🏓 Pong Game

How to play Pong

Pong is the original arcade ball-and-paddle game — Atari's first hit and the title that lit the spark for the entire video-game industry. You control one paddle, the computer controls the other, and you bounce a ball back and forth. Miss the ball off your side and the round ends.

Controls

• ↑ ↓ — move your paddle up and down
• Space — start or pause the game
• R — restart after a game over

Tips & strategy

• Aim with the paddle edges. Hitting near the top of the paddle sends the ball up; the bottom sends it down. The center sends it back flat.
• Don't hover at the center. Drift toward the side the ball is heading — early position beats fast reaction.
• Force the angle. A steep return is harder for the AI to chase down than a flat one.
• Use the wall rebounds. A ball bouncing off the top or bottom wall buys you extra read time.

About Pong

Pong shipped from Atari in 1972 as the first commercially successful arcade game, designed by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise for new engineer Nolan Bushnell. The home console version, released in 1975, sold out of Sears in days and kicked off the home video-game market. The mechanic is two paddles, one ball, no instructions — the original cabinet's only direction read "Avoid missing ball for high score."

Frequently asked

How do I play Pong? Press Space to start, then use the arrow keys to move your paddle. Don't let the ball get past you.

Is Pong free? Yes — no signup, no downloads, no installs.

Can I play Pong with two players? This version is single-player against an AI. Two-player mode isn't supported yet.

Does my high score save? Yes — your best Pong score is stored locally in your browser.

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