Cowboy Game

Cowboy Game puts you on a Wild West ranch as the new ranch hand. One ranch map holds three kinds of work: a cattle drive where you herd cows into the corral on horseback, a lasso pen where you rope posts and runaway calves, and a tin-can target range at the saloon where you pop cans with a cork popgun. Finish jobs to earn ranch money, spend it on upgrades and work your way through all 12 jobs. Play it free in your browser with no download, on a keyboard, a mouse or a touch screen.

How to play

The game starts on the ranch map. The job board lists 12 jobs, and finishing one unlocks the next. Each job takes one day on the ranch, win or lose.

• Cattle drive: ride your horse with WASD or the arrow keys, or hold the mouse or a finger on the pasture and the horse rides toward it. Cows run away from the horse when it comes within a short distance, shown by the faint ring around you. They also stay close together and move as a herd. Ride behind them and push them through the open gate into the corral, where they stay put. Pen the number of cows the job asks for before sundown.
• Lasso: your horse stands at the bottom of the lasso pen. Point the mouse or touch the pen to aim, or turn the aim with Left and Right. The loop over your head swings harder and softer, and the dashed arc shows exactly where it will land right now. Release, tap or press Space to throw. If the loop lands on a post or a calf, you rope it. Calves keep running and sometimes turn, so aim a little ahead of them.
• Tin cans: cans pop up on three saloon shelves and stay for only a couple of seconds. Later jobs also send cans sliding along the top rail. Click or tap a can to fire a cork at it, or move the sight with the arrow keys and press Space. Every shot uses a cork, hit or miss.

A finished job pays base money plus a bonus: half a dollar for every second left on the clock, $5 for every unused lasso throw, and $2 for every cork you did not need. Running out of time, throws or corks fails the job with no pay, and you can retry straight away.

Upgrades and free roam

The general store on the ranch map sells three upgrades, each with two levels:

• Faster horse ($60, then $140) makes it easier to get around the herd and push stragglers.
• Longer lasso ($60, then $140) lets the loop reach calves running at the far side of the pen.
• Bigger gate ($50, then $120) widens the corral gate so cows slip in more easily.

Free roam lets you play any of the three activities with no clock and no limit on throws or corks. It pays $2 for every cow penned, $3 for every catch and $1 for every can. Press Ranch to head home. Your money, day count, upgrades and finished jobs are saved in your browser.

Tips

• Work one cow at a time. Get on the far side of the cow nearest the gate so the gate is straight ahead of it, then ease forward.
• Come around wide. If you are between the cows and the corral, swing out in a big loop to get behind them instead of cutting through.
• Watch the arc, not the meter. The arc grows and shrinks with the swing. Throw the moment its end sits on the target.
• Pick the oldest can. Shoot the can whose bar is shortest first, because it is about to drop.

FAQ

Is Cowboy Game free?

Yes. It is free to play with no account and nothing to install.

Does it work on phones and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a phone or tablet, drag a finger to ride, tap to throw the lasso and tap cans to pop them. The game area does not scroll the page while you play. On a Chromebook or laptop, the mouse and keyboard both work in any modern browser.

Can I pause?

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

Is there any shooting at people?

No. The only shooting is a cork popgun at tin cans on the saloon shelves, and the lasso only ropes posts and calves.

Want more time in the saddle? Try Horse Game for show jumping, or Farm Game for more life on the land.