Featured: ChessAir Hockey Online:
Free 2 Player Game
Slide your mallet, smash the puck off the rails and score in your rival's goal. First to 7 wins.
Drag your mallet with a finger or the mouse. Arrow keys or W A S D work too.
How to play Air Hockey
Grab your mallet
Your blue mallet sits at the bottom of the table. Drag it with a finger or move the mouse, it follows you anywhere in your own half.
Strike the puck
Swing into the red puck. A fast swing sends it flying, a still mallet only blocks it. Bounce it off the side rails for angles.
Score in the top goal
Knock the puck through the dark slot at the far end. Your rival's pink mallet tries to stop it and shoots back at you.
First to the target
Pick first to 5, 7 or 10 goals. After each goal the player who let it in gets the puck on their side to serve.
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Rules and scoring
Air hockey is played on a slick table with a goal slot at each end. Each player has one mallet and must keep it in their own half, behind the pink centre line. The puck can travel anywhere, and it keeps gliding until friction slowly calms it down or it hits a mallet, a rail or a goal post.
A goal counts the moment the whole centre of the puck crosses the goal line inside the slot. That player scores 1 point and the game pauses for a second while the GOAL! banner shows. The puck is then placed, still, on the side of the player who conceded, and play resumes at once. That player serves by hitting it whenever they are ready.
The first player to reach the target wins the match. You choose the target on the home screen: first to 5 for a quick game, first to 7 for the classic length, or first to 10 for a longer battle. There are no draws.
The puck reacts to how you hit it. A mallet that is standing still just deflects the puck, a slow push nudges it, and a fast swing passes its speed on and sends the puck flying up to its top speed. Bounces off the rails keep most of their speed, so bank shots are a big part of the game.
Computer levels
| Level | How it plays |
|---|---|
| Easy | Slow mallet, late reactions and plenty of mistakes. Good for kids and first games. |
| Medium | Reads straight shots and attacks a slow puck. A fair challenge for most players. |
| Hard | Reacts fast, predicts bank shots, defends the slot and aims at the open side of your goal. |
| Fair play | The computer follows the same rules as you: a top mallet speed, its own half only, and no peeking at the future. |
Your wins are saved on this device for each level, so you can see how far you have come. Pause any time with the pause button, Space or Escape.
Tips and strategies
Stay home first. Keep your mallet between the puck and your goal, a little in front of the slot, and only move up to attack when the puck is slow or clearly on your side. Most goals come from a mallet that chased the puck and left the slot open.
Use the rails. A straight shot at the goal is easy to block, but a puck that bounces off a side rail arrives at an angle the defender has to read. Aim the bounce so the puck meets the goal line near a post, and change between straight shots and bank shots so your opponent cannot settle.
Hit through the puck. Speed comes from your swing, so start a short distance behind the puck and move through it in one quick motion, the way you would follow through with a racket. Hitting it from the side sends it across the table instead of forward.
Control before you shoot. When the puck comes in fast, let your still mallet take the pace off it, then line up your shot while it slows down on your side. A calm second is worth more than a wild hit that bounces straight back at you.
Play a friend online
Choose Play a friend, enter your name and press Create a room. Share the 6 character code or the invite link, and your friend joins from their own phone, tablet or computer. The host picks first to 5, 7 or 10 in the room and starts the match. Both players see the table from their own end, so you always defend the goal at the bottom of your screen. The host's game runs the physics and keeps the official score, your own mallet moves instantly on your screen, and goals and hit sounds play on both devices. After the match the host can start a rematch, and the first serve swaps sides.
Why play air hockey online?
Air hockey is fast, simple and fun at any age. A match takes a few minutes, it sharpens your reflexes, hand and eye coordination and your sense of angles, and the three computer levels let you improve step by step. It runs in your browser with nothing to install and no account, and a quick online match is an easy way to play with a friend who is far away.
Air Hockey FAQ
Is Air Hockey free to play?
Yes. Air Hockey is completely free and runs in your web browser on phones, tablets and computers. There is nothing to download and you do not need an account.
How do I move my mallet?
Drag it with one finger on a touch screen, or move the mouse over the table on a computer. You can also click the table and use the arrow keys or W A S D. Your mallet always stays in your own half.
How many goals win a match?
You choose before the match: first to 5, 7 or 10 goals. The default is first to 7. In an online room the host picks the target in the room before starting.
Who serves after a goal?
The player who let the goal in. After a short pause the puck is placed, still, on their side of the table and play resumes, so they get the first touch.
How hard is the computer?
Easy is slow and makes mistakes, so kids can beat it. Medium is a fair challenge for most players. Hard reacts fast, predicts bank shots and attacks the open side of your goal, but it has a top mallet speed and stays in its half like you.
How do I play air hockey with a friend online?
Choose Play a friend, type your name and press Create a room. Share the 6 character room code or the invite link. Your friend enters the code and taps Join room, then the host starts the match.
Can I pause the game?
Yes, against the computer you can pause with the pause button, Space or Escape, and the game also pauses by itself if you switch tabs. Online matches cannot be paused, because the clock runs for both players.
Why does a fast swing hit harder?
The game measures how fast your mallet is moving when it touches the puck and passes that speed on. A still mallet only deflects the puck, a quick swing through the puck sends it flying up to its top speed.
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