Air Hockey 2 player. Bring your quick reflexes.

How to start a 2 player Air Hockey game

1. Open the table on a touch screen. Same device mode restores its saved match when available.
2. Choose your end. Player 1 has the blue mallet; Player 2 has the coral mallet.
3. Press Let’s play. A short face-off pause gives you time to get into position.
4. Slide to strike. Each person moves a finger on their half. Both mallets move at once, and the first player to score 7 goals wins.

Your mallet stays above your finger so you can see it while aiming. Shared-device play needs a multi-touch phone or tablet. On a computer, the play button opens a solo match; choose Play with a friend to invite a second player on another device.

Make room for both players

Set a multi-touch phone or tablet where both people can comfortably reach their end. Keep your finger on your half; your mallet cannot cross the centre line. A wide window turns the table sideways to make better use of the available space.

Slide your finger to steer the mallet above it. Fast movement creates a harder strike, while small movements help keep the goal covered. The visible gap stays above the touch point when the table turns.

On a computer, play online or against the computer by moving the cursor over the rink, without holding a mouse button. For a human opponent on another device, use Air Hockey with a friend. The online overview explains the available modes.

Seven goals settle the match

A goal counts when the puck goes fully through the opening at the opposite end. Shots outside the opening bounce back into play. Side rails and goal posts can change the direction of a shot, so keep defending after a miss.

After each goal, both mallets return to their starting positions and the player who conceded receives the puck. There is a short pause before play resumes. These are casual first-to-7 matches, without a match clock or tournament penalties.

Pause stops a local match immediately. Leaving the tab also pauses it. Use New round to clear the score and start again in the same mode. The complete Air Hockey rules are available before you play.

Try a different angle

A straight shot is easy to recognise. Try bouncing the puck off one side rail so it reaches the other goal from a different direction. Follow the puck after contact, and move your mallet back toward the goal when the attack ends.

Watch the gap between your mallet and the goal. Chasing the puck too far across your half can leave an open route behind you. A short controlled touch can set up a better second strike.

Between games with a friend, practise against the computer at Easy, Medium or Hard difficulty.