How to play paddle ball
- Choose whether you want to play against the computer (and at which level) or two players, and tap the court to start. The ball launches on its own after a moment.
- Drag your finger sideways to move your paddle, the bottom one. In two-player mode, the bottom player uses the lower half of the screen and the top player the upper half, at the same time, each with their own finger.
- Return the ball before it crosses your line. If it gets past you, your rival scores a point and the ball is served again after a short pause.
- The first to reach 7 points wins. The ball goes a little faster with every hit, up to a maximum, so long rallies get intense.
Strategy and tips
The angle of your return depends on where the ball hits the paddle: at the center it comes back almost straight and near the edges it leaves on a diagonal, with a sharper angle the farther out it hits. That is your main weapon: the computer takes time to cross the court, so a hit with the edge toward the side opposite its paddle is the best way to win a point.
Wall bounces count: an angled ball bounces off the side and changes sides, forcing your rival's paddle to change course at the last moment. Keep your paddle near the center while the ball moves away and move it to the arrival point as soon as it comes back; there is no need to chase it from side to side.
The easy level moves slowly and makes plenty of mistakes; the medium one tracks the ball well but gets tired by cross-court shots; the hard one is fast and almost never misses, though it is never perfect: now and then it slips, and diagonal shots with the ball already fast are what it struggles with most. Everything runs in your browser and only your wins against the computer are saved on your device.
Things to keep in mind
- Wins against the computer are saved per level only in this browser: if you clear the site data, they are lost. Two-player mode saves nothing.
- To play two players on the same phone you need a touch screen that recognizes several fingers at once (almost all phones and tablets). With a mouse, only one player can move their paddle at a time; with a keyboard, both can play together.
- While you drag your finger on the court the page does not scroll; to scroll down the page, swipe outside the court. The game pauses by itself when you switch tabs or apps.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play two players on the same phone?
Choose "2 players" and place the phone between you. The person at the bottom moves their paddle with one finger on the lower half of the screen, and the person at the top does the same on the upper half. Both can touch at the same time.
Can you beat the computer on the hard level?
Yes. It is fast, but no computer player in the game is perfect: it slips now and then and struggles to reach hard diagonals once the ball is fast. Aim with the edges of your paddle toward the side opposite its paddle.
Why does the ball leave at different angles?
Because the angle depends on where it hits the paddle: at the center, straight; toward the edges, diagonal. Also, every hit speeds it up a little, up to a maximum.
How many points do you play to?
To 7 points. The first to reach it wins, with no need for a lead.
Can I play with a keyboard or a mouse?
Yes: left and right arrow keys (or A and D) move the bottom paddle, and with a mouse the paddle follows the cursor. In two-player mode on a keyboard, the bottom player uses the arrow keys and the top player uses A and D.
Is my progress saved?
Only the number of wins against the computer at each level is saved, in this browser. Nothing is sent to any server and your score is not recorded.