How to play MeteorBall

In MeteorBall a meteor flies across an 8-by-8 board. Your job is to place pieces before it launches so that it ends its flight in the wormhole. Every level is a puzzle: the board, the pieces you're given and the time to prepare are fixed.

The goal

Get the meteor into the wormhole. The attempt is lost if the meteor falls through a hole, flies off the edge of the board, or reaches the wormhole while an alien ship is still on the board.

Preparing

Your toolbox holds the pieces the level gives you: deflectors (/ and \), curves and straight pieces, and on some levels red switches and red pieces.
Drag a piece onto an empty tile, or tap the piece and then the tile. Select a placed piece to rotate it or remove it back to the toolbox.
Holes, the wormhole and the pieces the level starts with are fixed; you can only use the empty tiles.
A countdown clock shows the time left to prepare. Press Go to launch early, or let the clock run out.

On the first two levels the meteor launches straight away, to show you how it flies.

The flight

Deflectors (\ and /) turn a meteor heading up, down, left or right by a quarter turn, and send one heading diagonally across them straight back. Bars bounce the meteor back the way it came. Curves take exactly two approaches each and bend the meteor by an eighth of a turn.
An unsupported approach destroys the piece, and the meteor then heads up, a rule kept from the original game. It costs no points.
Permanent pieces are part of the level: you can't move or rotate them.
Red pieces start off, and the meteor passes straight through them. Each Red Switch works once: the meteor passes over it and every red piece flips, off to on or on to off. A later switch can flip them back, or switch on a red piece that was destroyed.
Alien Ships must all be destroyed before the meteor enters the wormhole; destroying one earns no points.
Shuttles, Satellites and Astronauts are worth protecting: each one still intact adds 1,000 points, and hitting one forfeits that bonus.

The flight always follows the same rules, so the same pieces in the same places give the same result every time.

Scoring

A winning flight earns movement points: 10 for every step of the meteor's flight.
Each Shuttle, Satellite and Astronaut still intact at the end adds 1,000 points.
Each toolbox piece left unused adds 1,000 points. Placing a piece gives up its bonus, whether or not the meteor touches it.
Destroying a deflector with an unsupported hit costs no extra points, and destroying an Alien Ship earns none.
Every lost attempt scores 0.

Stars and the Perfect Score

Every level has a Perfect Score. Score more than a third of it for one star, more than two thirds for two stars, and at least the Perfect Score for three stars. Your best score on each official level is saved in your browser, and completing a level unlocks the next one.

On a community level, the Perfect Score is the score its creator achieved when they beat the level to verify it.

Controls

Mouse: drag pieces, or click a piece and then a tile.
Touch: tap a piece, then tap a tile.
Keyboard: Tab to a toolbox piece or tile and press Enter or Space to choose it.

Every piece

Directions are as seen on the screen: "down-right" means heading towards the bottom-right corner.

The goal and the board's fixed pieces

Wormhole

The goal. Guide the meteor into the Wormhole after destroying every Alien Ship. Its square cannot contain another piece.
- The meteor must enter the Wormhole to win, after every Alien Ship on the board has been destroyed. Reaching it while an Alien Ship is left loses the attempt.
- Entering it counts even while a deflector is still turning the meteor.
- Falling into a hole or flying off the board in the same moment still loses.
- In the Level Creator, making a square the Wormhole clears whatever was on it, and no piece can be put on the Wormhole's square.
Hole

Hole: removes this square's glass tile so the Earth shows through. A meteor that falls in loses the attempt.
- Placed by the level creator: it removes the square's glass tile, and the Earth shows through.
- A meteor that reaches a hole falls to Earth and the attempt is lost (score 0), even if it reaches the Wormhole in the same moment.
Shuttle

Protect the Shuttle. It adds 1,000 points if it survives; hitting it forfeits that bonus.
- Fixed board piece. A meteor from any direction destroys it and carries on in the same direction.
- Worth 1,000 points if it's still intact when the level is won. Hitting it forfeits that bonus; nothing else is taken off.
Satellite

Protect the Satellite. It adds 1,000 points if it survives; hitting it forfeits that bonus.
- Fixed board piece. A meteor from any direction destroys it and carries on in the same direction.
- Worth 1,000 points if it's still intact when the level is won. Hitting it forfeits that bonus; nothing else is taken off.
Astronaut

