Whack-a-Mole
NEWWorks on both desktop and mobile. Tap or click to play.
About This Game
Play Whack-a-Mole free online. Tap the moles as fast as you can before they pop back down. A fun, fast reflex game for all ages.
How to play Whack-a-Mole
Objective: Whack as many moles as you can in the 30-second round and finish with a score higher than your saved best.
The board is a 3x3 grid of nine dark holes. When the round starts a 30-second countdown begins and moles start popping up out of the holes. Each mole you hit while it is up adds exactly one point to your score. There is no penalty for tapping an empty hole, so a miss costs you nothing but the moment. Your score, the remaining time, and your best score sit in a row above the grid.
To whack a mole, tap or click the hole while the mole is visible. Input registers on pointer-down, so you do not need to release; a fast tap counts the instant your finger or mouse button lands. A successful hit flashes the mole red for a fraction of a second and drops it back into the hole immediately. Tapping a hole whose mole has already gone down does nothing at all.
Moles do not wait for you. Each one stays up for only 600 to 1300 milliseconds before it retreats on its own, whether you hit it or not. Because the game runs two independent spawners that each reschedule on their own random timer, two or even three moles can be up at the same moment, so scan the whole grid rather than fixing on one hole. Each spawner fires a fresh mole every 350 to 850 milliseconds, keeping a steady stream of targets for the full half minute.
When the clock reaches zero the game freezes, shows a Time's Up screen with the number of moles you whacked, and saves your score if it beats your stored best. Press Play Again to reset the score, the timer, and the grid for a fresh 30-second round. Your best score is kept in your browser between visits, so you always have a target to chase.
Tips and strategy
Watch two holes
Two spawners run at once, so a second mole is often up somewhere else while you deal with the first. Keep your eyes moving across all nine holes instead of locking onto a single mole, and you will catch pairs you would otherwise miss.
Hit early, not late
A mole is only up for 600 to 1300 milliseconds. The moment one appears is your best chance. Commit to the tap as soon as you see it rise rather than waiting to confirm, because hesitation of even half a second loses the target.
Rest your hand centered
The grid is small, under 340 pixels wide. Keeping your finger or cursor hovering near the middle hole shortens travel to any of the eight outer holes, so you reach fresh moles faster than parking at a corner.
Ignore empty holes
There is no miss penalty, but tapping empty holes wastes time you could spend on a real mole. Do not spam-tap the board hoping to catch spawns; each pointer-down only scores if a mole is actually up in that hole.
Push the last five seconds
The timer turns red at five seconds left but the spawn rate never changes. That final stretch is worth just as much as the start, so do not ease off; every mole you land in those last seconds still adds a full point.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a round?
Every round lasts 30 seconds. The countdown starts the moment you press Start and runs continuously; there is no pause and no way to add time. When it hits zero the game ends and shows how many moles you whacked. Pressing Play Again gives you a fresh 30 seconds.
Does missing a mole cost points?
No. Your score only ever goes up. Tapping an empty hole or a mole that already dropped does nothing, and there is no lives system or point deduction. The only thing you lose by missing is the time and the chance to hit an actual mole before it retreats.
Does the game get faster or harder?
No. The difficulty is flat for the whole round. Moles always stay up for 600 to 1300 milliseconds and each spawner fires a new one every 350 to 850 milliseconds from start to finish. There are no levels, speed ramps, or difficulty settings, so your score comes down purely to reaction and coverage.
Can more than one mole be up at once?
Yes. The game runs two spawners in parallel and each one keeps firing on its own timer, so two or even three holes can be lit at the same moment. If a spawner rolls a hole that already has a mole up, it skips adding another there, but across the grid you will often be tracking more than one target at a time.
Is my best whack score saved?
Yes, but only in the browser you play in. When a round ends, if your score beats the stored best it is written to your browser's local storage and shown as Best above the grid. Clearing your browser data or switching devices resets that record; it is never sent anywhere.
Do I need a keyboard or mouse?
Neither specifically. The holes respond to pointer input, so a tap on a touchscreen, a mouse click, or a stylus press all work the same way. Touch is fully supported, which makes the game comfortable on a phone where you can use a thumb from each hand.