Paddle Ball is a quick duel on a long table: your paddle at the bottom, the computer’s at the top, and one ball between you. Get it past the computer’s paddle to score, and be the first to 7 points to win the match.
The basics
You and the computer each guard one end of the table. When the ball gets past a paddle, the other player scores a point. The first to 7 points wins the match.
The ball bounces off the rails on both sides, so it can come at you from an angle after a bank off the wall.
Controls
On a phone or tablet, drag anywhere on the table to move your paddle left and right.
With a mouse, just move the pointer across the table; the paddle follows it.
On a keyboard, use the left and right arrow keys (or A and D). Space serves, and P pauses.
Tap the pause button, or open any menu, to stop play. Tap the table to carry on.
Serving and scoring
You serve the first ball of the match with a tap. After that, whoever lost the last point serves the next one, after a short pause. When it is your serve, you can tap to send it straight away.
If you leave in the middle of a match, it waits for you at the same score. Starting a new match before this one ends counts as a loss.
Angles and speed
Where the ball meets your paddle sets where it goes: the middle sends it straight back, the edges send it out wide.
Every hit makes the ball a little faster, so long rallies get harder for both of you.
Wide shots that bank off a rail are the hardest for the computer to reach in time.
Difficulty and tips
Choose Easy, Normal or Hard from New game. A harder computer moves faster, reacts sooner and aims more accurately, and the ball starts quicker.
Keep your paddle near the middle between shots so you can reach either side. Aim for the edges of your paddle to send the ball wide, and keep rallies going: the faster the ball gets, the more likely the computer is to misjudge it. Your record for each difficulty shows your wins and your biggest winning margin.