The goal
You all start on a floating platform of hexagonal tiles. A huge ball rolls around it nonstop. The last player left on the platform wins the round. If you fall, you are out until the round ends.
The match: 10 rounds
A match is 10 rounds, one in each of the 10 levels, always in the same order and from less to more. Whoever wins the most rounds wins the match.
Each level changes the biome, the floor type, the sky and the number and starting size of the balls. The first levels have a single ball so you learn to read the platform; the next ones add more balls or make them start bigger. Each round lasts between 1 and 3 minutes.
The floor breaks
Tiles wear down under the players’ weight until they break and drop into the void. That is why you cannot stand still: you have to keep running so the floor does not vanish under your feet. The state of each tile is clear at a glance and does not rely on colour alone: there are cracks and shapes.
The tilt and the ball
The platform tilts in every direction and that tilt is what moves the ball. You control neither the tilt nor the ball: you can only read them. Downhill you run faster; uphill, slower. The ball grows over time until it is giant and ends up throwing everyone off, so watch where it is about to roll.
Items, traps and toy weapons
Power-ups, trap items and toy weapons (grenades, shotguns and machine guns) appear at random around the stage. They push players and the ball alike: they move, they do not hurt. You can also trigger stage traps that shake the ball or your rivals, stop them dead or launch them into the air.
Jumping and pushing
Jump to dodge hits or to land right on top of another player. Push rivals to steer them towards the ball or the edge. Everything runs on physics: players bounce off each other, off the ball and off obstacles, and balls bounce off each other.
Rooms, bots and reconnecting
- From 2 to 8 people play. Whoever creates the room decides whether empty spots are filled with bots.
- Every room has a 4-digit code: share it with your friends so they can join. Rooms can be public or private.
- There are quick messages so you can talk without typing.
- If you disconnect mid-round you are out for that round. You have 30 seconds to come back without losing the rounds you won; if you do not, a bot takes your place.
- You can report cheating, offensive names or repeated leaving from inside the match.
Controls
You play with keyboard and mouse or with a controller. The actions are run, jump, push and use the item or weapon you carry. The exact keys and buttons are shown in the game, under Options > Controls, where you can also change them.
Tips
- Do not stay on a cracked tile: the floor warns you before it falls.
- Use the tilt to your advantage: run down, take it easy going up.
- Do not fight next to the ball. Push your rivals towards it.
- The first levels are for learning. Try free training with no elimination and no score.
Accessibility
Balls includes reduced motion, a flash limit (at most three per second), a separate shake intensity, a dynamic camera you can turn off, a per-player palette designed for colour blindness with teams labelled, and scalable text. Everything is changed in Options.