Games / Arcade Games / Kestrel Kicks / Guide
How to play Kestrel Kicks
Kestrel Kicks is a set-piece soccer game. You bend free kicks round the wall, beat keepers from the penalty spot, meet crosses first time and dive for saves, on a coast of small-town grounds with their own cups.
This is our guide to playing Kestrel Kicks. Want to jump straight in? Play Kestrel Kicks right here in your browser.
Quick answers
Does Kestrel Kicks work on my phone?
Yes. Kestrel Kicks works with touch on phones and tablets, and with a mouse or keyboard on a computer. It runs in the browser you already have, so there is no app to download.
Do I need an account to play Kestrel Kicks?
No. Just open it and play, with no sign-up. If you like, a free account (username only, no email, for players 13 and older) puts your scores on the leaderboards and backs up your progress so it follows you to any device.
Is there a daily challenge in Kestrel Kicks?
Yes. Kestrel Kicks has a new daily challenge every day, the same one for every player, with its own daily leaderboard. Find it alongside the others on our daily challenges page.
Is Kestrel Kicks OK for kids?
Yes, players of any age can enjoy it. There is no chat and no way to message other players, and nobody needs an account to play. Accounts are for players 13 and older, so younger players just play and their progress stays on their device. For ages 4 to 11 we also have learning games in their own kids area, with no ads, no accounts and no tracking.
What is Kestrel Kicks?
Set-piece games keep the best moment of soccer: the ball on the grass, the wall lined up, the keeper on his toes, and one strike. Kestrel Kicks is built around that strike. The ball flies with real drag and spin, so a swipe with a bend in it curls, a late flick makes it dip, and a fast swipe hits it hard.
Every club, crest, kit, town and cup in the game is our own. You start with a muddy local pitch and a plain shirt, and grow your own club as you go. Kestrel Kicks is free and plays in your browser on phone, tablet or computer, with no download.
How to play
- Put your finger on the ball and swipe toward the goal. Where the swipe points is where the ball goes.
- How high your swipe reaches sets the height. How fast you swipe sets the power.
- Bend the swipe into a curve and the ball curls the same way. A curve round the wall is the classic free kick.
- Flick down at the very end of the swipe to add topspin, so the ball dips under the bar.
- A short aim line shows the first few meters while you swipe. The Sight upgrade makes it longer.
- Keepers watch the ball's straight path and react after a short moment, so a shot that bends or dips late can fool them.
- In keeper levels you are in goal. Drag your gloves to where the ball is going. Time slows for a beat just before it arrives.
Retry is free and instant. Levels with more than one ball keep the goals you already scored, and there are no lives or waiting.
Level types
| Level | What you do |
|---|---|
| Free kick | Beat the wall and the keeper from outside the box. Distances and walls grow through the season. |
| Penalty | One on one from the spot. Corners and late curl beat the keeper. |
| Volley | A teammate crosses from the wing. Swipe as the ball arrives to hit it first time. |
| Targets | Hit the gold rings in the goal. Each ring is a star. |
| Keeper | Five shots come at you. Save 3 to clear, all 5 for three stars. |
| Match | A short match against a rival club: three chances each way, and spot kicks if it is level. |
The star rules for every level are on the level card before you kick, so you always know what three stars needs.
Stars and style points
A goal is worth 100 points, and style adds more. Points decide the stars on free kick, penalty and volley levels.
| Style | Points |
|---|---|
| Curl | Up to 60 |
| Top corner | 40 |
| Distance | Up to 40 |
| Off the woodwork and in | 30 |
| Dip under the bar | 20 |
| First-time volley | 15 to 30 |
Great goals get a slow-motion replay from behind the goal. You can skip it with a tap.
The season and the cups
The season trail has 300 levels in six regions, each with its own sky and weather: Meadow Lane, Harbour Park, Mill Town, Highland Moor, Floodlight City and the Coastline Final. Wind shows on the flags and pushes the ball in flight. Rain makes the ball skid on.
Each region ends with a cup match. Win it to lift the cup for your trophy cabinet, plus a Sight Line and a Slow Time.
Your club and home ground
Build your club's crest and kit from pieces you earn at set points on the trail: emblems, shapes, colors and shirt patterns. The trail shows which piece comes next, so nothing is left to chance. You also collect eight match balls, each with its own trail.
Medals from levels, matches and the Daily Five build your home ground step by step, from a low terrace to floodlights, a roof, a big screen, and flags and fireworks for every win. Your ground hosts your quick matches.
Training and helpers
Spend medals on training. Each skill has five steps.
| Training | What it does |
|---|---|
| Power | Harder shots from the same swipe |
| Curl | More bend from every curve you draw |
| Sight | A longer aim line |
| Gloves | Bigger gloves in goal |
| Reflex | Faster hands when you dive |
Two helpers are earned from daily goals and cups, never bought: Sight Line shows the whole curve of one shot while you swipe, and Slow Time slows the ball for one save or volley.
Daily Five and leaderboards
The Daily Five is the same five set pieces for everyone each day: three free kicks, a penalty and a volley, one ball each. Your total points go on the daily board. Your first run of the day is the one that counts, and you can practice it as often as you like after that.
There is also an all-time board for the most stars on the season trail. Keep a daily streak going for extra medals.
Controls
- Touch or mouse: swipe from the ball. Bend the swipe for curl, flick down at the end for dip.
- In goal: drag the gloves anywhere on the screen.
- Keyboard: arrow keys aim, A and D add curl, W toggles dip, Q and E set power, Space or Enter shoots. In goal, the arrow keys move the gloves.
- Esc pauses. The speaker button turns the sound on or off.
Tips and strategy
- Aim outside the post and curl it back in. The keeper reads the straight line and is wrong-footed.
- Against a wall, bend the ball round the outside of the last man rather than over the top.
- For a penalty, a firm shot just inside the post beats most keepers. Save the top corner for when you need the points.
- In keeper mode, move early toward where the ball is heading, not where it is now.
- Check the flags for wind and aim into it.
- Training Curl first makes every free kick easier.
Questions
Is Kestrel Kicks free?
Yes. It's free to play in your browser, with nothing to buy. Every upgrade and helper is earned in play.
Can every level be won?
Yes. Every level and every Daily Five is checked by a solver that tries real shots through the same physics the game uses. Every shot in keeper levels is checked to be savable.
How do I curl the ball?
Bend your swipe. Draw a curve from the ball toward the goal and the ball bends the same way. The Curl training adds more bend.
Are the teams real?
No. Every club, crest, kit and cup is our own invention.
Does my progress save?
Yes. Your club, stars, medals and ground save on your device automatically.
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