🔨Whack-a-Mole

About this tool

Press Start and hamsters pop out of a 3 × 3 grid of holes. Tap or click them, or use the number pad, which is laid out like the grid. Hamsters score 1 point, golden stars 3, and bombs take 3 away. You have 30 seconds, and the moles get faster as time runs down. Your best score is kept on this device.

How to get a high score

Whack-a-Mole began as a coin-operated arcade game in the 1970s, and its appeal is simple: quick decisions under time pressure. In this version each mole stays up for about 1.1 seconds at the start of the round and about half that by the end, and new ones appear more often as the clock runs down, so the second half is where most points are won or lost. Golden stars are worth three hamsters but vanish faster, and bombs cost three points, so don't tap blindly. Keep your eyes on the centre of the grid rather than chasing each mole, so your peripheral vision catches pop-ups anywhere. On a keyboard, rest your fingers over the number pad: 7, 8 and 9 are the top row, just like the grid. Missed taps on empty holes don't cost points but they waste time. The game is good for a short break, warming up reactions before gaming or sport, or a classroom brain break. Honest limits: touchscreens are the easiest way to play, and older devices may lag slightly at the fastest speeds. Your best score stays only in this browser. The reaction time test, the aim trainer and Block Stack test reflexes too. Reaction time, memory span, aim: what's normal? explains what's typical.

Frequently asked questions