How to play Kickflare

Kickflare is free online football under floodlights: a top-down multiplayer game for 1v1 to 4v4, right in your browser. The ball rolls and bounces for real. Line up behind it, hold kick, bury it. Play with friends, or jump in and bots fill both crews.

The match

Red defends the left goal and shoots right; Blue the other way. Every kickoff starts in the middle: until the ball is touched, each crew stays in its own half and the other crew waits outside the centre circle. After a goal the celebration runs for 5.4 seconds, then the crew that conceded kicks off.

A match is 3 minutes of play: the clock stops for kickoffs and goals. Most goals wins. Level at full time means golden goal: the next one wins it.

Controls

📱 Phone and tablet

  • Drag anywhere on the left half of the screen to run.
  • Hold KICK: the moment the ball is in reach, it flies. Hold it on the way in for a hard shot; a quick tap is a pass. The button glows when the ball is in reach.
  • Tap DASH for a burst the way you're running (or at the ball).
  • Turn your phone sideways for the best view.

⌨️ Computer

  • WASD or the arrow keys to run.
  • Hold Space (or the left mouse button) to kick: hold it on the way in for a hard shot, tap it for a pass.
  • Shift (or the right mouse button) to dash.

Kicking and dribbling

A kick sends the ball along the line from the middle of your player through the middle of the ball, so where you stand is where it goes. Come at it from behind, on the line to the goal. Some of your own run goes into the kick: strike it at a sprint and it flies.

Hold kick and it goes off the moment the ball comes into reach, again and again while you hold it. Shots, passes and clearances are all the same button: what changes them is where you stand and how fast you're running.

Run into the ball without kicking and you dribble it: it rolls ahead of you and you keep it close. You build up speed and glide a little when you let go, so start your run early. A white ring round a player means they're about to strike.

Dash

A quick burst. You hold 3 of them, and while you're short one comes back every 5 seconds. Use them to catch a breakaway, beat someone to a loose ball, or close down a shot.

Tips

  • Get goal-side. Between the ball and your goal is where defending starts.
  • Play it off the boards: the ball bounces off the walls, so a bank shot can go round a defender.
  • Spread out. If your whole crew chases the ball, the far post is open.
  • Near your own goal, clear it wide, not across your goalmouth.
  • Save your dash for the moment that matters.

Questions

Is Kickflare free?
Yes. It's free to play in your browser: no download, no signup, no ads.
Is it like a physics football game?
Yes. It's top-down football where the ball rolls and bounces for real: you dribble by running into it, kick it along the line from you through it, and play it off the boards round the pitch.
Does it work on phones?
Yes, on phones, tablets and computers. Turn your phone sideways: you get a stick to run, a KICK button to hold and a DASH button.
How do I play with friends?
Open the game, tap With friends and share the room link. Friends who open it join your room; pick your sides, and the host starts the match.
Are there bots?
Yes. Bots fill both crews to the size the host picks (1v1 to 4v4), so a match can always start, and they're always labeled as bots. A room holds up to 8 players; when a friend joins, a bot gives up its seat.
How long is a match?
3 minutes by default (the host can pick 2, 3, 5). The clock stops for kickoffs and goals. Level at full time? Golden goal: the next goal wins.
Do I need an account?
No. Your name and level are saved on your device.

Ready? Bots are always waiting for a match.

▶ Play Kickflare

Another team game? Hooklash: hook brawls across the river.