Protect the Astronaut. It adds 1,000 points if it survives; hitting it forfeits that bonus.
- Fixed board piece. A meteor from any direction destroys it and carries on in the same direction.
- Worth 1,000 points if it's still intact when the level is won. Hitting it forfeits that bonus; nothing else is taken off.
BackSlash (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Turns up → left, right → down, down → right, left → up (plus diagonal routes). Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → left; up-right → down-left; right → down; down → right; down-left → up-right; left → up.
- An unsupported approach (heading down-right or up-left) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
ForwardSlash (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Turns up → right, right → up, down → left, left → down (plus diagonal routes). Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → right; right → up; down-right → up-left; down → left; left → down; up-left → down-right.
- An unsupported approach (heading up-right or down-left) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
S_SE (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Curves down → down-right, up-left → up. Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): down → down-right; up-left → up.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
N_NW (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Curves up → up-left, down-right → down. Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → up-left; down-right → down.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
E_NE (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Curves right → up-right, down-left → left. Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): right → up-right; down-left → left.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
W_SW (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Curves up-right → right, left → down-left. Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up-right → right; left → down-left.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
E_SE (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Curves right → down-right, up-left → left. Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): right → down-right; up-left → left.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
N_NE (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Curves up → up-right, down-left → down. Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → up-right; down-left → down.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
S_SW (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Curves up-right → up, down → down-left. Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up-right → up; down → down-left.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
W_NW (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Curves down-right → right, left → up-left. Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): down-right → right; left → up-left.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
Horizontal (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Bounces up → down, down → up (plus diagonal routes). Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → down; up-right → down-right; down-right → up-right; down → up; down-left → up-left; up-left → down-left.
- An unsupported approach (heading right or left) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
Vertical (permanent)

Fixed: can't be moved or rotated. Bounces right → left, left → right (plus diagonal routes). Unsupported approaches destroy it.
- Fixed board piece: placed by the level creator. Players can't move or rotate it.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up-right → up-left; right → left; down-right → down-left; down-left → down-right; left → right; up-left → up-right.
- An unsupported approach (heading up or down) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Original-game quirk: a meteor arriving heading down-right is pushed upward while it turns, where a Vertical pushes it downward. It still leaves heading down-left, but from a higher point, which can change where it goes next.
Alien Ship

Destroy every Alien Ship before entering the Wormhole. Destroying one gives no direct points, but leaving one on the board loses the attempt.
- Fixed board piece. A meteor from any direction destroys it and carries on in the same direction.
- Every Alien Ship must be destroyed before the meteor enters the Wormhole. Reaching the Wormhole while one is left loses the attempt, and a lost attempt scores 0.
- Destroying an Alien Ship earns no points.

Toolbox pieces and their rotations

A level's toolbox shows one orientation of each piece; rotate a placed piece to reach the others.

BackSlash

Turns up → left, right → down, down → right, left → up (plus diagonal routes). Unsupported approaches destroy it. Rotates to ForwardSlash.
- Toolbox piece: the player places it on an open square during setup, and can rotate it or take it back.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → left; up-right → down-left; right → down; down → right; down-left → up-right; left → up.
- An unsupported approach (heading down-right or up-left) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Rotation: BackSlash → ForwardSlash → BackSlash.
- ForwardSlash: up → right; right → up; down-right → up-left; down → left; left → down; up-left → down-right. Destroyed by heading up-right or down-left.
Horizontal

Bounces up → down, down → up (plus diagonal routes). Unsupported approaches destroy it. Rotates to Vertical.
- Toolbox piece: the player places it on an open square during setup, and can rotate it or take it back.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → down; up-right → down-right; down-right → up-right; down → up; down-left → up-left; up-left → down-left.
- An unsupported approach (heading right or left) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Rotation: Horizontal → Vertical → Horizontal.
- Vertical: up-right → up-left; right → left; down-right → down-left; down-left → down-right; left → right; up-left → up-right. Destroyed by heading up or down.
S_SE

Curves down → down-right, up-left → up. Unsupported approaches destroy it. Rotates to W_SW.
- Toolbox piece: the player places it on an open square during setup, and can rotate it or take it back.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): down → down-right; up-left → up.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Rotation: S_SE → W_SW → N_NW → E_NE → S_SE.
- W_SW: up-right → right; left → down-left. Destroyed by any other direction.
- N_NW: up → up-left; down-right → down. Destroyed by any other direction.
- E_NE: right → up-right; down-left → left. Destroyed by any other direction.
S_SW

