PIXELPUCK

How to play PixelPuck

Hold your phone sideways. Skate with your left thumb and use your right thumb to pass, aim or defend. Here are the controls and a few things to try in your first match.

Touch controls

Controls at a glance

During live play, use the left and right halves of the screen.
ActionWhat to do
Skating
MoveStart on the left. Drag in the direction you want to skate and keep holding. Lift your thumb to stop steering.
With the puck
PassTap the right side to pass to the highlighted teammate.
Aim and shootDrag on the right, opposite the direction you want the puck to travel. Follow the dotted guide. Lift your right thumb to release.
Change shot typeKeep holding your aim on the right. Tap the left side to switch between wrist shot and slap shot.
Defending without the puck
Switch playerTap the right side to select the teammate nearest the puck.
BlockFlick down quickly on the right. Your controlled skater dives toward the puck.
CheckFlick sideways quickly on the right to attempt a check on a nearby opponent. Either horizontal direction works.

The right tap depends on possession. With the puck, it passes. When the other team has it or the puck is loose, it selects a player.

Left to move. Right to act.

Two thumbs, two areas

Start each gesture on its side of the screen. You do not need to touch the skater or the puck.

PixelPuck in landscape, with the left half marked for movement and the right half marked for actions.
Control illustration over a development screenshot. The colored areas show where gestures begin.

Left thumb Drag and hold to steer. While aiming, a new left tap changes shot type.

Right thumb Tap or drag with the puck. Tap or flick when your team does not have it.

Real game recordings from a development build. These staged drills use sample players and hold other skaters in place so you can see each action. Colored rings mark the touch input. The clips are silent.

Use the left side to skate

4 seconds

The left touch marker moves up and left. The controlled skater follows that direction into open ice. Lifting the thumb ends the steering input.

Open video file

Tap right to pass

3 seconds

A teammate is highlighted before the tap. A brief right touch sends the puck to that player. Control follows the teammate when the pass arrives.

Open video file

Pull back, then release

4 seconds

The right touch marker moves to the right. The dotted guide points left from the puck carrier. Lifting the right thumb releases a wrist shot along that guide.

Open video file

Switch wrist shot and slap shot

7 seconds

The right thumb keeps holding the aim. Each left tap changes the label above the skater between wristshot and slapshot. The last tap selects slapshot, then the right thumb lifts to shoot.

Open video file

Choose the nearest teammate

4 seconds

The opponent has the puck. A right tap moves control to the friendly skater nearest it. A left drag then steers that player back across the ice.

Open video file

Flick down to block

3 seconds

With the opponent holding the puck, a short downward flick on the right makes the controlled skater dive toward the puck. The skater then gets back up.

Open video file

Flick sideways to check

3 seconds

A quick horizontal flick on the right starts a check against the nearby puck carrier. The gesture works in either horizontal direction.

Open video file

Try this first

From the faceoff to defense

Tap to start when the match introduction is ready. Wait for the opening faceoff to finish, then try this sequence when your team gets the puck.

  1. Move into space

    Drag and hold on the left to steer away from the nearest opponent. Your thumb steers from the spot where it first touched the screen.

    Watch skating

    Next: Skating and dekes

  2. Find the highlighted teammate

    Look for the pass highlight, then tap the right side. You do not tap the teammate directly. When the pass arrives, control follows the new puck carrier.

    Watch the pass

  3. Pull back to aim

    Start a drag on the right. Pull opposite the direction of your shot and watch the dotted line from the puck. For a shot to the left, pull right.

    Watch aiming

  4. Lift your right thumb to shoot

    Keep the guide pointed where you want the puck to go, then release. Start with the wrist shot. Try the shot toggle below when you are comfortable aiming.

    Watch the release

    Next: Shooting and passing

  5. Return to defense

    When possession changes, tap right to select the teammate nearest the puck. Use the left side to skate back toward your goal.

    Watch switching and skating back

    Next: Defending

For an overview of matches, read PixelPuck gameplay.

Three controls to try next

Change the shot

Each new aim starts as a wrist shot. Keep your right thumb down. If your left thumb is steering, lift it, then tap left for a slap shot. Tap left again to return to a wrist shot. Check the label above your skater before releasing.

Watch the shot toggle

Dive to block

When your team does not have the puck, make a quick downward flick on the right. The gesture triggers a dive toward the puck. Down is the input direction, not the direction the skater dives.

Watch a block

Attempt a check

Get close to an opponent, then flick left or right on the right half of the screen. Make it a quick flick and lift your thumb. A slow drag is not the check gesture.

Watch a check

If a control does something unexpected

My right tap switched players instead of passing.
Your team did not have possession. A right tap selects the nearest teammate when the puck is loose or held by an opponent.
I tapped to move, but my skater did not go anywhere.
Movement needs a left drag. Slide your thumb away from its starting point, then keep holding in that direction.
My shot went the other way.
Pull opposite the shot direction. The dotted guide shows where you are aiming. To shoot left, pull right.
My aimed release became a pass.
A drag can also select a teammate along the aim path. If a teammate is highlighted, releasing can send a pass to them. Aim into a clear lane when you want to shoot.
Holding my aim did not make it a slap shot.
Holding does not select the shot type. Keep your right thumb down and make a new tap on the left. Watch the wristshot or slapshot label above your player.
My defensive drag did nothing.
Use a quick flick and release. Down triggers a block. A horizontal flick attempts a check, which needs a nearby opponent. These are defensive actions, so first check who has the puck.

Release and testing

PixelPuck is in development for iPhone. There is no public App Store release date yet. You can email the developer about future testing opportunities. Android is planned, with no release date announced.

Email about testing

Opens your email app.