Air Hockey
Move your mallet around the bottom half of the table. First to 7 goals wins, against a computer at four levels.
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How to play air hockey
- Choose Easy, Medium, Hard or Expert.
- Drag your mallet around the bottom half of the table with your mouse or finger.
- Hit the puck into the computer’s goal at the top; first to 7 goals wins.
About this game
Move your mallet (the one in the bottom half) with a mouse or by dragging with a finger — it can't cross the centre line. The puck bounces off a mallet as off a moving wall, so a fast swing through it sends it flying and a still mallet just blocks. Score by getting the puck into the computer's goal at the top; whoever reaches 7 goals first wins the match.
The computer plays properly: it reads where the puck is heading (bounces included) and stands between it and its goal, lines up behind the puck and strikes through it, aims away from your mallet, and plays bank shots off the side walls. The levels change how quickly it reacts, how fast its mallet moves, how hard and accurately it shoots and how well it reads your shots: Easy is beatable while you learn, Medium is a fair fight, and Hard and Expert will punish a loose defence.
Questions about air hockey
Can my mallet cross the centre line?
No. Like the real game, each player stays in their own half.
How do I score more goals?
Hit the puck off the side walls at an angle; bank shots are harder to defend than straight ones.
How hard is the computer?
There are four levels. Easy is slow, follows the puck rather than guarding its goal, and aims at the middle; Medium guards better and aims for the corners; Hard and Expert read your shots, react almost instantly, and shoot hard into the corners or off the walls.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Drag your mallet with a finger; on a computer, just move the mouse.