Cup Catcher Controls and Device Tips
Everything you need to move the cup, on any device.
One action: move the cup
Cup Catcher has a single control. You slide the cup left and right, and that is all. There are no jump buttons, no menus mid-run and no complicated gestures. How you slide it depends on the device you are using.
Phone and tablet
- Drag anywhere on the game. Put a finger on the board and slide it left or right.
- You do not need to touch the cup itself. The cup follows your finger's position across the board, so you can keep your thumb low and out of the way of what is falling.
- Tap to start. The game waits until you tap, so you can get ready before the first object drops.
The game is built phone-first. It stops the page from scrolling while you play, so dragging on the board will not pull the page up and down. Playing in portrait works best, with the whole board on screen.
Computer with a mouse
Move the mouse over the game and the cup follows the pointer sideways. There is no need to hold a button down. If you also use a trackpad, a smooth, small movement is usually more accurate than big sweeps.
Computer with the keyboard
Click the game once so it has focus, then use the left and right arrow keys. Each press nudges the cup a small step, so tap the keys in short bursts to line up with a droplet, rather than holding one down and overshooting. The keyboard is a good fallback if your mouse is far from the screen or you prefer precise, stepped movement.
The buttons above the board
- 🔊 Sound button. Turns the background music and effects on or off.
- ✏️ Name button. Changes the nickname shown on the leaderboard.
The score, the best score and the water level are shown above the board so you can check them with a glance. If you are playing in a quiet place, the sound button is the quickest way to mute the game. The sounds are generated in your browser, so nothing extra is downloaded.
Your nickname and the leaderboard
The first time you play, you pick a nickname. It uses letters, numbers and spaces, and it must be unique. Your best score is saved against that name and appears in the Top Scores list shown after each game. You can change the name later without losing your best score. See the Privacy Policy for what is stored and how to have an entry removed.
Getting a smooth experience
- Use an up-to-date browser. Older browsers can struggle with the animation and the generated sound.
- Close heavy tabs. The game needs smooth frame rates to be fair. Many open tabs or a battery saver mode can make a phone stutter.
- Try landscape on a computer, portrait on a phone. Pick whichever shows the whole board without scrolling.
- Rotate or resize freely. The board scales to fit your screen, so it works on small phones as well as large monitors.
Why the controls are this simple
The whole game is built around the idea that you should understand it in seconds. One movement, instant response, and a fast restart after every game. If something feels off on your device, please tell us on the contact page with your device and browser, and we will look into it.
When you are ready, play Cup Catcher, or read the strategy guide for tips on using those controls well.