There are puzzle games. There are casual games. There are arcade games. But bubble shooter games occupy a genre all on their own, blending puzzle, casual, and arcade to create a unique and intoxicating gaming concoction. 

In case you hadn’t worked it out from the name, Shoot Bubbles sits squarely in the bubble shooter genre. Aimed at players of all ages, it sees you firing bubbles at other bubbles until you either empty the screen or fatally overfill it.

So what does this new kid on the block bring to the party? For one thing, Shoot Bubbles is web-based, and fully playable on all platforms. That means you can play exactly the same version whether you’re on a PC, an Android phone, or an iPad. 

For another thing, it has a mission: to improve the cognitive skills of its players by challenging them to make fast and deceptively consequential decisions against the clock. 

Popping bubbles is harder than you think.

In the very unlikely case that you’ve never played a bubble shooter before, here’s how Shoot Bubbles works.

The objective is to clear the screen of colored bubbles by firing other colored bubbles one at a time from the bottom of the playing area. Whenever you manage to form a cluster of three or more bubbles of the same color, they vanish. 

Not only that, but if there are any bubbles connected to the cleared cluster but not to the main pack, those ones fall away too, meaning you can clear vast swathes of real estate with a well-placed shot. 

Aiming and shooting is as simple as placing your fingertip/mouse cursor where you want your bubble to go and letting go/clicking the left mouse button. 

However, Shoot Bubbles is a deceptively challenging game. To succeed you’ll need to make the right calls, maintain perfect accuracy, and make good use of features like the preview ball and the ability to bounce shots off the side walls. 

Shoot Bubbles is one of the best free online bubble shooter games. To check it out, head to the Shoot Bubbles website right now.