Breakout was designed by Steve Wozniak and Nolan Bushnell (Atari co-founder) and released by Atari in 1976. Steve Jobs, working at Atari at the time, was tasked with reducing the chip count of the circuit board. He enlisted Wozniak — who wasn't an Atari employee — to do the actual engineering. Wozniak reduced it to about 30 chips in four days, working through the nights. Jobs reportedly gave Wozniak a smaller share of the bonus than Atari paid out. The episode later became a point of contention in their relationship.
Breakout was inspired by Pong — Bushnell wanted a single-player variant where you played against a wall of bricks instead of an opponent. The concept was simple enough to understand immediately but difficult to master, particularly at higher speeds.
The home version (Atari 2600, 1978) expanded the concept with power-ups and multiple levels. The Breakout formula was later evolved into Arkanoid (1986) by Taito, which added power-up capsules that fell from destroyed bricks — a mechanic that dozens of games copied and iterated on through the 80s and 90s.
This version preserves the classic gameplay with a clean arcade aesthetic. Brick colours indicate point values, the ball angle changes based on where it hits the paddle, and speed increases as more bricks are cleared.
Breakout Tips
- Aim for the top. Getting the ball above the brick layer lets it bounce back and forth destroying multiple bricks without returning to your paddle.
- Use the paddle edges for angle control. Hitting with the centre returns the ball straight up; edges create sharper angles for targeting specific columns.
- Don't chase the ball — position first. Move your paddle to where the ball will land, not where it currently is.
- Slow down near the last few bricks. The ball is moving fast and the target area is small — deliberate positioning beats frantic tracking.