🏓

Pong

The original arcade classic. First to 7 points wins the match.

Easy

You: 0CPU: 0First to 7

Pong

About Pong

Pong is where video games began in earnest: Atari's 1972 table-tennis cabinet, built by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise, became such a hit in its test bar that it jammed with quarters. Two paddles, one square ball, endless rally — it proved that the simplest possible sport simulation could hold a crowd, and every paddle game since lives in its shadow.

This version is a first-to-7 match against the computer on a dark arcade court, your blue paddle on the left, the red CPU paddle on the right. Three difficulties shape the contest: they set both the serve speed and how fast the computer paddle can travel, with Hard also tracking the ball even when it is moving away. The rally physics keep you honest — the ball gains 4% speed with every paddle hit, and striking it off-centre bends its flight with spin-like angle, so long rallies get genuinely frantic. You can drive your paddle with the mouse, a touch drag, or the arrow/W/S keys, and each new serve pauses briefly so you can reset your position.

How to Play Pong

Pick a difficulty (Easy, Medium or Hard) and press Start Match. The ball serves from the centre after a brief pause.

Move your blue paddle on the left with the mouse, a finger drag, or the ↑/↓ (or W/S) keys to intercept the ball.

Bounce the ball back past the red computer paddle to score a point; if it passes you, the computer scores. The next serve is then aimed at the player who just conceded the point.

The ball speeds up by 4% on every paddle hit, and off-centre hits change its angle — use the paddle's edges to aim for the corners.

The first side to 7 points wins the match and the final score is displayed. Press Play Again for a rematch.

Controls

Mouse / Touch dragMove your paddle to the pointer's height

↑ / WMove your paddle up

↓ / SMove your paddle down

Difficulty selectorSet CPU paddle and serve speed (Easy / Medium / Hard)

Start Match / RestartBegin a fresh first-to-7 match

Tips & Tricks

💡Return to centre after every return. The longest distance you can be caught covering is half the court — from the centre, both corners are equally reachable.
💡Angle is your weapon: meet the ball with the top or bottom quarter of your paddle to send it diagonally into the far corner, especially on Hard where the CPU's only weakness is travel distance.
💡Vary your return heights. The CPU tracks the ball's current position, so a late change of angle (from an edge hit) is harder for it than raw speed.
💡On the serve, hold still for the half-second pause — the ball's first direction is random, and pre-committing to a corner is how cheap early points are conceded.

Pong — Frequently Asked Questions

What do the difficulty levels change?+

Difficulty sets the computer paddle's top speed (about 3.1, 4.4 and 6.2 pixels per frame on Easy, Medium and Hard) and the serve speed. On Hard the CPU also shadows the ball while it travels away from it, so it is nearly always in position — angles become essential.

How long is a match?+

First to 7 points wins. There is no win-by-two rule, so 7–6 is a final score. Matches typically last a few minutes, shorter on Easy where the CPU concedes often.

Does the ball really keep speeding up?+

Yes — every paddle hit multiplies the ball's velocity by 1.04, and your off-centre hits also add vertical angle. Rallies therefore accelerate until someone misses, which is why late-rally points feel so different from the opening exchanges.

Can two people play Pong here?+

This version is single-player against the computer at three difficulty levels. For a shared-device two-player game, try Checkers or Connect Four, which both have full 2 Players modes.