| 100%the 1996 original | 50levels | FREEnothing to install | TOPshared high scores |
Play DX-Ball online
DX-Ball is the classic brick breaker Michael P. Welch released for Windows in 1996. Move the paddle with the mouse, bounce the ball and smash the coloured bricks. Clear the screen to reach the next level; there are 50 of them. Broken bricks drop power-ups: some help, such as a longer paddle or guns, and some get in your way.
Play DX-Ball right here in your browser, free and with nothing to install. The game starts on its own: click its window to turn the sound on and play.
Controls
| Mouse | moves the paddle |
|---|---|
| Left button | launches the ball and fires when the paddle has guns |
| P | pause |
| Esc | back to the menu |
| F5 / F6 | another tune / music off |
The real thing
This is not a remake. The original DXBALL.EXE was decompiled into C source code and compiled to WebAssembly, so the game plays exactly as it did in 1996: the same ball physics, levels, graphics, sounds and MIDI music. It runs in any modern browser on Windows, macOS and Linux.
At the end of every game, type your name: the score goes into the shared high score table that every player on the site can see.
History
dx-ball.ru started in 2012, when Maxim Borodin rewrote DX-Ball in JavaScript. That version is still here: DX-Ball in JavaScript. Its making-of is told in an article on Habr (in Russian). In 2026 Denis Borodin decompiled the original game and brought it to the browser: that is the version you play here now.
Questions
Is this DX-Ball 2?
No, this is the original DX-Ball from 1996, which was always free. DX-Ball 2 is a separate game from 1998 by Longbow Games; it is sold on Steam as DX-Ball 2: 20th Anniversary Edition.
Does it work on Windows 10, Windows 11 and phones?
Yes. The old installer often fails on modern Windows, but this version runs in the browser, so it works on Windows 10 and 11, macOS, Linux, tablets and phones with nothing to install. On a touch screen, move the paddle with your finger.
How is DX-Ball different from Arkanoid and Breakout?
DX-Ball is a brick breaker in the tradition of Breakout and Arkanoid, based on the Amiga game MegaBall. It is known for its fast, smooth ball, its 50 levels, its power-ups and the lightning that finishes off the last bricks on a board.
How do high scores work?
Every game is replayed on the server from the moves you made, so only real scores get into the table. Games where the built-in cheats (Ctrl+F1 to F4) were used are not counted.
Add DX-Ball to your site
DX-Ball is free to embed on your website or blog. Copy this code: the game runs in a 4:3 window, with sound and the shared high score table.