About Air Hockey
Play air hockey against the computer at Easy, Normal or Hard. It reads the line of the puck, reacts after a moment and makes the odd mistake, like a real opponent.
Air Hockey is the arcade table game where a puck glides on a cushion of air and two players fight to knock it into each other's goal. This version is a portrait table that fits your phone or your desktop: move your mallet with the mouse or a finger, strike the puck, bank it off the rails and slip it past the other mallet. The first player to score seven goals wins the match.
Also called: air hockey 2 player, table hockey.
How to play Air Hockey
- Press Face off. You play the blue mallet at the bottom of the table, and you defend the goal slot at the bottom end.
- Your mallet follows your mouse or your finger wherever you point, as far as the centre line. On a phone, put a finger anywhere on your half and move it. The arrow keys or W A S D work too.
- Hit the puck into the goal slot at the far end. The faster your mallet is moving when it meets the puck, the harder the puck flies.
- After a goal, the puck is served to the side that let it in, and play starts again after a short pause.
- The first to 7 goals wins. Pick the computer's level (Easy, Normal or Hard) above the table, and press Esc or the pause button to pause.
Rules
- Each mallet must stay in its own half. It can reach right up to the centre line, but not across it.
- A mallet has a top speed. If you move your hand faster than that, the mallet catches up a moment later.
- The puck bounces off the rails and the rounded corners, losing a little speed each time, and it slows gently as it glides across the table.
- A goal counts when the puck crosses the goal line inside the slot. A puck that hits the rail beside the slot, or glances off the end of the rail, stays in play.
- When you are the one who let a goal in, you get the next serve: the puck is placed, still, in the middle of your half.
- The match ends as soon as one side reaches 7 goals. There is no time limit and no need to win by two.
- On the same-screen variant, Blue plays the bottom half and White the top. Each player uses a finger on their own half, so two people can play on one phone or tablet. On a computer, the mouse moves whichever mallet is in the half it is over, Blue can use the arrow keys and White uses W A S D.
Air Hockey tips and strategy
- Hit through the puck, not at it. A mallet that is still moving when it meets the puck sends it much faster than one that stops short.
- Use the rails. A bank shot off the side rail comes at the goal from an angle the other mallet is not covering. Aim for the rail about two-thirds of the way up the table.
- Guard the middle of your goal. When the puck is in the far half, keep your mallet a little way in front of your own slot, in line with the puck. You can reach either corner from there.
- Don't chase the puck into the corners of your half. Wait for it to come off the rail, then strike.
- On Hard, the computer reacts fast and hits hard. Feints help: pull your mallet back as if to shoot straight, then cut across the puck toward a rail.
Air Hockey questions
Can two people play on one phone?
Yes. Open the Same screen variant, lay the phone or tablet flat between you, and each put a finger on your own half. The game follows both fingers at once. The top player's score is drawn the right way up for them.
How do I play two players on a computer?
On the Same screen variant, the bottom player (Blue) can use the arrow keys and the top player (White) uses W A S D. The mouse moves whichever mallet is in the half the pointer is over, so one player can use the mouse and the other the keyboard.
How good is the computer?
Easy reacts slowly, moves gently and misjudges where the puck is heading, so it leaves plenty of gaps. Normal reads the puck well and strikes back when the puck is slow on its side. Hard reacts almost at once, lines up its shots toward the corners of your goal and moves quickly. Your wins are counted separately for each level.
Is a match saved if I leave?
Yes. The score and the positions on the table are saved in your browser as you play. Reload or come back later and the match is waiting for you, paused until you tap or press a key.
Is Air Hockey free to play?
Yes. Air Hockey on Kultured Arcade is completely free: no download, no account and nothing to buy. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
Do I need to download Air Hockey?
No. It opens instantly in your browser and saves your progress on your device, so there is nothing to install and no sign-up.