Tug Team

Tips for Tug Team

Timing beats mashing in Tug Team, every time. Only a press while the needle is on the green really heaves, and a press on the gold sliver in the middle gives a full HEAVE that moves the rope much further. Press anywhere else and your crew slips and gives ground away, and because there is a recovery beat after every pull, hammering the button just locks you out while the other side pulls.

Watch the needle, wait for it, and press once. As a round goes on the sweet spot narrows, so you need to be more precise towards the end, and after nine seconds the winning lines start creeping inwards, so a small lead can be enough. Power-ups go to whichever side drags the flag onto them, so a well-timed pull can grab one: grease shrinks the other crew's sweet spot, an anchor stops you being shifted for three seconds, and mud weakens their next few pulls. Start solo against Rookie to learn the rhythm before trying Ox.

How to play Tug Team

Tug Team is a tug of war between three red foxes on the left and three blue bears on the right, with a striped flag knotted to the middle of the rope. Under each crew a needle sweeps back and forth across a wooden meter. Press when the needle is on the green and your crew heaves the flag your way; press on the gold sliver in the centre for a full HEAVE that moves the rope a tenth of the pitch. A press off the green makes your crew slip and give ground, and every pull is followed by a recovery beat.

Pull the flag over your line to win the round, and a match is best of five rounds. Nine seconds into a round the winning lines start moving inwards, and the sweet spot narrows as it goes on, so every round ends. Power-ups float down onto the rope and go to the side that drags the flag onto them: grease, an anchor or mud.

On a computer, player one presses A or the left arrow and player two L or the right arrow; in a solo match against the computer, Space pulls. On a phone or tablet each player taps their own half of the screen. P pauses, M mutes and R starts a rematch.

About Tug Team

Tug Team is a two-player party duel made by Kiloo, based on the tug of war of village fetes and sports days, where two teams pull a rope in opposite directions until one drags the middle past its line. Here the pulling is a test of timing rather than strength or button speed, so a quick hand on the key is no advantage.

It is made for two people sharing one device, side by side at a keyboard or with a phone lying flat on the table between them. Matches are short, and the tallies kept in the browser let a pair keep score over an afternoon. When nobody else is around, the computer opponent comes in three strengths: Rookie, Regular and Ox.

Frequently asked questions