Bowling a good game of Ten Pin in Games by Zaweba

Ten Pin gives you ten frames at the bowling alley, and each ball comes down to three clicks of the mouse. You choose where to stand, you time an aim arrow, and you stop a power meter. Then you watch the pins fall, or not. It's one of the games on the Skill & sport shelf in Games by Zaweba, and it's a good one to start with if you like a calm game where each attempt is short and the score builds steadily.

You can play it entirely with the mouse, moving and clicking three times for each ball, or press Space for the clicks if you'd rather keep a hand on the keyboard.

Three clicks to a ball

First, move the mouse to choose your position on the approach and click to fix it. Second, an aim arrow starts swinging from side to side: click when it points where you want the ball to go. Third, a power meter runs, and you click to stop it. Each click is a separate decision, so you can get one right and another wrong, and it's worth noticing which of the three is letting you down.

The aim arrow is where most of the timing lies. It doesn't wait for you, so rather than chasing it, watch a full swing or two and click as it arrives at the line you want.

Aiming for the pocket

The ball hooks a little either way as it reaches the pins. That's why the game suggests aiming for the pocket beside the head pin rather than straight at it. Your standing position and the arrow together set the line, and once you've found a combination that reaches the pocket, you can repeat it ball after ball.

Power plays its part, but it isn't a case of always stopping the meter at the top. A consistent stop is more useful than a maximum one you only hit now and then, because consistency is what lets you repeat a good line. Change one thing at a time when a ball goes wrong, and you'll soon learn which click needs work.

Strikes, spares and the score

A game is ten frames. Knocking all ten pins down with your first ball is a strike, and clearing the rest with your second is a spare. Both earn bonus pins from the balls that follow, which is why a run of strikes adds up so quickly. A perfect game is 300, which means a strike with every ball.

Spares matter more than they might seem. Picking up the leftovers after a decent first ball keeps the bonus coming. When you're left with a few pins on one side, take a moment to choose a new standing spot and arrow line for them rather than rushing the second ball down the same path as the first.

Keeping score over time

Ten Pin is for one player, so the person to beat is you. When a game finishes, Games by Zaweba shows your score and your best, and it keeps your best score along with how many times you've played, stored on your own PC. Starring it as a favourite keeps it easy to find, and the recently played list will bring you straight back to it on another day.

The title card at the start lays out the rules and the controls, F1 explains them again during play, and Esc pauses between balls if you need to step away. The alley, the pins and the clatter when they fall are all drawn and made in code, so it runs offline with no adverts and no account.

Start by finding one standing spot and one arrow position that reliably reach the pocket. Build your game from there, and the 300 can wait.