Curves up-right → up, down → down-left. Unsupported approaches destroy it. Rotates to W_NW.
- Toolbox piece: the player places it on an open square during setup, and can rotate it or take it back.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up-right → up; down → down-left.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Rotation: S_SW → W_NW → N_NE → E_SE → S_SW.
- W_NW: down-right → right; left → up-left. Destroyed by any other direction.
- N_NE: up → up-right; down-left → down. Destroyed by any other direction.
- E_SE: right → down-right; up-left → left. Destroyed by any other direction.
Red Switch

One-use switch. The meteor passes through it and flips every Red piece on or off. The switch is then spent. Another Red Switch can flip them again.
- Toolbox piece; it can't be rotated. The meteor passes over it from any direction without changing course.
- The first time, it flips every Red piece on the board: off ones switch on and on ones switch off. The switch is then spent, and the meteor passes a spent switch without effect.
- Another Red Switch flips every Red piece again, and switches back on a Red piece that an unsupported hit destroyed.
BackSlash (red)

Red: starts off (passed through); each Red Switch flips it on or off. Turns up → left, right → down, down → right, left → up (plus diagonal routes). Unsupported approaches destroy it. Rotates to ForwardSlash (red).
- Red toolbox piece: the player places and rotates it like the others. It starts off, and the meteor passes straight through it while it's off.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → left; up-right → down-left; right → down; down → right; down-left → up-right; left → up.
- An unsupported approach (heading down-right or up-left) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Each Red Switch the meteor crosses flips it: off → on, on → off. A later switch can turn it off again, or switch it back on after an unsupported hit destroyed it.
- Rotation: BackSlash (red) → ForwardSlash (red) → BackSlash (red).
- ForwardSlash (red): up → right; right → up; down-right → up-left; down → left; left → down; up-left → down-right. Destroyed by heading up-right or down-left.
S_SE (red)

Red: starts off (passed through); each Red Switch flips it on or off. Curves down → down-right, up-left → up. Unsupported approaches destroy it. Rotates to W_SW (red).
- Red toolbox piece: the player places and rotates it like the others. It starts off, and the meteor passes straight through it while it's off.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): down → down-right; up-left → up.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Each Red Switch the meteor crosses flips it: off → on, on → off. A later switch can turn it off again, or switch it back on after an unsupported hit destroyed it.
- Rotation: S_SE (red) → W_SW (red) → N_NW (red) → E_NE (red) → S_SE (red).
- W_SW (red): up-right → right; left → down-left. Destroyed by any other direction.
- N_NW (red): up → up-left; down-right → down. Destroyed by any other direction.
- E_NE (red): right → up-right; down-left → left. Destroyed by any other direction.
S_SW (red)

Red: starts off (passed through); each Red Switch flips it on or off. Curves up-right → up, down → down-left. Unsupported approaches destroy it. Rotates to W_NW (red).
- Red toolbox piece: the player places and rotates it like the others. It starts off, and the meteor passes straight through it while it's off.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up-right → up; down → down-left.
- An unsupported approach (any other direction) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Each Red Switch the meteor crosses flips it: off → on, on → off. A later switch can turn it off again, or switch it back on after an unsupported hit destroyed it.
- Rotation: S_SW (red) → W_NW (red) → N_NE (red) → E_SE (red) → S_SW (red).
- W_NW (red): down-right → right; left → up-left. Destroyed by any other direction.
- N_NE (red): up → up-right; down-left → down. Destroyed by any other direction.
- E_SE (red): right → down-right; up-left → left. Destroyed by any other direction.
Horizontal (red)

Red: starts off (passed through); each Red Switch flips it on or off. Bounces up → down, down → up (plus diagonal routes). Unsupported approaches destroy it. Rotates to Vertical (red).
- Red toolbox piece: the player places and rotates it like the others. It starts off, and the meteor passes straight through it while it's off.
- Routes (heading in → heading out): up → down; up-right → down-right; down-right → up-right; down → up; down-left → up-left; up-left → down-left.
- An unsupported approach (heading right or left) destroys it, and the meteor then heads up, as in the original game. It costs no points.
- Each Red Switch the meteor crosses flips it: off → on, on → off. A later switch can turn it off again, or switch it back on after an unsupported hit destroyed it.
- Rotation: Horizontal (red) → Vertical (red) → Horizontal (red).
- Vertical (red): up-right → up-left; right → left; down-right → down-left; down-left → down-right; left → right; up-left → up-right. Destroyed by heading up or down.