How to play 200m Swim
Here’s how to play the 200m Swim: a free, old-school button-bashing track and field game in your browser. Alternate the left and right pads for each stroke and race the Beat Pete characters over four lengths of the pool, all the way up to Pete.
It builds on the 50m Swim: every stroke uses air, and you top up with the middle BREATHE pad. But over four lengths pace matters, and at every wall there is a flip turn: a bar sweeps across the screen and you tap the middle pad, now PUSH OFF, with the marker in the green to shoot away at full speed.
The basics
Four lengths of a 50 metre pool, against the characters. Stroke, breathe and turn: pace and good turns win.
Swimming
- Tap left, then right, then left… Every alternating tap is a stroke and gives you a push. The same side twice is a splash and slows you.
- A steady rhythm pushes harder than ragged tapping. The stroke-rate gauge has a blue tick: stroke faster than that and your strokes slip.
- Phones and tablets only. Keys are far quicker than thumbs, so Track & Field isn’t playable with a keyboard or mouse. That keeps every record fair.
Air
- Every stroke uses air, and the faster you stroke the more each one costs. Tap the middle BREATHE pad to come up for a breath: it refills part of the meter, but your strokes stop for a moment and you slow down.
- Over four lengths you will need many breaths. Swim on an empty meter and your strokes lose a lot of their push.
The walls
- At 50, 100 and 150 metres you reach the wall and stop for a flip turn. A push-off bar sweeps from left to right.
- Tap the middle pad, now PUSH OFF, with the marker in the green for a perfect push. Yellow is good, red is weak, and no tap at all is the weakest push of all.
- The turn gives you a gasp of air. After the push you swim back the other way.
The start
- “On your marks… set…” then the gun, after a random wait. A tap before the gun, or within a tenth of a second of it, is a false start. The second false start disqualifies you. Your first stroke after the gun is the dive.
The ladder
- You race one of the ten characters, from level 1 up to Pete. Beat a character to unlock the next. Four more swimmers fill the other lanes, six of you in all, and your finishing place is shown too.
Times
- Your fastest winning time goes on the leaderboard, to the hundredth of a second. The world record is 1:42.00, and the server won’t accept anything under 1:42.05.
Beginner tips
- Pace yourself. You cannot hold a sprint stroke rate for two minutes: the air meter will empty again and again. Find a rate you can keep.
- Breathe a little before you need to, not when the meter is empty. Short, regular breaths beat long gasps.
- Watch the push-off bar, not the water. The marker takes just over a second to sweep across: tap when it reaches the green, not before.
- A good push is worth a lot over three walls. A poor one, or none, costs you seconds you will not get back.
- You get a gasp of air at every wall, so use the turn to recover before you push off.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play the 200m Swim on a phone?
Tap the left and right pads with your thumbs for each stroke and the middle pad to breathe. At each wall the middle pad becomes PUSH OFF: tap it when the marker is in the green. The game is for phones and tablets only.
What is the push-off bar?
At the end of each length you stop at the wall and a marker sweeps across a bar. Tap PUSH OFF with the marker in the green zone for a perfect push. Too early, too late, or no tap at all gives a weaker push.
Do I get air back at the wall?
Yes: the turn gives you a gasp of air, so it is a good place to recover.
What is a false start?
Tapping before the starting gun, or within a tenth of a second of it. The first one restarts the race; a second disqualifies you. Your first stroke after the gun is the dive.
How fast can you swim the 200m?
A well-paced, well-turned swim gets you into the 1:42s, which is about where the very best are. The world record is 1:42.00, and the game won’t accept anything faster than 1:42.05. Pete swims about 1:43.8.
How is it ranked?
By your fastest winning time, to the hundredth of a second. You win by finishing ahead of the character you chose to race.
Ready to play 200m Swim?
It’s free and works in your browser — no download. Start against Trevor, the friendliest opponent, and sign up free to climb the ladder of ten computer players all the way to Pete.
Play 200m Swim now