What is Breakout/Arkanoid?

Breakout/Arkanoid is the classic brick-breaking arcade game. Control a paddle to bounce a ball upward and break through rows of colored bricks. Clear every brick to reach the next level, where the ball moves faster and layouts get tougher.

Eight columns across six rows of bricks, three lives, and an ever-tougher ball as you climb. Levels add rows and starting from level three the top rows take two hits to break. Paddle moves with mouse, touch, or arrow keys; press space (or tap) to launch. The best score persists between visits.

How to use

1. Move your mouse or touch the screen to control the paddle left and right
2. Bounce the ball off the paddle to break bricks above — don't let it fall past you
3. Clear all bricks to progress to the next level with faster balls and tougher layouts

When to use

• Five-minute mental break between focused work sessions.
• Practising hand-eye coordination on touchscreens or with a trackpad.
• A nostalgic round of arcade brick-breaking without installing anything.

Result

A player starts with a slow ball and simple brick layout on level 1, then faces multi-hit bricks and faster ball speeds by level 5, aiming for a high score.

FAQ

How do I move the paddle on desktop versus mobile?

Slide the mouse left and right across the playfield, or use the left and right arrow keys. On mobile, drag your finger anywhere over the canvas. The paddle tracks the cursor or finger position rather than fixed jumps.

What changes from one level to the next?

Each level adds another row of bricks (up to six) and a slight ball-speed bump. From level three onwards the top two rows are multi-hit bricks that take two strikes each. The score multiplier also rises with the level.

Does the ball bounce off the paddle at a predictable angle?

The angle depends on where the ball hits the paddle. Centre returns nearly vertical, edges send it out at a wide diagonal. Use the edges to clear corner bricks and aim for the high rows.

Is the best score saved between visits?

Yes. It's kept in your browser's local storage, so the high score survives a reload or coming back tomorrow. Clearing site data wipes it; the score never leaves your device.

Why does the ball sometimes seem to clip through a brick at high speed?

Collision is checked once per animation frame, so at very high ball speeds a brick can technically be passed in one step. The current speed cap is tuned to avoid this, but if you ever see it, lowering the ball speed setting fixes it.

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