Dustup Ranch: Wild West Lasso Game

A free lasso game for your phone, tablet or computer: stand on the porch of a Wild West town, swipe to throw your loop and rope the herd running down the street before the clock runs out. 30 levels in three towns and a new daily round. No download.

Play Dustup Ranch

Levels: 30, in three towns of 10
A round: 60 seconds, up to 3 stars
Controls: Swipe up and let go; keys too
Cost: 40 play coins a level, 800 to start

Our lasso game

You look down a dusty street from the porch. Critters run across it in up to four lanes, near and far, and you throw one loop at a time at a spot on the ground. The loop flies for a moment, a little longer to the far lanes, then drops and catches whatever is under it. So the trick is to throw ahead of a runner, not right at it. Barrels, hay bales and a rolling cart stand in the way: a loop that lands on them catches nothing.

The levels move through three towns: Dustwater, an easy afternoon on Main Street; Red Mesa at sunset, with Hotheads and a rolling cart; and Silver Creek at dusk, with lanterns and the wildest herds.

The herd

Calf and Longhorn: steady runners, the easy points.
Billy Goat: zig-zags as it runs, so wait for it to turn.
Bruiser: stops to paw the ground, then charges.
Hothead: takes two loops to hold.
Golden Bull: rare, fast and only in the far lanes, worth a big prize.
Skunk: leave it alone, it costs you points.

How to play

Aim: swipe up from anywhere on the street. A ring shows where the loop will land: swipe farther for the far lanes, and move left or right to aim across.
Throw: let go. After each landing the rope takes a moment to coil.
Keyboard: the left and right arrows aim, up and down pick the lane, Space throws, and P or Esc pauses.
Score: the farther the lane, the more a catch is worth, up to double. Three catches in a row double your points and six triple them; a miss ends the streak.

Each level lasts 60 seconds. Reach the target for one star, and score higher for two and three. A level uses 40 play coins, and the next level after a win is free.

Helpers and ropes

Three helpers wait by the street: Big Loop (a wider loop for your next 3 throws), Slow-mo (the herd runs at half speed for 10 seconds) and Magnet (your next loop finds the nearest critter). You get 2 of each free every day, and a bonus gives 2 more. Coins you win buy new Ropes, from Sunset to the Gold Braid; they change the look only. The Daily round brings a new herd every day.

Tips

Throw where the critter will be, about one body length ahead in the near lanes and more in the far ones.
Keep a streak going on easy catches before you try a far lane.
Save Slow-mo for when a Golden Bull shows up.
Points, streaks and the herd in full: our lasso game guide.

Questions

Is Dustup Ranch free?

Yes. It runs in your browser with no download and no sign-up. A level uses 40 play coins, every new player gets 800 coins to start, and good rounds pay coins back; coins are free and have no money value. How coins work.

Can I play this lasso game on a phone?

Yes: iPhone, Android, tablets and computers. On a phone or tablet you can pick Portrait or Landscape on the home screen; on a computer, drag with the mouse or use the keys.

Is any animal hurt?

No. It is a cartoon ranch: a caught critter is simply roped and counted, and the herd runs on.

How do I get three stars?

Go for streaks and the far lanes, and catch the Hotheads and the Golden Bull when they appear.