How to play
STRIKE is ten-pin bowling in a glossy neon alley, played with one swipe. The ball sits at the bottom of the lane. Swipe up from it to throw. The direction of your swipe is your aim, and how fast you swipe is how fast the ball goes, anywhere from about 19 to 39 km/h.
To hook the ball, curve your swipe. A swipe that bows out to the right, like a ), sends the ball out to the right and curls it back to the left. A ( swipe does the mirror. Like a real lane, the first 11 metres are oiled, so the ball skids straight at first and only bites and hooks on the dry part near the pins.
Before you throw, you can drag sideways to move your starting spot left or right along the foul line. While you swipe, a line on the lane shows where the ball is going to go. After the throw the camera rides behind the ball and then swings round to the pins. Tap the screen during the pinfall to speed it up.
On a keyboard, ← → move the ball, A D aim, Q E set the hook, and you hold Space to build power and let go to throw. M mutes the sound, and Space or Enter on the title screen starts a game.
Tips and strategy
- Aim for the pocket. Most strikes come from hitting just to one side of the front pin, between the 1 and the 3 pin, coming in at a slight angle. Dead-centre hits on the head pin tend to leave splits.
- A little hook goes a long way. A gentle curve in your swipe is enough. Start a bit right of centre with a small ) curve, and the ball will swing into the pocket on the dry end of the lane.
- Move, then throw. For a spare, drag the ball across first, then swipe straight up. Picking off a corner pin is much easier from the opposite side of the lane, angling across it.
- The game is a little kind. In the last few metres a ball that is heading very close to the pocket gets nudged into it, and on a spare ball in a full game a throw that would only just miss the nearest pin is nudged to clip it. Your first two balls ever get extra help, so new players usually see a strike early.
What's in it
10-frame game. A full game of bowling with real scoring: a strike scores 10 plus your next two balls, a spare scores 10 plus your next ball, and the tenth frame gives you bonus balls. A perfect game is 300. Strikes in a row get their own names, from DOUBLE and TURKEY to HAMBONE and beyond, with confetti on every strike. Your best score is saved.
Split challenges. Twelve set-up puzzles, from the lone 10 pin and the lone 7 through the Bucket, the Washout and the Baby Split, up to the Greek Church, the Four-Six, the Eight-Ten and finally the Big Four. You get one rack and three balls. Clear it with your first ball for three stars, your second for two, or your third for one, which makes 36 stars in all. Clearing a puzzle unlocks the next one.
Six ball finishes. Neon Pop is yours from the start. Ice Comet unlocks at 5 strikes, Gold Rush at 20 and Void at 60, counted across every game you play. Acid unlocks at 6 split stars and Lava at 18. They only change the look; every ball rolls the same.
Questions
Why does my ball go straight when I curved my swipe?
Very small curves count as straight. Bow your swipe out a bit more, and remember the hook only kicks in on the dry back end of the lane, so it shows up late.
How do I throw harder?
Swipe faster, especially at the end of the swipe. The flick at the end counts the most. On a keyboard, hold Space longer before letting go.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. It was built for touch, and it works with the phone upright or sideways.
Does it save?
Yes, in your own browser: your best score, your total strikes, your split stars, the ball you picked and whether the sound is muted. Clearing your browser's site data clears the save.