Circus Game

Circus Game puts you in charge of a four-act show under the big top. You juggle balls and clubs, fly from the trapeze into the catcher’s hands, fire a human cannonball into a net and pop clowns out of a tiny car on the beat. You can play this circus game online free in your browser with no download, on a keyboard, a mouse or a phone’s touch screen.

How to play

A show runs the four acts in order, and each act adds applause toward up to three stars. One star unlocks the next show, and there are eight shows that get harder as you go.

• Juggling: the juggler throws a ball every beat, and a ring lights up around the hand it is about to land in. Tap the left or right half of the game (or press A or D, or the arrow keys) as the ball arrives. A spot-on catch scores 30 and a close one scores 15. A tap with nothing to catch costs 10, and a missed ball falls and leaves the pattern. Shows 1 to 3 use three balls, shows 4 and 5 four, and shows 6 to 8 five; from show 5 they are clubs.
• Trapeze: the flyer swings on the left bar while the catcher hangs by the knees from the right bar. Tap to let go on a forward swing so you fly straight into the catcher’s hands as they swing toward you. You get three tries and up to four swings per try. A catch scores 120, plus a bonus of up to 30 for catching on an early swing. Later, the catcher swings at a different speed, so not every swing lines up.
• Human Cannonball: drag on the game to aim the cannon (or use Up and Down), then hold to charge the power meter and let go to fire. Landing in the net scores 60 to 150, the most at the red center. You get three shots, and the net moves each time. From show 3 a wind flag shows how hard the wind is blowing, and later shows have narrower nets.
• Clown Car: red beats scroll toward the ring at the top after a four-beat count-in. Tap as each one reaches the ring to pop a clown out of the car and onto the stack. Small dots are rests; tapping on a rest or off the beat makes a clown drop a prop and the stack wobble. Three dropped props, or a full wobble meter, topples the stack and cuts the act’s score. Finishing with no dropped props and at least half the clowns out adds a 40-point finale bonus.

Stars, practice and saving

You need 45 percent of a show’s maximum applause for one star, 65 percent for two and 82 percent for three. The Practice menu plays any single act at the difficulty of any show you have unlocked. Stars, best scores and practice bests are saved in your browser.

Tips

• Juggle to the rhythm, not the balls. Catches come at a steady beat and alternate left, right, left. Tap with the beat and use the glowing ring to check.
• Don’t spam taps. A stray tap costs applause and blocks that hand for a moment.
• Let go on the way up. On the trapeze, the catch window opens after you pass the bottom of your forward swing and closes before the top. Watch the catcher too: they should be swinging toward you.
• Pick one cannon angle and learn the power. Against the wind, aim for the near edge of the net and let the wind carry you to the middle.
• Listen in the clown act. The metronome ticks louder on beats with a clown. When in doubt, skip a beat: a missed clown costs you nothing, but an off-beat tap drops a prop.

FAQ

Is Circus Game free?

Yes. It is free to play with no account and nothing to install. Pick Show 1 on the menu to start.

Are there animals in the show?

No. Every act is performed by acrobats, a juggler and clowns.

Does it work on phones and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a touch screen you tap to juggle, let go and pop clowns, and drag then lift your finger to fire the cannon. The game area won’t scroll the page. On a Chromebook or laptop, use the keyboard or mouse.

Can I pause the game?

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

What happens if I fail an act?

The show goes on. A weak act just earns less applause, and you can practice it on its own.

Enjoy timing games? Try Rhythm Tap for four-lane notes set to original songs, or Archery for aiming with wind and arrow drop.