Orb Rush
A free online ball game you play right in your browser. Keep the orb in play with your stopper and smash every shape in the arena. 30 levels, 3 lives, power-ups and mystery shapes that can help you or wreck you.
What is Orb Rush?
Orb Rush is a free online ball game that you play right in your web browser. A small orb bounces around an arena full of colourful shapes, and your job is to keep it in play with a stopper (a paddle) at the bottom of the screen. Every time the orb hits a shape, the number on that shape goes down. When it reaches zero, the shape breaks.
It takes the classic brick-breaker idea and mixes it up. Instead of a flat wall of bricks, each arena is filled with circles, squares, triangles, diamonds, pentagons and hexagons, some spinning and some sliding. On top of that come power-up capsules, mystery shapes that trigger random surprises, and obstacles like spinning blades, portals and black holes. No two levels play the same way.
There is nothing to install and no account to create. Orb Rush works on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android and iPhone, and your unlocked levels are saved automatically in your browser.
How to play Orb Rush
Orb Rush is quick to learn. Here is how a round works, from the first click to the final star rating.
- Press the yellow play button, then choose Play and pick an unlocked level. Level 1 is always open.
- Move the stopper left and right with the arrow keys, the A and D keys, your mouse, or by dragging your finger.
- Press Space or the up arrow, or tap the screen, to launch the orb from the stopper.
- Bounce the orb into the shapes. Where it lands on the stopper sets its angle: hit it with the edge to send it sideways, or with the middle to send it straight up.
- Catch the capsules that drop from broken shapes. Most help you, but two are traps.
- Clear every breakable shape, or survive until the timer hits zero, to finish the level and unlock the next one.
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Phone or tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move the stopper | Left and right arrows, or A and D | Move the mouse | Drag your finger |
| Launch the orb | Space or up arrow | Click | Tap |
| Pause | P or Esc | Pause button | Pause button |
| Sound on or off | Speaker button | Speaker button | Speaker button |
| Full screen | Full screen button above the game | ||
Two game modes: Break all and Survive
Orb Rush has 20 Break all levels and 10 Survive levels. Every third level is a survival challenge.
Break all Clear the arena
Destroy every breakable shape to win. Steel shapes cannot be broken, so you can ignore them. The orb speeds up a little the longer a level takes, so try not to waste time.
Survive Beat the clock
Keep the orb alive until the timer runs out (45 to 88 seconds). The orb gets faster as time passes, capsules rain from the sky and a random mystery event fires every 12 to 18 seconds. Clear all the shapes and a new wave appears.
Scoring and stars
| You do this | You get |
|---|---|
| Break a shape | 10 points for every hit it needed (a 3-hit shape gives 30) |
| Hit a shape without breaking it | 5 points |
| Bounce off a bumper | 5 points |
| Catch a capsule | 25 points |
| Finish a level | 300 bonus points for each life you still have |
| Finish a Survive level | 500 extra bonus points |
| Golden orb active | All points doubled |
Each finished level earns up to three stars: three stars if you lose no lives, two stars if you lose one, and one star if you lose two.
Power-up capsules
Broken shapes sometimes drop a capsule. Catch it with your stopper to use it. Capsules with a dashed outline are traps, so dodge those if you can.
| Capsule | What it does | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| ×3 Multi ball | Splits every orb in play into three | Until the orbs are lost |
| WIDE Wide stopper | Makes your stopper 60% wider | 12 seconds |
| LASER Lasers | Two cannons on your stopper fire automatically and hit shapes above | 10 seconds |
| SHIELD Shield | A barrier across the bottom bounces the orb back up | 15 seconds |
| SLOW Slow orb | Slows the orb down by about a third | 10 seconds |
| FIRE Fireball | The orb smashes straight through any shape except steel | 8 seconds |
| +1 ♥ Extra life | Adds one life, up to a maximum of five | Permanent |
| FAST Trap | Makes the orb 40% faster | 8 seconds |
| TINY Trap | Shrinks your stopper to 60% of its size | 10 seconds |
Mystery shapes and special shapes
Yellow shapes marked with a ? are mystery shapes. Break one and a random surprise goes off. Some help you, some make life harder, and you never know which you will get.
| Surprise | What happens | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Mini swarm | Five small orbs burst out of the shape | Good |
| Mega bomb | A huge blast breaks every nearby shape | Good |
| Golden orb | Every point counts double for 12 seconds | Good |
| Time warp | The whole game runs at half speed for 6 seconds | Good |
| Jackpot | Three helpful capsules drop at once | Good |
| Life orb | An extra life capsule falls toward you | Good |
| Meteor shower | Eight meteors fall from the top. They break shapes, but one hitting your stopper stuns it for a moment | Mixed |
| Ghost orb | The orb turns almost invisible for 7 seconds | Bad |
| Controls reversed | Left becomes right for 7 seconds | Bad |
| Earthquake | The screen shakes and every shape drops closer to you | Bad |
| Blackout | The lights go out for 7 seconds, except around the orb and stopper | Bad |
Numbered shapes
The number shows how many hits a shape needs. Colour tells you too: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
TNT shapes
Red TNT shapes explode when broken and set off every shape around them. Hit TNT in a crowded spot to clear a big area at once.
Steel shapes
Grey steel shapes can never be broken. Use them as walls to bank the orb into places that are hard to reach.
Obstacles and hurdles
From level 3 onwards, each arena adds its own hurdles between your stopper and the shapes.
Spinning blades
Rotating bars that knock the orb off course. They push the orb in the direction they spin.
Bumpers
Round pads that bounce the orb away hard and give you 5 points for every hit.
