Black Hole Eater puts you in charge of a hole in the ground in the middle of a busy 3D city. Anything smaller than the hole falls in, and every thing you swallow makes the hole a little wider. Start with traffic cones, fire hydrants, bins and people on the pavement, move on to benches, bushes and parked cars, and work up to buses, houses and finally whole office towers. You are not alone: rival holes roam the same streets, racing you for food. A hole that is clearly bigger than another can swallow it whole, so grow fast, keep away from bigger rivals and hunt the smaller ones. Each of the 25 levels gives you two minutes to reach a target size in a bigger city with more rivals.
How to play
Steer with the arrow keys or WASD, or drag anywhere on the screen to move in that direction.
Drive over things to swallow them. Only things smaller than your hole fall in.
Swallow a rival hole by covering most of it when you are clearly bigger.
Reach the target size shown at the top before the timer runs out to finish the level.
Tips
Clear pavements first: lines of people, bins and lamp posts add up quickly.
Parks are full of benches, bushes and trees, the perfect food once you can swallow cars.
Keep an eye on the rank: if a rival is bigger than you, stay away until you outgrow it.
Finishing with more time left earns more stars and bonus points.
The complete Black Hole Eater guide
This is the complete guide to Black Hole Eater on Xons Play: what the game is, how the controls work, a visual walkthrough with real screenshots, strategy from beginner to advanced, the mistakes most players make and how to avoid them. Read it from top to bottom before your first game, or jump to the section you need.
At a glance
Players1 player
GenreArcade
Difficulty Very easy
Typical session2 minutes per level
Key skillsRoute planning, quick decisions
Levels25
Works onPhone, tablet, PC
PriceFree, no download
Visual guide to Black Hole Eater
How a game works, step by step
1
Steer with the arrow keys or WASD, or drag anywhere on the screen to move in that direction.
2
Drive over things to swallow them. Only things smaller than your hole fall in.
3
Swallow a rival hole by covering most of it when you are clearly bigger.
4
Reach the target size shown at the top before the timer runs out to finish the level.
Controls diagram
Touch screen
Drag on the screenSteer on phones
Mouse
DragMove toward the direction you drag
Keyboard
←↑↓→Move the hole
Controls for Black Hole Eater on phones, tablets and computers.
Why people love Black Hole Eater
Arcade games are built for one more go. Black Hole Eater starts instantly, ends quickly and always leaves you thinking you could do better next time. That loop of short runs and steady improvement is one of the most satisfying in gaming. There are no menus to learn and no story to follow, just a clean challenge that rewards attention and practice, which makes it ideal for a few minutes at any time of day.
The objective
Grow to the target size shown at the top of the screen before the two minute timer runs out, without being swallowed by a bigger rival.
Background: where Black Hole Eater comes from
Black Hole Eater turns a simple idea into a race: you are a hole in the ground, everything smaller than you falls in, and every bite makes you bigger. This guide covers how growth works, what to eat first, and how to deal with rival holes.
Controls explained
Device
Input
What it does
Keyboard
Arrow keys or WASD
Move the hole
Mouse
Drag
Move toward the direction you drag
Touch
Drag on the screen
Steer on phones
The controls are the same on every level and in every mode, so once they feel natural you can focus fully on the game. Keyboard players get the most precise control, while touch players get large, thumb-friendly buttons.
Your first game of Black Hole Eater
Press the Play button under the game title. Black Hole Eater loads in a few seconds and starts in full screen on phones.
Step 1. Steer with the arrow keys or WASD, or drag anywhere on the screen to move in that direction. Take your time on the first attempt and get a feel for how the game responds.
Step 2. Drive over things to swallow them. Only things smaller than your hole fall in.
Step 3. Swallow a rival hole by covering most of it when you are clearly bigger.
Step 4. Reach the target size shown at the top before the timer runs out to finish the level. That is the whole loop. Every game of Black Hole Eater follows this pattern, with new situations each time.
On a keyboard you can use Arrow keys or WASD to move the hole. Remember the objective: Grow to the target size shown at the top of the screen before the two minute timer runs out, without being swallowed by a bigger rival. Once that is clear, every decision becomes easier, because you can ask whether a move brings you closer to it.
Black Hole Eater strategy
Eat in lines
People, bins, lamp posts and hydrants line the pavements. Running along a pavement collects dozens in a few seconds.
Know the size steps
Cars need a hole about one and a half times your starting size, buses and houses about three times, towers about four. Eat the small things until the next size of object starts to fall in.
Parks are food courts
Parks are packed with bushes, benches, trees and people. Once you can swallow trees, a park is worth more than a whole street.
Count your rivals
The rank under the size bar tells you how many rivals are bigger than you. Avoid them until you are clearly bigger, then hunt them for a big bonus.
A closer look at Black Hole Eater
Each level builds a new city from its level number, with more blocks, more towers and more rivals as you progress.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Chasing big objects too early
Only things smaller than the hole fall in. Circling a house that is too big wastes seconds.
Getting cornered
A bigger rival can swallow you if it covers most of your hole. Keep an exit open.
