Pelotesflicking on ice

Goal of the game

Send the balls where they need to go by flicking them, and group the colours to score.

The balls slide on a surface that gradually slows them down: every shot has to anticipate not the impact, but where everything will come to rest.

The flick

• You pull a ball back and release it: the longer and faster the gesture, the stronger the push.
• There is a minimum and a maximum: below a certain gesture nothing moves; beyond it, the power tops out. No need to force it.
• The direction is the reverse of your gesture, like a slingshot: you aim by pulling away from the target.
• Judging strength improves much faster than aiming. Spend your first games getting a feel for the stopping distance.

Sliding

• The surface brakes steadily: a ball launched hard travels a long way, then stops sharply at the end.
• Balls collide and pass on their momentum: one well-placed shot moves three.
• The edges bounce balls back without absorbing much: a rebound keeps almost all its speed, which makes indirect paths very rewarding.
• The most useful shot is often not the most direct, but the one that uses another ball as a relay.

Colours and the mega

• Balls of three colours move around the surface.
• Grouping the colours is what scores: the bigger the group, the higher the value.
• The mega is the big bonus of the game: it rewards a complete grouping achieved in a single action. On its own it is worth several ordinary games.
• Going for the mega changes how you play: instead of scraping points shot after shot, you set up a position over several moves before triggering everything.

Playing well

• Play short at first. Powerful shots scatter everything and destroy the groups you have just built.
• Use the edges. A ball sent back off the cushion arrives at an angle you could never get with a direct shot.
• Tidy up before you score. A well-ordered position is worth more than two points right now.
• Anticipate the stop, not the impact. What matters is where everything settles, not what gets hit on the way.

Controls

Keyboard and mouse

• Click and drag from a ball to load the shot, release to fire.
• The length of the drag sets the power; a gauge shows it while you aim.
• Releasing on the ball itself cancels the shot.

Touch screen

• Put your finger on a ball, pull back, release.
• A guide line shows the direction and strength before you let go.
• The game works entirely offline, with no account.

Frequently asked questions

How do you shoot a ball?

By pulling it back and releasing, like a slingshot. The direction is opposite to your gesture, and the strength depends on its length and speed.

Can you shoot as hard as you like?

No. The power tops out beyond a certain gesture, and a minimum shot is needed for the ball to move. Forcing it achieves nothing.

What is the mega?

The big bonus of the game, earned by a complete grouping made in a single action. It weighs much more than piling up small gains.

Are rebounds off the edges useful?

Very. The edges give back almost all the speed, which allows angles you could never get with a direct shot.

Do you need an account to play?

No. The game is free, ad-free and playable offline. The optional Pass is only for syncing and the leaderboard.

More classics, free as well

• Petits chevaux — four horses, a 6 to get out, the final staircase
• Piaf — flap your wings, clear the pipes, start again
• Connect 4 — seven columns, six rows, four discs in a line