Air Hockey
Air Hockey
Shoot the puck into the other goal; against the computer or two players on one screen.
Sports · 1-2 players
How to play
Move your mallet around your half and send the puck into your opponent's goal. Bank it off the walls to find an angle and never leave your goal open. The first to seven goals wins. Play the computer at three difficulty levels, or put the phone on the table and play head to head.
- 1Move your mallet around your half with the mouse, your finger or the arrow keys.
- 2Hit the puck fast to send it harder; bank it off the walls to fool the keeper.
- 3If the puck enters your goal your opponent scores, then the puck is yours.
- 4The first to seven goals wins.
Keyboard
Against the computer, play with the mouse, the arrow keys or W A S D. In two-player mode the bottom player uses the arrow keys and the top player uses W A S D. Esc pauses.
Touch screen
Drag your mallet with your finger. For two players, put the phone or tablet on the table and each play on your own half.
Controller
The left stick or D-pad steers your mallet around your half and Start pauses the match. In two-player mode a second controller takes over the top mallet, so both of you can face off with gamepads.
Your high scores and progress are stored only in this browser; clearing browser data resets them.
About Air Hockey
Air Hockey takes the humming arcade table you remember from game rooms and gives it a neon glow. A tall rink, two mallets and a single puck are all you get, and the fun lives in how the puck caroms off the rails and arrives at the goal from angles nobody expected. Matches are short, so it suits a quick break as well as an evening of rematches.
The physics were built with care. The puck advances in the same tiny time steps on every device, so a modest phone and a fast desktop see exactly the same trajectory. The air cushion slowly bleeds off speed; a puck hitting a still mallet bounces back softly, while a mallet swung into it adds its own momentum and sends the shot flying. Rounded corners keep the puck from getting stuck.
The three computer opponents genuinely play differently. The easy one reacts late and misses often, the medium one is balanced, and the hard one responds almost instantly, moves fast and loves bank shots off the side walls. Two players on one screen is just as satisfying, whether with family or a friend across the table.
Strategy and tips
- Strike while your mallet is moving toward the puck rather than waiting for it; your own speed is added to the hit, which shortens your opponent's reaction time.
- Straight shots are easy to block. Aim at a side rail and let the puck rebound toward the goal — the hard opponent in particular eats straight shots for breakfast.
- After attacking, pull your mallet back in front of your own goal at once. An empty net is an invitation for a fast counterattack.
- When the puck drifts toward you slowly, there is no need to rush; the cushion is already slowing it. Take a moment to pick your angle.
- If the puck gets pinned between a wall and your mallet, the mallet is the one pushed away. Slide sideways to free the puck and hit again from a fresh angle.
- Learn your angles on easy, tighten your defense on medium, and move to hard only once bank shots have become second nature.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does a match last?
- The first player to score seven goals wins. Whoever concedes gets the puck back, so the trailing side can strike right away.
- How do two people share one screen?
- On a computer the bottom player uses the arrow keys and the top player uses W A S D. On a phone or tablet, lay the device flat between you and each player drags in their own half.
- Are my wins remembered?
- Yes. Victories against the easy, medium and hard opponents are stored in your browser and shown when you pick a difficulty.
- Can a fast puck pass through a mallet?
- No. Even at top speed the puck moves far less than its own radius per step, so it cannot tunnel through a mallet or a goalpost.
