Ball: Path Through Obstacles

The pitch

Roll through an obstacle course playing as a ball. Avoid traps and collect coins to unlock new skins

Controls & how it runs

The game controls depend on the device you are playing on. On PC: Use the WASD keys to control the ball. W (up) — moving forward. A (left) — turn left. S (down) is a backward movement. D (right) — turn to the right. The space bar is a jump. To use the improvements, click on the improvement icon on the left side of the screen. To buy a skin, click on the store icon in the menu. On a smartphone/tablet: On touch devices, control is performed using a virtual joystick located in the lower left part of the screen. Move your finger across the screen to control the movement of the ball. To jump, click on the button in the lower right part of the screen. To use the improvements, click on the improvement icon on the left side of the screen. To buy a skin, click on the store icon in the menu.

Getting a run going takes exactly one press: Press start, up top, and the game boots inside this page — nothing downloads in the background and no form wants your details before the first jump. The cabinet is drawn for a portrait (upright) screen and listens to mouse, keyboard or touch, whichever the game prefers. This cabinet stands tall: it was built for portrait screens, so a phone held upright gives it the frame it wants — though it will squeeze politely into any window. Given a fullscreen button, use it — scores look better at full size, that's just science.

Pro tips for obby cabinets

• Look one obstacle past the one you're on. Obby stages are rhythm sections disguised as architecture — reading ahead is what turns a rage course into a dance.
• Short hops beat long leaps. Two small jumps keep you in control of the landing; one heroic bound hands your fate to the bounce physics, which is not merciful.
• Every fall teaches the stage's favourite trick. Obby designers repeat their best traps with new paint — once a trap has had you once, it should never have you again.

Ball: Path Through Obstacles — quick-fire questions

Does Ball: Path Through Obstacles cost anything to play?

Not a token. The cabinet is free from the first run to the five-hundredth — no wallet, no sign-up, no toll booth hiding three levels in. The adverts around the page are what keep the floor's lights on.

What sort of game is Ball: Path Through Obstacles?

It stands on our Obby row — that's the family it plays most like. The pitch above is the publisher's own rundown of what it throws at you and what it hands back.

Can I play Ball: Path Through Obstacles on my phone?

Happily, yes. It runs inside the browser on phones and tablets the same way it does on a computer. This cabinet stands tall: it was built for portrait screens, so a phone held upright gives it the frame it wants — though it will squeeze politely into any window.

Do I need to install anything first?

Nothing whatsoever. Ball: Path Through Obstacles is an HTML5 game: hit the start button and it boots on this page, and shutting the tab sweeps the cabinet clean behind you.

Before you wander off

Personal best banked, or still chasing it? Either way the full Obby row is powered on and waiting — Obstacle courses in the blocky tradition: 45 obby cabinets of lava floors, checkpoint flags and jumps that look easier than they are. Rage is part of the ticket price.