the cooler helps.
Is this about a real company?
No. The city block and the data center are made up. The game was inspired by forecasts that data center power use will grow about 26% in 2026.
How do I get on the leaderboard?
Create a free account (18+). Your best score on each shift is added up for the All shifts board, and your best endless run has its own board.
A parody and fiction inspired by real events. Not news or advice, and not affiliated with or endorsed by anyone in the game. Legal & privacy