Boxing

Boxing is a side-view boxing game where you trade jabs, hooks and uppercuts with a CPU opponent or a friend on the same keyboard. Block, dodge, watch your stamina and try to win by knockout before the judges have to decide it. You can play this boxing game online free in your browser with no download, on a keyboard, a mouse or a phone’s touch screen.

How to play

Each fight is three rounds of 60 seconds of game time. Walk into range and pick your punches:

• Jab: the fastest punch with the longest reach, but it does the least damage.
• Hook: slower and shorter, with about twice the damage of a jab.
• Uppercut: the slowest and shortest punch, and the hardest hitting.

Every punch costs stamina, the thin blue bar under your health. A tired boxer hits softer, and with too little left you can’t throw at all. Stamina comes back fastest when you stand still, slower while you walk or block, and not at all while you punch or dodge.

Defense works like rock, paper, scissors:

• Block stops a jab completely and lets only a little of a hook through. An uppercut breaks the guard, still does about half its damage and leaves your guard down for a moment.
• Dodge left or right slips jabs and hooks. A punch thrown in the next moment after a slip is a counter worth 1.5 times the damage. But an uppercut catches a dodging fighter and hits harder than usual.

Knockdowns, KOs and the judges

When a boxer’s health hits zero, they go down and the referee counts, one number per second. Mash any punch key, or tap the ring on a phone, to fill the get-up meter. Even if you fill it fast, the referee finishes a mandatory 8 count, and you rise with only part of your health. Each knockdown makes the meter harder to fill. Still down at 10 is a KO, and three knockdowns in one round is a TKO.

The round clock stops during a count, and between rounds both boxers get full stamina and a little health back. If nobody is stopped after three rounds, three judges score every round 10-9 to the boxer who landed more, with hooks and uppercuts counting for more than jabs. A close round is 10-10, and each knockdown costs a point. The judges don’t always agree, so split decisions and draws happen.

Career mode and CPU levels

The career ladder has five fictional opponents, each with a different style:

• Pip Galloway, “Paper Tiger”: a jab-happy rookie with slow, obvious wind-ups.
• Bruno Kask, “The Wall”: keeps his guard up and counters after you hit it.
• Rocco Vane, “Hammerhand”: a slow power puncher whose hooks and uppercuts hurt.
• Lila Quick, “Quicksilver”: fast feet, lots of slips and quick counters.
• Marcus Hale, “The Storm”: the champion, who does a bit of everything well.

Win to move up the ladder, or lose and try the same opponent again. Beat all five to become champion. Your progress, record and KO count are saved in your browser, and Quick fight lets you pick any of the five.

Every CPU boxer has tells. The punching glove glows during the wind-up, a hook pulls the arm back wide, and an uppercut dips low first. On Easy the wind-ups are long and the punch name appears over the CPU’s head. On Hard they are short, and the CPU reacts faster and defends more.

Tips

• Watch the glove, not the body. As soon as it glows, decide: block a jab, slip a hook, block or back away from an uppercut.
• Counter after a slip. A hook thrown right after you dodge lands for 1.5 times the damage.
• Mix in uppercuts against a blocker. Bruno Kask’s guard won’t stop them.

FAQ

Is this boxing game free?

Yes. It’s free to play with no account and nothing to install. Choose a mode and press Fight, Space or Enter.

Can two people play on one computer?

Yes. Pick 2 Players on the menu. Player 1 uses A and D, W, Q and E, and F G H. Player 2 uses the arrow keys, U and O, and J K L.

Does it work on phones and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a phone or tablet, use the Walk, Dodge, Block and punch buttons under the ring, which won’t scroll the page. On a Chromebook or laptop, walk with the arrow keys, hold Up to block, dodge with Q and E, and punch with Z X C.

Can I pause a fight?

Press P or Esc, or use the Pause button. The game also pauses if you switch tabs.

Want more head-to-head games? Try Penalty Shootout for another sports duel, or Dino 2 Player to race a friend on one keyboard. For more fighters, see the best browser boxing games.