Glasscourt

About Glasscourt

Glasscourt is squash on a proper four-wall court, which is the part that matters. The ball comes off the side wall and the back wall, the boast is a real shot rather than a decoration, and owning the T is an actual advantage the game models rather than mentions.

You aim at the front wall with the pointer and hold and release Space to swing. Four shots — drive, drop, lob and boast — and the choice between them is the game.

Three speeds, one court

Friendly gives you more time, Club is balanced, Competitive is faster. The court does not change; what changes is how long you have to decide, and squash is almost entirely about deciding early.

The career circuit

A circuit of events with your rally record kept alongside it, plus a solo practice court for when you want to work on the drop without someone punishing it. Three camera views — court, broadcast and player — and the player view is harder and better.

Controls

WASD to move, the pointer to aim at the front wall, hold and release Space to swing, and 1 to 4 for drive, drop, lob and boast.

How to play Glasscourt

1. Pick a speed (Friendly, Club or Competitive) and press Step onto court for a club match against a computer opponent. You are the player in teal; your opponent wears blue.
2. Before each serve the game prompts you to get ready in the opposite back quarter. When you are the server, remember that a legal serve has to strike the front wall above the service line.
3. Move the pointer to place your aim on the front wall, and pick a shot with 1 to 4: drive, drop, lob or boast.
4. Hold Space, or click and hold on the court, to build power, then release to swing. The pale ring on the floor shows where you can next reach the ball, and teal marks the timing window for the swing.
5. After every shot, get out of your opponent's way and head back towards the T, the centre of the court.
6. Games go to 11 points and must be won by two. Take two games to win the best-of-three match, and the result screen also tells you your longest rally in returns.

Glasscourt tips and strategy

• Charge early, release late. If you are not quite in reach, the game lets you queue the swing just before the ball arrives. Start holding Space as you move, then release inside the teal window.
• Drive low along the side wall. The drive is meant to be hit low and deep. Aiming along a side wall keeps it tight, where your opponent cannot attack it.
• Pair the drop with the drive. A soft drop pulls the other player forward, and the next deep drive sends them back. Moving them front to back wears them down faster than hitting every ball hard.
• Lob when you are in trouble. The lob goes high and deep, and its real job is to buy you time to get back to the T after you have been pulled out of position.
• Know what loses a point. Hitting the tin, going above the out line, letting the ball bounce before it reaches the front wall and missing the return before the second bounce all give the rally away.
• Clear the path after you hit. A let is only given for genuine interference, and then the rally is replayed. Moving off the ball's line straight after your shot keeps the point yours to win.
• Read the rebound, not the ball. The game often reminds you to wait for the front-wall rebound. Watching where the ball will come off the wall gets you moving sooner than chasing where it is now.

The career circuit and the practice court

The career is a saved single-player path through knockout events against computer-controlled athletes. You start at club level and work through city and state events to the national circuit, with each event shown as a bracket so you can see who is waiting in the next round. Winning a title adds a bonus 75 XP on top of the match itself, and the career screen keeps your rank, XP, wins, losses and titles, with a short history of the events you have finished.

The larger practice court measures 8 by 12 metres, a little roomier than the singles court. That extra space makes it a forgiving place to learn the boast's angle off the side wall or to practise holding the T between shots before you take them into a match.