zapjam

Volleyball, with a blade in your hand.

Bladevolley

Play full screen

Up to 1,200 zaps

Free · no account · nothing to install

Ages 6+ · Comic taunts · Online leaderboard · Friend requests

Press HIT and the blade turns one full revolution.

Every rally

Spike. Lob. Block.

Bladevolley is an online volleyball game played one on one, side on, first to five. Each player carries one board, and it does two jobs: it sets the ball, and it is the blade you spike with.

Spike beats lob, block beats spike, lob beats block, and every rally is a run of those choices. The swing is a commitment: it starts from whatever angle you left the board at, and afterwards the blade hangs limp for a moment, so a whiffed spike is an invitation.

  1. Spike
  2. Lob
  3. Block
A rally on the beach court, each player holding a long blade

The blade

Your board is your blade

At rest, its angle is a platform you steer to set, block and drop the ball: tilted forward it sends the ball over the net, laid back it keeps it on your side. Press HIT and it turns one full revolution into a swing.

Punk shouting on the alpine lake court

The court

The walls play back

There is no out of bounds: long balls bounce back off the walls, so the edges of the court are part of the play. Three touches a side, and the rally winner serves.

Neck taunting in the arena, a crowd in the stands

The rivals

They all talk

Climb a ladder of six rivals, each with their own style and plenty to say, from a beach to an alpine lake to an arena with a crowd. Beating one unlocks the next. Or play a friend on the same screen, with a controller each or one of you on the keyboard.

The arena court with a crowd of faces in the stands
The arena, with a crowd in the stands.
The pick-your-opponent screen with six rivals, five of them locked
Pick your opponent. Beat one to unlock the next.
The full-time card after a win, with the score and its zaps
The full-time card. Only a win scores.

Pick your opponent

Beat an opponent to unlock the next. They all talk. None of them are sorry.

  1. 1 Pretty Boy

    Hangs back and lobs. Certain he is too good-looking to lose.

    “Beauty wins. Beauty always wins.”

    Beach 200

  2. 2 Hihooo

    Lives at the net. Every single point is his father's honour.

    “HIHOOO! The name stands!”

    Beach 200

  3. 3 Punk

    Plays it off the wall. Does not recognise the authority of lines.

    “NO GODS! NO REFS! NO SCOREBOARDS!”

    Alpine Lake 200

  4. 4 Glasses

    Drops it just over the net, then explains why that was funny.

    “GG. Do not feel bad, I do this instead of a social life.”

    Alpine Lake 200

  5. 5 Neck

    Kills your drops at the net. Assumes you have never lifted anything.

    “BIGGEST! BADDEST! STILL STANDING!”

    Arena 200

  6. 6 Old Fart

    Reads everything you do, then calls it luck.

    “Lucky day. You made me work for that, truly.”

    Arena 200

How to play Bladevolley

First to 5

  1. Press Start game and pick a rival. Pretty Boy is open from the start, and beating each rival unlocks the next.
  2. Get under the ball and set the blade's resting angle: tilted forward it sends the ball over the net, laid back it keeps the ball on your side.
  3. Press HIT to swing: one full turn of the blade from the angle you set. Jump into it for a spike, and double-jump for the steepest kill.
  4. A floor touch is a point against that side, three touches a side at most, and the walls play the ball back. First to five wins.
  5. Only a win scores, and a wider margin, a faster match, and more smashes and spike kills all add to it.

Controls on a computer

Move
or A D
Jump
or W or Space again in the air to double-jump
Tilt the blade
Mouse up and down, or Q E
Swing
Click, or J
Pause
Esc

Gamepads work too.

Controls on a phone

Play in landscape. Drag sideways on the left half to run and flick up to jump; slide on the right half to tilt the blade; tap HIT to swing.

Worth up to 1,200 zaps

6 rivals × 200. Your best win against each rival is what counts.

Leaderboard

Sign in with a free zapjam account and your best win against each of the six rivals goes on the all-time board, added up under your handle, with your own rank and the players either side of you. Then challenge a friend to beat it. Playing never needs an account.

Every submitted match is replayed by the server from its own seed and your inputs, and the server works out the score itself, so nobody can type one in.

How a win scores

Win
1,000
Margin
up to 750
Speed
up to 600
Blade
up to 660

Questions about Bladevolley

Is Bladevolley free to play?
Yes. Bladevolley is free in your browser, on a computer or a phone: no download, nothing to install, no ads, and no account needed to play.
How do you play Bladevolley?
It is one-on-one volleyball, side on, first to five. Your board sets the ball and is also the blade you spike with: set its angle, then press HIT and it turns one full revolution into a swing.
Can two people play Bladevolley?
Yes: Bladevolley is a 2 player volleyball game on one screen. Play a friend with a controller each, or one of you on the keyboard and the other on a controller. On your own you climb a ladder of six rivals, and beating one unlocks the next.
Can I play Bladevolley on a phone?
Yes, in landscape. Drag sideways on the left half to run and flick up to jump, slide on the right half to tilt the blade, and tap HIT to swing.
How long is a match?
A match takes two to ten minutes: first to five points, three touches a side, and the walls play the ball back.
Is there a Bladevolley leaderboard?
Yes. With a free zapjam account your best win against each of the six rivals goes on the all-time board, and every submitted match is replayed by the server, so nobody can type a score in.

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