Yarn Rally

What you do

Yarn Rally is cozy arcade tennis in a sunny cat lounge. You play Mochi, an apricot kitten with a little racket, and you rally a pink ball of yarn across a rug court over a cardboard scratcher net. Mochi swats by herself whenever the yarn reaches her, so the game is about where you stand and when you tap. Meet the yarn off-center on her paw and an arrow shows where your return will land; tap as the closing ring turns gold for a fast Purr Shot, or tap early for a high lob. Four kittens stand between Mochi and the Golden Paw Cup, each with a habit to exploit: gentle Mimi is slow to the corners, steady Tilly covers the court well, quick Nova rushes the net, and Marmalade, the champion, reads your aim.

• Real shot control: where the yarn meets Mochi's paw sets the angle, and an arrow on the court shows where it will land before you swat.
• Timed shots: tap as the ring turns gold for a fast Purr Shot, or tap early for a high, slow lob.
• A four-kitten ladder to the Golden Paw Cup: Mimi, Tilly, Nova and the champion Marmalade, each unlocked by beating the one before.
• Every opponent has a weakness to find: slow corners, a steady all-court game, a rush to the net, or a habit of reading your aim.
• A high-contrast landing ring with a closing timing ring, orange rings for sharp shots, gold for soft floaters and red for balls going out.
• Mouse, touch and keyboard play: Mochi follows the cursor with no button held, follows a dragged finger on phones, or runs with the arrow keys.

How to play

1. Win the Golden Paw Cup: beat Mimi, Tilly, Nova and then Marmalade. First kitten to 7 points wins a match.
2. Run Mochi to the white ring on your side of the court. She swats the yarn back by herself when it reaches her.
3. Aim with her paw: meet the yarn on the right of her paw to send it right, on the left to send it left, in the middle to send it straight. The arrow shows where it will land; if it turns red, that swat would land out.
4. Tap as the closing ring turns gold for a Purr Shot, a fast flat swat that is hard to return. Tap earlier, while the ring is still wide, to call a lob instead.
5. Make the other kitten run: a shot to the open court can win the point outright or force a soft floater (a gold ring) that you can Purr into the corner.
6. An orange ring is a sharp shot, so run right away. A red ring with a cross means the yarn is going out, and Mochi lets it go for your point.
7. Beat a kitten to unlock the next one. After a match, choose Next, Rematch or Kittens on the results card.

Controls

• Mouse: move the mouse and Mochi follows it left and right, no button needed. Click to swing (gold ring: Purr Shot, earlier: lob).
• Touch: drag anywhere and Mochi follows your finger. Tap to swing, with the same finger or a second one.
• Keyboard: Left and Right arrows or A and D run. Space, Up, W or Enter swings.
• The ladder button at the top left of the court leaves the match and returns to the kitten ladder.

Tips worth knowing

• Watch the arrow, not just the ring: standing a little to one side of the yarn is what aims it.
• Do not aim right at the side line. If the arrow turns red, the swat would land out.
• Mimi is slow to the corners, so aim wide against her.
• Tilly covers the court well. Make her run to one side, then Purr Shot into the other.
• Nova rushes the net. Tap early to lob over her and she will usually float back a soft ball.
• Marmalade leans the way your arrow points just before you swat. Show him one side, then step across at the last moment.
• Very long rallies tire the other kitten a little, so a patient rally can end in your favor.

Accessibility

• Pause, restart and help stay in the toolbar, and pausing freezes the yarn mid-air.
• Instructions and controls are available as page text outside the canvas.
• Keyboard, mouse, and touch controls are supported; keys only act while the court has focus.
• Rings use shape as well as color: a cross marks yarn going out, and the timing ring closes in as the yarn arrives.
• Points, unlocks and match results are announced to screen readers.

Guides and roundups

• Best Cozy Cat Games to Play in 2026