Ignoring the timer
Finishing with more time left earns more stars and bonus points.
Levels, difficulty and progression
Growth is based on area: the hole's area grows by the footprint of everything it swallows. Large objects are worth far more than small ones, but small ones are everywhere. We rate Black Hole Eater as very easy (1 out of 5), with a typical session of 2 minutes per level.
What Black Hole Eater trains
The appeal of Black Hole Eater is its clarity. You always know why a run ended, and you always know you could do better. That makes it a quick, honest test of route planning, quick decisions. A few runs of 2 minutes per level are perfect for a short break, and because your best score is saved on your device, you can return later and see whether practice has paid off.
How to practise and improve
To push your best score in Black Hole Eater, focus on staying alive rather than collecting everything. Most runs end because of one greedy move. Play a few runs where your only goal is to survive longer, then add bonuses back in. Take a short break after a few attempts, because tired eyes react more slowly. Playing in fullscreen also helps you see further ahead.
Playing on phone, tablet and computer
You can play Black Hole Eater on almost any modern device. Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox all work, on Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, macOS and Linux. Touch controls appear automatically on phones and tablets, and keyboard shortcuts work on computers. If the game ever feels slow, try closing other tabs or switching to the flat board view where available, which uses less graphics power. Your settings and progress are stored in your browser on this device, so private browsing modes will forget them when you close the window.
Playing alone and sharing scores
Because Black Hole Eater is played alone, it is perfect for short breaks. There is no waiting for other players and no pressure. Set yourself small goals, such as beating your best score or clearing a few more levels than yesterday. If you enjoy competition, compare scores with friends and challenge them to beat yours on their own device.
Goals for every level of player
Beginner
Learn the controls and the objective, and finish a full game of Black Hole Eater without rushing. Clear pavements first: lines of people, bins and lamp posts add up quickly. Do not worry about winning yet; focus on understanding why things happen.
Intermediate
Start using the first two strategy ideas on this page: eat in lines and know the size steps. Try to avoid the common mistakes listed above, and notice when you make them.
Advanced
Combine every idea: parks are food courts and count your rivals. Chase a personal best you thought was out of reach, and think a step further ahead than your opponent.
Accessibility and comfort settings
We have tried to keep Black Hole Eater easy on the eyes and hands. The interface uses clear, large text and strong contrast, colours are never the only way information is shown, and animations stay short. You can mute all sound from the game bar, switch to fullscreen to make the board bigger, and on board games use the flat view for a simple top-down layout. Keyboard and mouse controls are available on computers for players who find touch screens tiring, and there are no time-critical menus.
Tracking your progress
Black Hole Eater remembers your best results on this device, so every session starts where the last one ended. A good habit is to set a target before you play, such as beating your best by ten percent, and to stop after reaching it. If you play on several devices, each keeps its own records. Progress stays private to you: nothing is shared unless you choose to tell friends your score.
Glossary
Target size
The size you must reach to finish the level.
Rank
Your position among the holes still in play.
Rival
A computer controlled hole competing for the same city.
Fair play and healthy habits
Good sportsmanship makes Black Hole Eater more fun for everyone. Congratulate opponents on a good game, avoid leaving mid-match, and keep chat friendly. For healthy play, set a time limit before you start, sit comfortably with the screen at eye level and take breaks between sessions. There are no purchases in Black Hole Eater, so success comes only from skill and practice. Families can use the game as shared time together, talking about decisions and celebrating good moves.
If you like Black Hole Eater, try these
Players who enjoy Black Hole Eater often like these games too. Each one is free and runs in the same browser window.
Snake 3D: Guide a glossy 3D snake to the apples and grow as long as you dare. It is another arcade game, so the skills you build in Black Hole Eater carry over.
Brick Breaker: Bounce a glowing ball off your paddle and smash every brick. It is another arcade game, so the skills you build in Black Hole Eater carry over.
Pong 3D: The original video game duel, rebuilt as a neon 3D table against the computer. It is another arcade game, so the skills you build in Black Hole Eater carry over.
Sky Hopper: Tap to flap through the gaps in an endless sky of floating pillars. It is another arcade game, so the skills you build in Black Hole Eater carry over.
More questions about Black Hole Eater
Is Black Hole Eater free to play?
Yes. Black Hole Eater is completely free on Xons Play, with no download, no account and no in-game purchases. The site is supported by advertising.
How long does a game of Black Hole Eater take?
A typical session lasts 2 minutes per level. You can stop at any time and your best score stays saved on this device.
Is Black Hole Eater hard?
We rate it very easy, 1 out of 5. Most people understand it within a minute.
Can children play Black Hole Eater?
Yes. Black Hole Eater has no violent or adult content. It is a single-player game, so there is no chat with strangers.
Does Black Hole Eater work offline?
The page needs an internet connection to load. Once a game has started, single-player games keep running even if the connection drops briefly.
Black Hole Eater FAQ
How many levels are there?
Twenty five, with bigger cities, more rivals and larger targets as you go.
Can I be swallowed?
Yes. If a rival hole is clearly bigger than you and covers you, the level ends.
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