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Classic Arcade

Breakout

Move mouse or touch to control paddle

0
Score
3
Lives

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Breakout puts a wall of bricks at the top of the screen and a paddle at the bottom. A ball bounces between them, and every brick it strikes disappears. Clear the wall without letting the ball past your paddle.

The paddle is the only thing you control, but it does more than block. Where the ball lands on the paddle changes the angle it leaves at, which is what turns the game from reflex into aim.

How to play

  1. Move the paddle left and right with the arrow keys, the mouse, or by dragging on a touchscreen.
  2. Keep the ball in play by intercepting it before it reaches the bottom edge.
  3. Every brick the ball hits is destroyed. Clear them all to finish the level.
  4. Losing the ball costs a life, and the game ends when your lives run out.

Playing with intent

  • Use the edges of the paddle deliberately. Striking the ball with the outer third sends it away at a sharp angle, which is how you reach bricks stacked in the corners.
  • Aim to tunnel up one side. If you can work the ball behind the wall, it will ricochet along the top and clear a great many bricks without your involvement.
  • Track where the ball will land rather than where it is now. Chasing its current position always leaves you a step behind.
  • Return to the centre between hits. A paddle parked in the middle can reach either side, whereas one stuck at an edge cannot cover the far corner.
  • Expect the ball to speed up as bricks clear. The final few are usually harder than the entire first half of the level.

Frequently asked questions

How do you control the angle of the ball in Breakout?
By where the ball strikes the paddle. Contact near the centre sends it back steeply, while contact toward either edge sends it off at a shallower, wider angle.
What is tunnelling in Breakout?
Clearing a narrow channel up one side of the wall so the ball passes behind the bricks. Once it is up there it bounces along the top, destroying bricks rapidly without needing paddle input.
Why does the ball get faster?
The speed rises as you clear bricks and progress through levels, so the game keeps pace with your improving reflexes rather than becoming easier as the wall thins.