Jumping Ball

What is Jumping Ball?

Jumping Ball is a compact 3D sports game built around a ping-pong table and three discs. The task is to send each disc off the far end of the table and drop it into one of three cushioned holes, with exactly one disc per hole. Fill all three and the round is complete.

The twist is that a disc does not stay a disc. After launch, each one turns into a ball and begins bouncing at a random moment somewhere between one and six seconds, which means the flight path shifts from attempt to attempt and the shot has to be read rather than memorised.

It is a single-player, skill-first casual game with physics at its centre, published by Direciona Tech and playable in the browser as an HTML5 build. Nothing needs installing: the game runs inside the page. It has been released and it is free to play.

How to play

On a first visit, the game demonstrates itself. A short demo runs once with the game playing its own shot, which shows what a launch looks like before any input is required.

After that, each of the three discs is aimed individually. Dragging a disc backwards positions it like a slingshot, setting the direction and intent of that disc's launch. All three are then fired together, either with the PLAY button or the Space bar, so the aiming phase is the only window for adjustments.

The launch is not the end of the shot. Somewhere between one and six seconds into the flight, each disc converts into a ball and bounces, so the final approach to the holes is decided by physics as much as by the aim.

Success means three landings in three separate cushioned holes. Anything less counts as a missed attempt and the attempt counter rises. A clean 3/3 resets the counter, turning the game into a chase for the lowest number of attempts rather than a single pass or fail.

Controls

Everything is handled with a pointer or a finger, and the keyboard carries one job. A mouse drag aims, a touch drag does the same, and the PLAY button or the Space bar sends all three discs on their way at once.

Aiming works backwards: each disc is pulled back from its starting position, slingshot style, rather than pointed at the target. The three discs are aimed one at a time before a single shared launch, so the sequence is aim, aim, aim, launch.

Three cameras are available for judging the table: a player view, a fixed vertical 9:16 framing and a free orbit option. Choosing between them is a viewing decision rather than a shot mechanic. Mouse support covers desktop and touch support covers mobile, and both follow the same drag-and-launch pattern.

Tips for your first run

The random pop timing is the real opponent. Because each disc becomes a ball at some point between one and six seconds, the same aim can produce a different outcome twice; treat the opening launches as calibration rather than as failures.

• Let the demo finish before taking over, since it shows the launch arc once with no input needed.
• Aim all three discs before pressing PLAY, because the launch sends them together and there is no second aiming window.
• Spread the three targets deliberately: only one disc can settle in each cushioned hole, so overlapping shots waste a disc.
• Judge depth with a camera that matches the shot; the fixed vertical 9:16 view and the free orbit option show the table differently from the player view.
• Watch the attempt counter. It resets only on a full 3/3, so a clean run matters more than a fast one.
• Give each disc a distinct colour so three balls in flight stay easy to tell apart.

Content and replayability

Jumping Ball is deliberately small: three discs, three cushioned holes and one table. Its length comes from repetition rather than content volume, and the attempt counter is the spine of it. Every miss adds to the count; a full three-hole run wipes it back to zero, which creates a natural goal of winning in as few attempts as possible.

Records are tracked across three spans — daily, weekly and all-time — alongside a local ranking, so improvement is visible both within a session and across days.

There is cosmetic scope as well: the player can be customised, and each disc can be given its own colour, which helps distinguish three balls in flight.

The interface is available in five languages: English, Portuguese, Chinese, French and German. The whole package is free, with an optional Ko-fi tip option for anyone who wants to support the developer.

Presentation and performance

The look is functional 3D: a ping-pong table modelled at official ITTF dimensions, three cushioned holes at the far end, and discs that turn into balls mid-flight. The physics is the presentation — bounces, arcs and the small unpredictability of the pop timing are the spectacle rather than decoration around it.

Camera work carries the rest. There is a player view for the natural angle, a fixed vertical 9:16 framing that suits a tall window, and a free orbit view for inspecting the layout. The vertical option is a sensible inclusion for anyone playing in a narrow browser panel or on a phone held upright.

The build uses three.js and runs in an HTML5 frame, so it starts inside the page rather than through a launcher. Mouse and touch are both supported, covering desktop and mobile play.

Who should play it

Jumping Ball fits players who like a one-button skill test with a short loop: aim, launch, watch, adjust. The slingshot aiming and the randomised conversion from disc to ball reward patience and reading rather than reflexes, and the attempt counter gives a clear measure of whether a session went well.

It also suits anyone who wants something that starts instantly in a browser tab, on desktop with a mouse or on a phone with touch, without a download or an account.

Players expecting a long campaign, opponents or a deep customisation suite should adjust expectations first: this is a single-player game of three discs and three holes, and its depth comes from repeat attempts at a low score. The five-language interface and the daily, weekly and all-time records add reasons to return for a few minutes at a time.