The Random Series: How Basket Random, Volley Random and Boxing Random Differ From Soccer Random
Published · 2 min read
One control scheme, four sports
Every game in the series uses the same idea: a key per side, a jump on press, a higher jump on hold, and a random rule change after every point. What differs is the goal, and the goal changes everything about the timing.
Soccer Random
Two players a side, a goal at each end and a ball on the ground. Because the ball starts low, taps matter more here than anywhere else in the series, and own goals are the main way points get scored. It is the most forgiving game for a new player and the funniest to watch.
Basket Random
The hoop is high, so nearly every scoring jump is a hold. Where Soccer Random rewards patience, Basket Random rewards jumping early while the ball is still rising, so the shot arc peaks at the rim. The court variants (beach, ice, moon gravity) change the arc more than the surface changes the football.
Volley Random
A net in the middle and two players a side. The ball is never allowed to touch the sand, so it is the only game in the series where doing nothing loses the point outright. Rallies are longer and the random net heights are the cruellest twist of the four.
Boxing Random
No ball at all. Press to jump and swing, and the first clean hit to the head takes the round. It is the shortest and the most random of the four, with the arena, the gloves and the fighters' reach changing between rounds. Play it best of ten, because a single round proves nothing.
Which to play
Soccer Random for a first-timer, Basket Random for a friend who wants to learn the hold, Volley Random for someone who likes long rallies, and Boxing Random when there are five minutes left before the bell. Basket Random and Volley Random are on this site next to the main game; the only copy of Boxing Random we have is missing its artwork, so it is not listed until we find a sound one.
More from the blog
- Soccer Random Timing Guide: When to Tap, When to Hold and When to Leave the Ball Alone
Most Soccer Random goals are own goals. Here is how the jump actually works, why waiting is a move, and how to read the random round before the first touch.
- After Soccer Random: Penalty Shootouts, Head Soccer and Cup Games on This Site
What is on the shelf next to Soccer Random, sorted by what you want from a football game: quick shootouts, two-player head soccer, or a whole tournament.