The Game
Breakout was an arcade game originally developed in 1976 by Atari. It was inspired by Atari's earlier hit game Pong. Like Pong, Breakout was designed purely with logic circuits (chips) and contained no code. Because of that fact, it is very difficult to emulate and rarely seen today.
This small HTML5 remake, called Breakout76, recreates the look and feel of the original in pixel-perfect form. It uses modern web APIs to allow the game to run in popular browsers on phones, tablets and computers. Breakout76 can even be installed as a Progressive Web App for offline play.
Gameplay
Like most games of its era, the goal is simple. Get a new high score! Clear all bricks by bouncing the ball off the paddle. Hit bricks to score points. If the ball misses the paddle you lose it. The game ends when you run out of balls.
Controls
- Mouse
- Move the mouse left/right to control the paddle. Click to start when on the game over screen.
- Touch
- Drag left/right on the canvas to move the paddle. Tap to start.
- Fullscreen
- When running on a laptop or desktop, use the fullscreen button (top-right) to toggle fullscreen mode.
Tips
- Hit the ball with the paddle edges to change its angle.
- The ball speeds up with consecutive hits.
- Hitting the top wall shrinks the paddle.
- The scoreboard keeps track of your current score, high score and remaining balls.
- Use paddle control on the edges to drill a path to the back wall for a high scoring game.
Installation
Breakout76 can be optionally installed as a Progressive Web App for offline play. This also allows for a more app-like experience and even creates an icon on the home screen or application menu of the device.
- Phone or Tablet
- Click 'Share' then 'Add to Home Screen' in your browser.
- Laptop or Desktop
- Look for the 'Install Breakout76' button in the browser address bar.
History
Breakout was a landmark arcade video game released by Atari in 1976. It single-handedly defined the brick-breaking game genre.
Inspired by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell’s earlier game Pong, Breakout simplified gameplay to a single paddle, a ball, and rows of bricks. The objective was straightforward: bounce the ball to break all the bricks without letting it fall past the paddle. As bricks disappeared, the ball sped up, increasing difficulty and tension.
The game’s development is notable for the involvement of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who were contracted to design the hardware. Wozniak engineered an exceptionally efficient circuit design with far fewer chips than typical for the era—an impressive technical feat that reduced manufacturing costs and influenced future arcade hardware design.
Upon release, Breakout became a major commercial success and cultural phenomenon. Its elegant mechanics, escalating challenge, and instant accessibility made it one of the most influential arcade games of the 1970s. Breakout spawned numerous sequels and clones and directly inspired later classics like Arkanoid, cementing its legacy as one of the foundational games of video game history.
Breakout76 created by Jason Zahn