Break the image wall
Move with the mouse, a finger or the arrow keys. Space or a tap serves the ball.
Keys: Left and Right or A and D move, Space serves, P pauses, N starts over.
Atari Breakout in Your Browser, Brick by Brick
In May 2013, Google turned a page of image results into a wall of bricks. A paddle and a ball showed up, and the photos broke apart one hit at a time.
This page rebuilds that game from scratch. Each brick looks like a small photo tile in green and black. You get three balls, a running score and new levels that get faster.
Top rows pay more, as they did in the arcade. The bottom pair of rows gives 1 point per tile, then 3, then 5, and the top pair gives 7.
Five Steps to Serve the Ball in Atari Breakout
- Press Start game, tap the board, or hit Space to serve.
- Move the paddle with the mouse, a finger, or the arrow keys.
- Bounce the ball up into the tiles to break them.
- Catch the ball before it falls past the paddle, or you lose a ball.
- Clear every tile to reach the next level, where the ball moves faster.
The old trigger was a search. People typed the name of the game into Google Images and waited a moment for the grid to change. That version no longer runs, so this board stands in for it.
Paddle Controls on Keys, Mouse and Touch
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move paddle | Left, Right, A, D | Move the pointer | Drag a finger |
| Serve | Space | Click the board | Tap the board |
| Pause | P | Pause button | Pause button |
| Start over | N | Restart button | Restart button |
Where the ball meets the paddle sets its angle. A hit near the centre sends it straight up. A hit near either end sends it off at a sharp slant.
Speed-ups
Each new level adds pace. Within a level, the ball speeds up after 4 hits and again after 12. The 1976 cabinet used the same steps.
Where the Atari Breakout Image Grid Came From
Atari put Breakout in arcades in May 1976. Nolan Bushnell and Steve Bristow shaped the design, and Steve Wozniak built the prototype board.
That cabinet had eight rows of bricks in four colours. Yellow paid 1 point, green paid 3, orange paid 5 and red paid 7. Two full screens topped out at 896 points.
Google marked the game’s 37th birthday in May 2013. A search in Google Images turned the thumbnails into bricks and brought in a ball and paddle.
Many people called it the google block breaker, since the bricks were real image results. Google later retired it. Reports from 2023 say the search no longer starts a game.
Why the tiles look like photos
The tiles here copy that idea without real images. Each one is a tiny green scene: a hill and sun, a face, stripes or a block of windows.
Atari Breakout Strategy for Longer Rallies
- Use the ends of the paddle to steer. Edge hits give steep angles.
- Pick one side and dig a tunnel up to the top rows.
- Once the ball gets behind the wall, it breaks top tiles on its own.
- Drift back to the middle while the ball climbs, so both walls stay in reach.
- Watch the ball, not the paddle, after the 12-hit speed-up.
- Save risky edge shots for the last few tiles of a level.
More Arcade Tricks Close to This One
Quick reflex games sit well next to this one. Snake Google runs on a grid with fruit and speed modes. Space Invaders puts you behind a cannon against waves of shapes.
For the full set, the Google easter eggs hub lists tricks that spin, tilt and flip the page.
FAQs
Can you still play Atari Breakout on Google?
No. Google retired the Atari Breakout trick from Google Images, and reports from 2023 say the search no longer starts a game. You can play the recreation on this page, with the same brick wall built from image-style tiles.
How do you play Atari Breakout on Google Images?
You typed atari breakout into Google Images and the results turned into bricks. A paddle and a ball then showed up at the bottom. You moved the paddle to keep the ball in play and break the tiles.
What is the highest score in Atari Breakout?
The top score in the 1976 arcade game is 896 points. That comes from clearing two full screens worth 448 points each. Red bricks in the top rows paid 7 points, the most of any colour.
Who created Atari Breakout?
Nolan Bushnell and Steve Bristow designed Atari Breakout, and Steve Wozniak built the prototype hardware. Atari put it in arcades in May 1976. Google added its image search version in May 2013.
