Bubble Shooter

Don’t be fooled, this is a relaxing game, but it can also quickly become a challenge when you realize the further you progress, the more you will need to combine strategy and timing. The real challenge is putting this game down once you start!

How to Play Bubble Shooter

You may have already come across Bubble Shooter, as it is potentially one of the most popular casual games out there. Don’t believe us? Look over your shoulder next time you’re on public transport.

The Bubble Shooter game uses simple match-3 mechanics. The screen begins filled with colorful bubbles, and at the bottom, you control a shooter loaded with a single colored bubble. Your goal is to aim and fire it at bubbles of the same color, forming a cluster of three or more. When matched, the bubbles burst and disappear, freeing up space on the board.

The round is won when all bubbles are cleared. Be careful, as the growing cluster will fall too far and hit the bottom of the screen if it falls too far, resulting in a loss of the round.

Always look for “hanging” bubbles. These are bubbles that support other clusters of bubbles below them. Pop that one, and they all fall, rewarding you with even more points.

Speaking of Points

Your primary goal is to clear the board, but to get there, you will have to pop as many bubbles as possible before the ceiling of bubbles falls in on you. Every bubble you pop earns you points, but not all pops earn the same number of points. The more complex your bubble shoots are, the more points you earn. For instance, shooting one bubble will earn you fewer points than shooting one that supports a series of other bubbles.

Using fewer shots or clearing levels quickly often earns you more points, but also keep in mind that wasted shots will count against you. So if you throw a bubble randomly against another color, you’re more likely to trigger a ceiling fall, which will bring you closer to the end of the round, giving you little space. After five misses, a new row drops from the ceiling. You can see the balls in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.

Be Warned, Bubble Shooter Is Addictive

There are plenty of reasons Bubble Shooter is so popular. It has no storyline, it’s pretty easy to learn to play, and its reward system keeps you challenging yourself in your last best game.

Bubble Shooter Tips

• Be careful not to bundle too many different bubble colors together. The more bubble colors, the harder it is to make matches.
• Avoid ceiling falls. Faster descending ceilings increase time pressure.
• Shoot in the crevices. Some complex layouts may seem impossible, but clever bank shots are very possible, and you get to fill in the gaps and break apart complex clusters.
• Aim at the walls to get a better angle. The ball will ricochet off the wall and into the smallest of gaps.
• Plan ahead. You can see the next color you will be given. Let that guide your moves.

The Original Bubble Shooter

There are numerous versions of Bubble Shooter, most of which trace back to Puzzle Bobble, created by Taito in 1994, a spinoff of Bubble Bobble (1986). Puzzle Bobble’s two-player arcade dynamics instantly brought it to the top of the game charts and made it a universal frenzy in the mid-'90s.

In 2002, Absolutist Ltd., a Ukrainian studio, released Bubble Shooter for PC, creating a single-player Flash game experience. In 2015, Ilyon Dynamics Ltd., an Israeli studio, bought the rights and launched Bubble Shooter for mobile. It rapidly expanded with thousands of puzzle levels, missions, and even tournaments. Taito maintained the popular game, releasing Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! for Nintendo Switch in 2023.

More Games Like This

For similar titles, you can browse our bubble shooter games. Popular alternatives include Smarty Bubbles and Arkadium's Bubble Shooter. You can also check out other fun puzzle games like 2048 for something a bit different! Other casual games worth a try include Friday Night Funkin', Little Alchemy, and Eggy Car.

Features

• Classic, tricky bubble shooting gameplay
• More challenging as you progress
• Remembers your high score for next time
• Enjoyable sound effects and colorful bubbles

Release Date

This free online version of Bubble Shooter Classic was released in September 2018.

Developer

Absolutist initially developed Bubble Shooter. This is a modernized version.

Platforms

• Web browser (desktop and mobile)
• Android
• iOS

Controls

• Move your mouse to aim
• Left-click to shoot

Gameplay Video