Paddle Battle
Controls
About this game
Paddle Battle is a soft-pastel refresh of the two-paddle bounce duel that started a whole genre back in the seventies. You control the pink paddle on the left, the blue AI controls the right, and a glowing yellow ball ricochets between you. First side to seven points wins the match. The AI is built to challenge you, not crush you - it tracks the ball with a touch of reaction delay and a small dose of randomness, so it can be beaten, but not by half-effort. The hit angle on each paddle depends on where the ball strikes, so you can deliberately curve shots toward the corners the AI struggles to reach. Mouse, keyboard, or finger drag all feel equally direct. Your best score (your highest player-side total in a winning run) is saved between sessions for a small reward.
Tips & tricks
- Hit the ball with the paddle's edges to send sharper angles - the AI struggles more with steep shots than with straight returns.
- When defending, position the paddle one ball-radius ahead of where the ball is heading, not exactly on it.
- Mouse control beats keyboard for precision, but keyboard wins on stamina. Try both.
- If you fall behind, slow your breathing for one rally - panic loses more points than the AI does.
- Edge hits are riskier but score faster - mix them in when you need to come back from 4-6.
