JezzBall

JezzBall is a single-player puzzle video game, originally created by Dima Pavlovsky and released by Microsoft in 1992 as part of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack volume 1. It was later included in other Microsoft Windows operating systems. The objective of JezzBall is to trap bouncing balls inside defined compartments to fill a certain percentage of the play area.

The game presents a rectangular play area populated with several balls that bounce around at varying speeds and angles. The player creates horizontal or vertical lines by clicking and dragging the mouse. Once completed, a line becomes a wall if it connects with existing walls or the border of the play area. The goal is to strategically construct walls to divide the play area into smaller, enclosed spaces.

The primary challenge arises from the dynamic movement of the balls. If a ball touches a line during its construction phase, the player loses a life. The game ends when the player runs out of lives.

A level is successfully completed when a predetermined percentage of the screen area is claimed by enclosed compartments. The required percentage increases with each subsequent level, adding to the game's difficulty. Higher levels also typically introduce more balls into the play area, increasing the complexity of trapping them.

JezzBall is notable for its simple yet addictive gameplay, requiring a combination of spatial reasoning, timing, and risk assessment. Its inclusion in early versions of Windows helped popularize the game and contributed to its enduring appeal.