Flipper is pinball you play with one finger. Both flippers are on the same button: tap or hold anywhere and they both swing up, let go and they drop. The ball is a little green blob with googly eyes, and it's fast. Bounce it off the bumpers, light the targets and top lanes to raise your multiplier, and don't let it slip past the flippers. You only get one ball, and the table tilts steeper the longer you last.
How to play Flipper
- Tap or hold anywhere to raise both flippers. Release to drop them.
- Flip the ball when it reaches a flipper to send it back up the table.
- Bumpers, slingshots, targets and the three top lanes all score points.
- Light all three targets on one side, or all three top lanes, to raise the multiplier (up to x5).
- If the ball falls between the flippers or down an outer lane, the game is over. Early drains in the first three seconds get a free ball save.
Tips to get a high score
- Flip when the ball is past the middle of the flipper. Hitting it near the tip sends it across the table.
- Holding the flippers up catches the ball in the corner (a cradle) so you can line up a calmer shot, but flippers get tired after five seconds.
- The red-striped outer lanes are where most balls are lost. Shots off the slingshots can send the ball there, so be ready.
- Watch the tilt meter at the bottom. As it fills, the ball falls faster and your timing has to be sharper.
How the table tightens
Two things change during a game of Flipper, and both happen over the first 80 seconds. Gravity more than doubles, so the ball comes back down to the flippers faster and harder. At the same time, the posts between the outlanes and inlanes creep inward, widening the red-striped drains on both sides.
After 80 seconds the table stops changing, but by then it's playing at its steepest and widest. The ball save covers only the first three seconds of the game, and only once, so the opening few shots are the gentlest you'll get.
Where the points come from
Base values are small: a bumper hit is 10, a slingshot kick is 5, and each unlit target or top lane is 25. Completing a bank of three targets adds 150 and raises the multiplier. Lighting all three top lanes adds 100 and raises it too. A target that's already lit scores nothing until its bank is completed and resets.
Every point is multiplied, up to x5, and since you only get one ball the multiplier never drops. That makes the multiplier the real goal. A bumper is worth 10 at x1 and 50 at x5, so the shots that light targets early, while gravity is still low and you have time to aim, pay off for the rest of the game.
Top lanes only count when the ball travels up through them. Slingshots kick at most about once every three quarters of a second; a quicker second hit is a dead bounce with no kick and no points. A fast run of bumper hits builds a combo you can hear, but it doesn't change the points.
Flipper timing and the cradle
The flippers snap up in about a twentieth of a second and fall back a little slower. That speed means you can wait longer than feels natural before flipping, which helps you hit the ball past the middle of the flipper instead of off the tip.
Both flippers rise together, so a flip meant for one side also swings the other. If the ball is resting near the far flipper, it gets hit too.
A cradle holds for five seconds. Then both flippers drop and stay down until you lift your finger and press again, so let go before the limit and re-press when you're ready. The three gold coin spots come back 15 seconds after you collect them. They're for your coin total and don't add to your score.
Daily levels and ghost races
Today's Flipper level is the same for everyone, and you race the ghosts of other players' runs. How daily levels and challenges work.
FAQ
Why do both flippers move together?
Flipper is designed for one thumb on a phone, so one button drives both flippers. Timing is the whole skill, and it works the same anywhere you touch the screen.
How long does a game last?
Usually somewhere between 15 seconds and a minute and a half. The table slowly gets steeper, so even great runs come to an end.
What is the multiplier?
Every point is multiplied by your current multiplier, shown by the x2 to x5 lamps in the middle of the table. Completing a target bank or all three top lanes raises it by one.
Is it free?
Yes. Every Tapamine game is free to play in your browser with no download and no account.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. Tapamine is built for phones first: portrait, one thumb, and it works offline after your first visit. It also works with a mouse or the spacebar on a computer.
How do challenges work?
After a run, tap “Challenge a friend” to send a link. Your friend plays the exact same level and races your ghost — a replay of your run — to see who wins.
Add Flipper to your site
Flipper is free to embed on your blog, class page or website. Paste this code:
<iframe src="https://tapamine.com/embed/flipper/" title="Flipper: free one-tap game" width="360" height="640" style="border:0;border-radius:16px;max-width:100%" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; web-share" loading="lazy"></iframe>