Circle blue orbs with a glowing trail before they burst, and keep the red bombs out of every loop you close.
Coil is a reflex game played with nothing but a bright line that trails behind your pointer. Blue orbs keep appearing on a dark field, and you capture each one by drawing a loop around it so the line crosses over itself. Close the loop and the space inside flashes, taking any orb caught within.
You never shoot or click during play. The skill is in how fast and how neatly you can wrap a target, and how well you notice the red bombs before you circle one by accident.
How a round works
Start the game and keep moving. The trail has a set length, so the tail end fades away as you go, which limits how big a loop can be. Every blue orb lives for only a few seconds. Near the end of its life it shifts to a yellow-green color and starts to flicker.
If an orb bursts before you catch it, your energy bar drops by 30 and your multiplier falls back to x1. Each catch is worth 30 points times your current multiplier, and grabbing two or more in one loop pays a bonus. Your score also climbs a little for every moment you stay alive.
The multiplier and the bombs
Each blue orb you take moves the multiplier a fifth of the way to the next step, so five clean catches in a row raise it one level. The top is x4, shown as dots in the bar at the top of the screen.
Red orbs are bombs. Wrapping one costs 30 energy and also wipes your multiplier. The good news is that a bomb left alone fades out on its own and does no harm. A catch only returns 1 energy, so a few mistakes can empty a full bar quickly.
Strategy notes
- Keep loops small. A tight twist closes faster than a wide swing, and it is less likely to scoop up a bomb.
- Go for flickering orbs first. They are about to pop, while fresh blue ones can wait a second.
- When two blue orbs sit close, wrap both in one pass for the bonus.
- Steer around red orbs rather than through them, then come back once they fade.
- Hover near the middle of the field so you can reach any corner in time.
Who it suits
Coil fits anyone who wants a quick game for a short break. The rules make sense after one try, and each run gets harder the longer it lasts. Because it works with a mouse, a touchpad or a finger, it plays well on most school laptops and on phones.
Controls
| Action | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Steer the trail | Move the mouse (no clicking needed) | Drag your finger across the play area |
| Start or restart a game | Click "Start Game" | Tap "Start Game" |
| Turn off background effects if the game runs slowly | Click "Disable grid effects?" when the warning appears | Tap "Disable grid effects?" when the warning appears |
Coil FAQ
Can I play Coil on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Drag one finger to lead the trail, and the line is drawn slightly above your fingertip so your hand does not hide it. The field scales to the screen size, so turning the device sideways gives you the most space to work with.
Do I need to click while playing?
No. Once you start a game, the only input is moving the pointer or your finger. There are no buttons to press during a run. You only click or tap again to start a new game after the energy bar runs out.
Is there a way to win, or is it endless?
There is no final level. The run keeps going and more orbs appear at the same time as the clock ticks up. It ends when your energy reaches zero, and your final score is shown on the menu. The challenge is simply to beat your last result.
What if the game runs slowly on my computer?
If the game notices slow performance, it offers a button to switch off the grid effects. Turning them off removes the lit background ripples but leaves the rules exactly the same, which can help on older laptops and school Chromebooks.
