What Is Head Basketball?

Head Basketball is a fast 1v1 arcade basketball duel built around oversized-headed characters. Two players share one keyboard and one very small court: player one moves with WASD, player two with the arrow keys, and space shoots. Each character has a special power shot — a mega dunk, a fireball, a freeze — and the biggest scoring move in the game, the mega dunk, is effectively unblockable if you can create the space for it.

The game comes from D&D Dream, the studio behind the Head Sports series, and it has shipped four modes: arcade, tournament, survival and two-player. It is a long-running browser and mobile title with millions of installs, and it was still receiving updates and new characters through 2026. Like its sibling Head Soccer 2024, it is designed so that a full match takes under a minute.

How to Play

Score more points than your opponent before the clock runs out. Movement is horizontal, with a jump on the same key, and the shot goes up when you press the action key near the basket. The distinctive mechanic is the head: your character directs the ball with it, so positioning your body between the ball and the hoop is what creates the shot angle.

Three bonuses rotate through a match — speed, size and freeze. Speed lets you catch an opponent flat-footed, size gives you a reach advantage under the hoop, and freeze locks the other player for a moment so you can walk the ball in. Whichever bonus is live should drive your plan for that stretch rather than the other way round.

Controls

  • Player 1 — WASD to move and jump, B to shoot, V for the super shot, S to pump fake
  • Player 2 — arrow keys to move and jump, L to shoot, K for the super shot, down arrow to pump fake
  • Double-tap a direction — dash past an opponent

Tips

The pump fake is the real weapon. Use it near the hoop to make your opponent jump early. Once they are in the air, they cannot change direction — that is your window for the super shot.

Dash beats height. A blocked shot is a wasted possession; a dash around a slower defender is a clean attempt.

Don't shoot from far out. The court is short and the defender is always close. Working the ball toward the rim produces far better percentages than a hopeful long shot.

Watch the clock, not the score. A two-point lead with ten seconds left is worth more than a five-point lead with one. Take the safe shot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can two people play Head Basketball on one keyboard?

Yes. Player one uses WASD with B and V, player two uses the arrow keys with L and K. The two-player mode is local versus on a single device; there is no online matchmaking in the browser build.

Is Head Basketball free?

Yes — the browser version needs no download, no account and no payment. The Android and iOS apps are free as well.

What modes are in the game?

Arcade pits you against a ladder of opponents that get harder, tournament is a bracket you have to win outright, survival measures how long you last, and two-player is the local match described above.

How do I unlock more characters?

Characters are unlocked by winning matches, completing tournament stages and earning coins across modes. Costumes unlocked the same way improve stats such as speed, jump height and shot power.

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