Whack-a-Mole
Tap each mole the instant it pops up — they appear faster and stay up for less time as the round goes on.
0
Score
30s
Time left
—
Combo
A 3-2-1 countdown runs before the first mole appears.
Runs entirely in your browser — scores are saved on your device only.
How it works
- Pick a round length — 30 or 60 seconds — and press Start to run the 3-2-1 countdown.
- Watch the 3x3 grid and tap moles the moment they surface; hitting several in a row builds a combo multiplier that boosts each point.
- When the timer ends, read your score, accuracy, and longest combo, then play again to beat the best saved on your device.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the whack-a-mole scoring and combo bonus work?
- Every mole you hit is worth a base of 100 points plus a bonus that grows with your current combo, so a clean streak scores far more than the same number of scattered hits. The combo counter rises with each consecutive hit and resets to zero whenever a mole escapes or you tap an empty hole. Chasing long combos is the fastest way to a high score.
- How is the difficulty curve set up?
- The game gets harder as the clock runs down. Early on, moles stay up for close to a full second and appear at a relaxed pace; by the end of the round they surface for well under half a second with barely a gap between them. This steady ramp means the opening seconds are for warming up and the final stretch is where big scores are won or lost.
- How is accuracy calculated?
- Accuracy is the share of moles you hit out of every mole that appeared, shown as a percentage. A mole that pops up and drops back down before you tap it counts as a miss and lowers your accuracy. Tapping an empty hole does not count against accuracy but it does break your combo, so wild tapping still costs you points.
- Where is my best score stored?
- Your best score for each round length is saved in your browser’s local storage, on your device only. Nothing is sent to a server, so your record is private and survives closing the tab or restarting the browser. Clearing site data or using a different device or private window starts you with a fresh best.
- Does this work on a phone or with a mouse?
- Yes. The grid is built from large square targets sized for fingertips, so tapping on a phone or tablet feels natural, and the same cells respond to mouse clicks on a laptop or desktop. The layout stacks to fit narrow screens without any horizontal scrolling, and the game runs at full speed on modern mobile browsers.
About this tool
Whack-a-Mole is a browser recreation of the classic arcade reflex game. A three-by-three grid of holes sits in front of you, and moles — drawn as simple round characters — pop up one at a time in random holes. Your job is to tap each one before it ducks back down. Pick a 30-second sprint or a 60-second endurance round, hit Start, and after a short countdown the moles begin to appear.
The whole game runs client-side in JavaScript inside your browser tab. A timer schedules each mole in a random free hole, and the length of time it stays visible shrinks as the round progresses, using the high-resolution performance clock to keep timing precise. Every hit, escape, and combo is tallied on your device, and your best score for each round length is written to local storage — nothing is uploaded, no account is required, and there are no network requests at any point.
It is an easy way to kill a few minutes, but it is also a genuine test of reaction speed and hand-eye coordination. Friends can pass a single phone around and compare scores, teachers and parents can use it as a quick attention warm-up, and anyone can treat it as a light benchmark for how sharp their reflexes are on a given day. The rising difficulty keeps even short rounds tense right to the final second.
For a higher score, protect your combo above everything else: one clean streak is worth more than twice as many scattered hits, so resist stabbing at empty holes. Keep your eyes on the whole grid rather than fixating on one spot, and settle into a rhythm early while the moles are slow so your hands are ready for the frantic finish. Playing the 30-second round a few times is the quickest way to sharpen your timing before attempting a long run.