🔨 How to play Whack-a-Mole
By Miguel Arechaga
Whack-a-Mole is the classic reflex arcade game: moles pop up out of nowhere and you have to tap them before they duck back down. There's no logic needed here, just reaction speed and a bit of visual strategy. Here's how it works and how to get the most out of your 30 seconds.
What is Whack-a-Mole?
It's a reflex game with a 9-hole board. Each round lasts 30 seconds; moles pop up at random in different holes and vanish again quickly. Every time you tap one in time, you score a point. The goal is to rack up the highest score possible before time runs out.
How to play
- Press Start to launch the 30-second round.
- Watch the board of 9 holes: the moles 🐹 will pop up one at a time in random spots.
- Tap them before they duck back down to score a point each time.
- When time's up, you'll see your total score and, if you beat it, your new record.
The key: don't chase a single hole
The most common mistake is fixing your eyes on one specific hole, expecting the next mole to pop up there. Since the position is random, that strategy costs you valuable seconds because you react late when the mole appears somewhere else on the board.
What actually works is keeping a relaxed gaze on the center of the board, letting your peripheral vision pick up movement in any of the 9 holes. That cuts down the time between the mole appearing and your finger reaching it.
Also keep in mind that the game speeds up as time passes: the first moles stay up longer, but as the round progresses they pop up and disappear much faster, so the final seconds demand the most points per tap.
Quick tips
- Rest several fingers near the center of the board so you can react with whichever one is closest to the mole.
- Don't chase a mole that's already ducked back down: always focus on the next one.
- Play on a screen where you can see the whole board without scrolling, so you never lose sight of a single hole.
With a relaxed gaze and a bit of practice, you'll quickly notice your score climbing round after round.
🏆 Score ranking
Whack-a-Mole has its own global ranking: your best score is saved. Go to Ranking, the 🕹️ 1 Player tab, choose "Whack-a-Mole" from the dropdown, and compare your score with other players, synced to your account. For your result to count you need a free account on MundoSudoku (just a username and password, no email required): you can play without one, but without logging in your score won't be saved to the ranking.
