How to play Paddle Ball
Paddle Ball is a one-on-one duel. Your paddle is the blue one on the left; the computer controls the pink paddle on the right. Pick a difficulty from the menu, press Play, and the ball is served from the centre of the table after a short blink.
Move your paddle up and down to meet the ball. On a computer the paddle follows your mouse, or you can use the Up and Down arrow keys or W and S. On a phone, touch the table and drag up or down. The ball bounces off the top and bottom edges, so you can use angles to your advantage.
The point where the ball touches your paddle controls the return. Meet it in the middle and it comes back fairly flat; catch it near the top or bottom edge and it shoots off at a sharp angle. Every time either paddle returns the ball, it travels a little faster, so long rallies get very quick.
If the ball gets past a paddle, the other player scores a point and the next serve goes toward the player who lost the point. The first to 7 points wins the match. The Rally counter shows how many returns have been made in the current point, and your longest ever rally is saved on this device as your best. You can pause with P, Esc or the Pause button, and the game pauses itself when you switch tabs.
Controls
| Desktop | Move the mouse up and down, or use the Up/Down arrow keys (or W/S) to move your paddle; Space to start; P or Esc to pause |
|---|---|
| Mobile | Touch and drag up or down anywhere on the table to move your paddle |
Tips and strategy
Return from the edges
A flat return straight down the middle is easy for the computer to handle. To win points you need angles.
- Meet the ball with the top or bottom third of your paddle to send it off steeply.
- Steep shots bounce off the side walls and arrive at awkward heights, which stretches the opponent.
- Mix flat and angled returns so the computer cannot settle into a rhythm.
Get back to the centre
After each return, drift your paddle back toward the middle of the table. From the centre you can reach any shot; from the corner you are one sharp angle away from losing the point.
Read the bounce early
- Watch the ball as soon as it leaves the opponent's paddle and picture where it will hit the wall.
- Moving early and making small corrections is better than lunging at the last moment.
- The ball speeds up with every return, so in long rallies start moving even earlier.
Pick the right difficulty
- Easy: the computer reacts slowly and often misjudges the ball. Good for learning angles.
- Normal: a fair match that punishes lazy returns.
- Hard: fast reactions and precise positioning. You will need sharp angles and fast rallies to break through.
Chasing a long rally
If you are going for your best rally rather than the win, do the opposite of attacking: return the ball gently from the centre of your paddle and keep it in the middle of the table. Mouse control is the most precise on a computer, and on a phone a slow, steady thumb works better than quick swipes.
About Paddle Ball
Bat-and-ball games based on table tennis are among the very first video games. Simple versions ran on laboratory equipment and early home consoles, and a coin-operated table tennis game in the early 1970s helped launch the arcade industry. The genre showed that just two paddles, a ball and a score could make a gripping contest.
Part of its charm is that it is easy to understand at a glance: move up, move down, do not let the ball past. Yet the ability to angle shots and the steadily rising speed give it real depth, whether you are playing a friend or a computer opponent.
Paddle Ball on PlayNook is our own original version built from scratch for the browser. It features a computer opponent with three difficulty settings, rallies that speed up with every hit, angle control based on where you strike the ball, and controls for mouse, keyboard and touch screens.
Frequently asked questions
Which paddle is mine?
Yours is the blue paddle on the left side of the table. The pink paddle on the right is controlled by the computer.
How does the difficulty setting change the game?
It changes how quickly the computer reacts, how fast its paddle can move and how accurately it judges where the ball will arrive. Changing difficulty starts a new match.
Why does the ball keep getting faster?
Every return adds a little speed, up to a limit. When a point is scored the ball resets to its normal serving speed.
What does Best rally mean?
It is the highest number of returns, by both players combined, that you have reached in a single point. It is saved in your browser on this device.
