About this game

Bounce Lab is the friendliest game on Physics Arcade and the best place to start if the word 'physics' is putting you off. Pull back from the launcher, let go, and watch an orb ricochet around a chamber. The aim arc is computed with the same integrator the orb will use, bounces included, so the dotted line is not a hint — it is the path.

What makes it interesting is that bounces are worth money. Each target is worth more the more times the orb bounced before reaching it, so the high-scoring shot is rarely the direct one. Bumpers add energy back into the orb; dampers take almost all of it away.

How to play

  1. Drag back from the launcher in the bottom-left corner. A dotted arc shows the path.
  2. Release to fire. The orb bounces off walls, bumpers and dampers.
  3. Hit every gold target to clear the level.
  4. The shot ends when the orb settles or leaves the chamber, and you get the next orb.
  5. Run out of orbs with targets standing and the game ends.

Physics mechanics

Here is what the simulation is actually doing while you play.

Restitution

The orb keeps about 86 per cent of its approach speed on every bounce. That is high enough to keep a shot alive through eight or ten contacts, and low enough that it eventually settles.

Active bumpers

A purple bumper has a restitution of 1 and also applies a fixed impulse along the contact normal, so the orb leaves faster than it arrived. That energy has to come from somewhere — in a real system it would be a powered solenoid.

Dampers

The grey slabs have a restitution near 0.08 and high friction. An orb that hits one usually stops being useful, which makes them the main hazard.

Bounce-scaled scoring

Each target pays 100 points plus 40 per bounce the orb has already made, up to eight. The physics and the scoring push in the same direction.

Objective

Clear every target in the chamber before your orbs run out.

Scoring

  • A target is worth 100 points plus 40 for every bounce so far, capped at eight bounces.
  • Hitting a bumper is worth 25 points each time.
  • Clearing a level awards 250 points plus 120 for each unused orb.

Scores, favourites and play history are stored in your own browser using localStorage. There is no account, no leaderboard and no server: clearing your browser data clears them, and they do not follow you to another device.

Tips

  1. Aim for bumpers first. A bumper adds energy and racks up the bounce counter, which multiplies the value of every target you hit afterwards.
  2. Avoid dampers entirely. A damper contact usually ends the shot. Treat the grey slabs as walls to route around.
  3. Bank off the ceiling. A high shot picks up several wall bounces before reaching the target area, which is free score.
  4. Do not rush the last target. If one target is left and you have orbs spare, take the longer route for the bounce bonus rather than the direct hit.
  5. Watch the power bar. The bar at the bottom-left shows launch power. Full power turns red — it is not always what you want, because a fast orb spends less time bouncing.

Difficulty

Easy. The aim preview is complete and honest, orb counts are generous early, and there is no time limit. Later levels add dampers and reduce the orb count, but the fundamentals never change.

Features

  • Aim arc computed with the same integrator the orb uses, including bounces
  • Bumpers that add energy and dampers that remove it
  • Bounce counter that increases the value of every target hit
  • Levels that add targets, bumpers and dampers as you progress
  • Orb budget that tightens with each level

How accurate is this?

Physics Arcade games use simplified, tuned physics built for playability. They are not scientific simulations: forces, masses and timings are chosen because they feel good at 60 frames per second, not because they match measured values. Where a game departs from real-world behaviour in a way that matters, the game page says so.

Bounce Lab – FAQ

Is the aim line exactly right?

Yes. It steps the same integrator the orb uses, including wall bounces at the same restitution, so the path shown is the path taken.

What do the purple circles do?

They are bumpers. They return more speed than they receive and score 25 points per contact, so they are worth hitting deliberately.

Why did my orb stop so quickly?

It probably hit one of the grey damper slabs, which absorb most of the impact. Their restitution is about a tenth of a wall's.

Does the bounce counter reset between shots?

Yes. Each orb starts at zero bounces, so a long-lived shot is worth building rather than a quick hit.