What is Ultra Ball? Ultra Ball is an extreme extension of the classic hand game War and
possesses many similarities to Rock, Paper & Scissors. However, instead of just having three moves
like in each of those games, there are a total of 15 moves and infinite possible strategies!
Should you reload now? Or is your opponent preparing for a big attack like Death Smoke, in
which case you should strike now while he reloads? But while you focus on eliminating the
biggest threat, what if someone else shoots you from behind the back? Is Mirror worth risking?
If you use Spiral Ball, you can kill someone, but he knows you have the reloads, so he might
do Shotgun back, but if does that, you can do Mirror, but what if he knows that...?
As you can see, the game is a mix of strategy, luck, and psychology. In the end, you are bound to have
a lot of fun, whether alone against bots or with friends.
History/Credits: This game was invented by one of my closest friend groups, dubbed the NJ Family. Our parents are all first-generation immigrants from India who met in college. As their children, we have always had a close bond, and we developed this game as a simple pastime in 2018 by extending War. Now, in 2023, I see the potential this game has to be a quick, fun, and engaging activity for everyone, so I developed the online version you are on now. At its core, Ultra Ball is still a children's game, but it is one that is interesting, unique, and adaptable to any setting, so people of all ages can enjoy!
Hosting: You can play Ultra Ball on your own or with friends (generally, the more the merrier)! To create a game, simply set a "cap" for the maximum number of human players who can play ("1" if playing by yourself). Also, decide whether the last human player alive automatically wins or if he must beat all of the bots too. You must check this box if playing solo, otherwise the game would automatically end since you are the last human player (don't worry, it will tell you that when you try to set up the game). Lastly, choose if you want the game to be able to be found by other players online. After you click start, you will be taken to the lobby screen. In the lobby, you can add/remove bots and remove unwanted players. For your convenience, the game will automatically start once the cap is reached.
Joining: To join a game, simply use the link/code provided by the host or search for public games. When you're ready, click join. That's all!
Each round, you will be prompted to choose a move. You will only see moves that are available to you, but if you click on a reload, you can see what moves it lets you unlock. The box on the screen will tell you what the move is, what type of move (offense, defense, defense-offense, or reload) it is, what it beats, what beats it, who it targets (one player, yourself, or everyone), etc. Over time, you should need this less, but if you ever forget, it's there for you. If applicable, select a target (if using single-player offensive move) and type the number of reloads you are using (in the case of Death Smoke, the most powerful move, which can use any combination of 10 reloads). Finally, press submit; you may be directed to a loading screen, which indicates a bad connection, but you should eventually be taken to a waiting screen. From there, you can see who has moved and who you are waiting on. The host can skip the turns of players who are taking too long, in which case they will be left vulnerable to attack. The host can also remove people if needed. Once everyone has moved, the results will be displayed, and people who are still alive can click a button to go to the next round. Dead individuals can spectate from the screen they are on. After the game ends, a summary page will be displayed with the results of who lived, who died, and what the final moves were.
Offense: These moves are used to kill other players. They are the only moves that can kill and the only moves that require reloads. The most powerful of these moves is Death Smoke, which kills everyone in the game unless they are wearing a Mask. It requires 10 reloads (mixing any combination) to use. Also, note that Knife, which requires a reload, does not beat anything. Knife exists to punish mirror spammers, for it is the cheapest move that can beat mirror. Thus, it can often be a very useful tool to have as a threat, even if you do not use it. However, be cautious, for even the no-reload Shotgun can beat Knife ("don't bring a knife to a gunfight"). Lastly, note that Spiral Ball and Bazooka appear to beat the same number of other offensive moves. However, Spiral Ball is more powerful because it can penetrate Shield, which is almost unbeatable otherwise. Also, it only loses to Shotgun, which can be more easily anticipated and countered by the person with Spiral Ball using Mirror.
Defense: These moves are used to protect yourself against offensive moves. They only have any effect if someone attacks you with an offensive move. No defensive moves require reloads. Both of the defensive moves work against everyone, so they are useful in multiplayer games. Shield is generally the go-to defense, but Mask is the only one that can protect you from Death Smoke. Note that neither of these protects against Spiral Ball, which can only be beaten with Shotgun!
Defense-offense: This special category consists only of Mirror. Mirror, if used against a weaker move, can reflect the move back at the opponent, killing him instead. However, it works against fewer moves than Shield, the comparable defensive move, and thus should be used with caution. Also, Mirror only works against a single individual, which is an important potential disadvantage in a multiplayer context.
Reloads: These moves are used to reload for offensive moves. While most reloads can only be used for a specific move, note that the Ball Power reload is used for Fire Ball, Water Ball, and Ice Ball (but not Spiral Ball, which uses Spiral Energy). This makes Ball Power the most dynamic reload. Moreover, note that Fire Ball requires two Ball Power reloads while the other ball moves only require one, which is because Fire Ball also goes through Mirror. Lastly, observe that all of the reloads can be used for Death Smoke, which, as mentioned earlier, requires 10 reloads of any type.