Five in a row doubles your points. Hitting a bomb costs you 25 - and swinging at an empty hole breaks the run.
About Whack-a-Mole
Free online Whack-a-Mole with bombs, golden moles, a combo multiplier, three speeds and turns for up to four players.
The original was a Japanese arcade cabinet from 1975 called Mogura Taiji - literally mole extermination - and it became the shorthand for any problem that pops back up somewhere else the moment you deal with it. As a game it survives because the skill is not speed, it is restraint: the combo bonus rewards hitting only what is actually up, and the bombs punish flailing. That single change turns a toddler's tapping game into something an adult has to concentrate on, and it is why the two can play the same game and have a real contest. The gentle setting gives the moles nearly two and a half seconds up, which is comfortable for a three-year-old; the frantic setting gives you about one.
Frequently asked questions
What ages is this good for?＋
About three and up on the gentle setting. Turn the bombs off in the options for the youngest players and it becomes pure tapping.
What is the combo?＋
Consecutive successful bops. Five in a row doubles everything you score, ten triples it. Missing, hitting a bomb, or letting a mole go breaks it.
Do I lose points for hitting a bomb?＋
Yes, twenty-five, and it ends your combo. Your score never goes below zero though.
Can more than one person play?＋
Yes, two to four, each taking a round of the same length on the same device. The scoreboard shows everybody and the highest wins.
Does swinging at nothing cost me?＋
It costs you your combo, but not points. It stops rapid tapping from being a winning strategy.
Is my best score saved?＋
Yes for solo play, in your browser, kept separately for each round length.