Air hockey

What is Air hockey?

Air hockey is the arcade table game where a flat puck floats on a cushion of air blown up through hundreds of tiny holes. With almost no friction it flies off the rails at startling speed, and two players, one at each end, try to knock it into the slot of the other's goal while guarding their own.

Here you play it against the computer on a glowing table: your mallet is teal and defends the bottom goal, the computer's is rose and defends the top. Three levels of opponent are on offer, from a slow keeper who rarely sees a bank shot coming to one that reacts fast and aims for the open corner, and every day brings a Daily match with the same serves for everyone.

How to play Air hockey

Touch the table to start. You serve first, with the puck waiting on your side.

• Your mallet. Drag it with your finger, or move the mouse: it follows, but it never crosses the centre line into the computer's half. The arrow keys or WASD move it too.
• Scoring. Knock the puck into the computer's slot. A goal counts only once the puck is all the way in; one that bounces off a post stays in play.
• Serves. Whoever lets a goal in serves next, with the puck placed on their side of the table.
• Seven seconds. A puck that stays seven seconds in one half goes over to the other side's serve, so strike rather than hold it.
• Winning. The first to 7 goals wins. A match also has a six-minute clock: if it runs out first, the side ahead wins, and a level score is a draw.
• On a phone held sideways the table lies across the screen, your goal on the left, and the score and the clock move to the side.

Tips and strategy

1. Guard the middle first. Between shots, sit in front of your goal, centred on it. Most shots that go in were struck while the defender was off to one side.
2. Hit through the puck. A mallet that is still moving when it meets the puck sends it fast. Line up behind it and follow through toward where you want it to go.
3. Use the rails. A bank shot off a side rail comes in at an angle the keeper has to read late. The easy computer barely sees them coming.
4. Aim away from the mallet. Shoot for the corner of the slot on the side the computer is not covering.
5. Do not chase into the corners. A puck trapped against your back rail is easy to knock into your own goal. Come at it from the side and push it out along the rail.

Frequently asked questions

Is Air hockey free?

Yes. Like every game on Play, it runs free in your browser, with no download and no account.

Why does my mallet stop at the centre line?

That is the rule at a real table: each player keeps to their own half. The puck may cross, your mallet may not.

How is my score worked out?

100 points for every goal you score. A win adds 300, plus 100 for every goal short of 7 the computer stayed, so a 7 to 0 win is worth 1700. A draw adds 150; a loss keeps only your goals.

What is the Daily match?

Every day everyone gets the same serves against the same computer, so the scores compare directly on the leaderboard.

Can I play with a mouse or a keyboard?

Yes. With a mouse, click the table once and your mallet follows the pointer. On a keyboard, the arrow keys or WASD move it.