Portals
Enter the orange ring and come out of the blue one, often right above the shapes.
Black holes
Gravity wells that pull the orb toward them and bend its path.
Fading walls
Green walls that appear and disappear. They are only solid when fully visible.
Moving shapes
On later levels some shapes rotate or slide back and forth, so your timing matters.
All 30 levels
Each level gets a little harder than the last: a faster orb, tougher shapes and more obstacles. Finish a level to unlock the next one.
| Level | Name | Mode | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Steps | Break all | Gentle start with 1-hit shapes and two mystery shapes |
| 2 | Shape Party | Break all | All six shape types, 2-hit shapes and your first TNT |
| 3 | Storm Survival | Survive 45s | Three bumpers and capsules falling from the sky |
| 4 | Spinning Blades | Break all | Two spinning blades and shapes with up to 3 hits |
| 5 | Portal Maze | Break all | A portal to the top of the arena and four steel shapes |
| 6 | Black Hole | Survive 55s | A black hole bends the orb right above your stopper |
| 7 | Moving Maze | Break all | Sliding shapes and a fading wall |
| 8 | Bumper Arcade | Break all | Five bumpers, three TNT and shapes with up to 4 hits |
| 9 | Chaos Survival | Survive 70s | Spinner, black hole, portal and fading wall all at once |
| 10 | The Core | Break all | Six steel shapes, 5-hit shapes, spinners and a portal |
| 11 | Twin Spinners | Break all | Twin spinning blades guard the arena |
| 12 | Gravity Garden | Survive 52s | Two black holes pull from both sides |
| 13 | Steel Forest | Break all | Steel shapes, bumpers and a fading wall |
| 14 | Pinball Panic | Break all | Crossing portals and a central spinner |
| 15 | Mirror Maze | Survive 58s | Two fading walls and a bumper |
| 16 | Rush Hour | Break all | A black hole between two fast spinners |
| 17 | Steel Alley | Break all | Five steel shapes, a big spinner, a portal and bumpers |
| 18 | Double Trouble | Survive 64s | Twin spinners with tougher 2 to 4-hit shapes |
| 19 | Phantom Walls | Break all | Two black holes and plenty of moving shapes |
| 20 | Spin Cycle | Break all | Bumpers and a fading wall with spinning shapes |
| 21 | Hex Hive | Survive 70s | Six steel shapes, crossing portals and a spinner |
| 22 | Bomb Field | Break all | Lots of TNT, fading walls and a bumper |
| 23 | Portal Party | Break all | A black hole, two spinners and shapes up to 5 hits |
| 24 | Shapeshifter | Survive 76s | Big spinner, portal and bumpers |
| 25 | Endless Night | Break all | Six steel shapes and twin spinners, 3 to 5-hit shapes |
| 26 | Zig Zag | Break all | Two black holes and a fast orb |
| 27 | Fortress | Survive 82s | Bumpers and a fading wall with very tough shapes |
| 28 | Black Storm | Break all | Crossing portals and a spinner |
| 29 | Last Stand | Break all | Seven steel shapes, the most of any level |
| 30 | Grand Finale | Survive 88s | The longest survival run, with a black hole and two spinners |
Tips to beat every level
- Aim with the edges. Hitting the orb with the ends of the stopper sends it sideways, which is the best way to reach shapes in the corners.
- Get the orb above the shapes. Once it is trapped at the top of the arena, it bounces between the ceiling and the shapes and breaks many of them without your help.
- Save TNT for crowds. Breaking TNT next to several shapes clears them all in one chain reaction.
- Use portals on purpose. On levels with a portal, steer the orb into the orange ring to send it straight to the top.
- Dodge the traps. FAST and TINY capsules have a dashed outline. Move away from them unless you are about to lose the orb.
- Stay central in Survive levels. The orb gets faster over time, so keep your stopper near the middle and react early.
- Watch the black hole. It curves the orb toward it, so expect the orb to land a little closer to the centre than it looks.
- Replay for three stars. Losing no lives earns three stars and the biggest life bonus, so restart a level if you lose your first life early.
Frequently asked questions
Is Orb Rush free to play?
Yes. Orb Rush is completely free to play online, with no download and no sign-up.
Do I need to download or install anything?
No. The game runs in your web browser, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on both computers and phones.
Can I play Orb Rush on my phone?
Yes. Drag your finger left and right to move the stopper and tap to launch the orb. Tap Full screen for the best view.
How many levels does Orb Rush have?
There are 30 levels: 20 Break all levels and 10 Survive levels. Each one you finish unlocks the next.
How do I unlock new levels?
Finish the highest level you have open, either by breaking every shape or by surviving until the timer runs out. The next level unlocks straight away.
Is my progress saved?
Yes. Your unlocked levels, stars and best scores are saved in your browser on this device. Clearing your browser data resets them.
How do stars work?
You earn three stars for finishing a level without losing a life, two stars if you lose one life, and one star if you lose two.
What do the ? shapes do?
They are mystery shapes. Breaking one triggers one of 11 random surprises, such as a mini swarm of orbs, a mega bomb, a meteor shower, a blackout or a time warp.
What is the hardest level?
Most players find the last few levels the toughest. Last Stand (level 29) has seven unbreakable steel shapes, and Grand Finale (level 30) asks you to survive 88 seconds against a black hole and two spinners.
Can I turn the sound off?
Yes. Use the speaker button in the top corner of the game to mute or unmute sound effects.
More free tools on SZToolify
Done playing? SZToolify also has more than 160 free calculators, converters and file tools that run right in your browser.