How to play Paddle Battle
Two paddles, one ball. You control the left paddle with your mouse, the arrow keys, or your finger; the computer defends the right. Click or press Space to serve. Send the ball past your opponent's paddle to score a point, and defend your own side to deny theirs. The first player to reach seven points takes the match.
Tips & strategy
- Angle your returns. Striking the ball with the top or bottom of your paddle sends it away at a sharp angle that's harder to reach.
- Return to center. After every hit, drift back toward the middle so you can cover both a high and a low shot.
- Move the computer. Vary your angles to drag the AI paddle out of position, then aim for the gap.
- Start early. The rally speeds up with every exchange, so begin reacting sooner as the ball accelerates.
About the game
The two-paddle, table-tennis-style game is widely credited as the title that kick-started the entire video game industry in the early 1970s. Its genius is minimalism: two lines, a moving dot, and a score — and yet the simple back-and-forth rally still delivers pure, head-to-head tension half a century later.