Breakout
Paddle, ball, bricks โ the 1976 classic with levels and lives.
About this game
Clear the wall: the paddle follows your mouse, finger or arrow keys, and where the ball strikes the paddle sets its angle โ centre sends it up, edges send it out steep. Clear a level and a faster one builds itself. Three lives, best score saved on this device.
From Atari 1976 to your browser
Breakout's origin story is Silicon Valley scripture: Atari asked for a single-player Pong, Steve Jobs took the job, and Steve Wozniak designed the board in four sleepless nights โ the chip-count bonus Jobs under-shared is its own legend, and the duo's next project was Apple. The design's durable insight is the paddle-angle mechanic: because impact position sets trajectory, the paddle is an aiming instrument, not a wall, and the skill ceiling is choosing where the ball goes next. The classic technique worth stealing: break one column at the edge, thread the ball above the wall, and let it demolish the top rows from behind โ the move the 1976 cabinet made famous. Arcade siblings here: Snake, 2048 and Minesweeper, with reaction time as the aptitude test.
Frequently asked questions
How do I aim the ball?
With the impact point: dead-centre bounces straight up, and each step toward a paddle edge steepens the exit angle โ up to 60ยฐ. The paddle is an aiming tool, not a wall.
What's the classic winning technique?
Tunnel one edge column, get the ball above the brick wall, and let it bounce along the top demolishing rows from behind โ the famous line-clear of the original cabinet.
What's the connection to Apple?
Atari hired Steve Jobs to design the original board; he brought in Steve Wozniak, who built it in four nights. Their next collaboration was the Apple I.
Do levels get harder?
Each cleared wall rebuilds with an extra row and a faster ball. Lives don't replenish โ three is the whole budget, so early levels are for banking score safely.