Paper Toss: Throw the Paper Ball into the Trash Can

About Paper Toss

Paper Toss is the classic office pastime turned into an online game: you crumple up a sheet, aim and try to toss the paper ball into the trash can. It looks easy, but one detail changes everything: a fan blows across the room and pushes every throw off course. An arrow on screen shows you which way the air is going and how strong it is, so every shot is a small calculation of force and direction. If you like challenges where motion and forces matter, you'll find plenty more in our physics games. It's a quick game, perfect for a five-minute break, and it works on a computer as well as on a tablet or phone.

How do you play Paper Toss?

The goal is to get the paper ball into the trash can as many times as possible. Before each throw, check the number and the wind arrow: they tell you which way the air will push and how hard. With that information you decide the direction of your shot, compensating for the wind so the ball ends up falling inside. It's like a basketball free throw, but with an air current that changes from one attempt to the next.

Watch the arrow and the wind value.
Aim slightly toward the side opposite to where the air is blowing.
Throw the paper with a mouse or finger swipe.
Check where it lands and adjust your next shot.

Paper Toss controls

PC

Mouse: swipe or click to throw the paper ball

Mobile and Tablet

Swipe your finger: throw the ball toward the trash can

Tips to Play Better: Paper Toss

Always read the wind: don't assume it blows the same as on the previous shot; the value changes.
Correct in proportion: with a light wind a small offset is enough; with high values you'll need to aim quite a bit more toward the opposite side.
Use misses as a reference: if the ball goes past on the right with a particular wind, remember how far it drifted for the next time a similar value comes up.
Keep a consistent motion: if you always throw the same way, you only have to change one variable (the direction) and it's much easier to score.

Paper Toss FAQ

What is Paper Toss and why is it so popular?

It's an aiming game where you throw a paper ball into a trash can. It became very popular because it's so easy to understand and so hard to chain lots of baskets when the wind changes on every throw.

Can I play Paper Toss on mobile?

Yes. It's an HTML5 game that works in the browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and on a touch screen you throw by swiping your finger.

Is there any physics in this tossing game?

Yes: you have to compensate for the wind's force so the paper's trajectory ends in the trash can. It's a fun way to get a feel for how a sideways force deflects a moving object.