Explore the game

See how StepOver plays

How a call works, what you'll see on screen, and every mode from a quick go to a proper session.

How it works

One second. Three jobs.

Every call is a tiny test of attention, logic and speed, and you answer it with your feet. The rules are simple. Your brain will still try to trick you.

See

NOT RED

Read the call on the stadium board. The writing changes colour and slides about to throw you off. Ignore it.

Think

Upshoot up

Not upanywhere else

Not not upshoot up

Nothingdon't move

Two NOTs cancel out. Colours point at the goal wearing that kit, and the kits keep swapping.

Act

Dance mat2 mats for 1v1Keyboard to practise

Step on the arrow before the clock runs out. Your feet answer, not your fingers. Get it right and the net bulges. Get it wrong and it's full time, to a groan from the crowd.

Mat setup

Set up your mat in two minutes

The dance mat is how StepOver trains your feet. Here’s how to get it plugged in, set up and ready to play.

Get the right mat

Look for a dance mat that says USB or PC on the box. Thin foam mats are cheapest; thicker foam or metal mats grip better and last longer. Older PlayStation 2 mats need a cheap PS2-to-USB adapter. See mat ideas
Find a safe spot

Clear about 2 × 2 metres of flat floor, away from furniture, stairs and pets. Put the screen about 2 metres in front of you at eye level. Stop the mat sliding with a rug grip, and play in socks or bare feet on soft mats.
Plug it in and wake it up

Plug the mat into a laptop or desktop and open stepover.uk/play in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. Then step on any arrow: browsers only notice a mat once it’s been pressed. The bar under the pitch changes from “Keyboard” to “Controllers: 1”.
Set it up (it opens by itself)

The first time StepOver sees your mat, setup opens straight away. The mat won’t control anything until it’s done. Step off the mat, press START (the small button at the top) for pause, then step on up, down, left and right when asked.
Pass the quick check

StepOver asks for the four arrows again in a random order. If any arrow comes back wrong, it redoes them, so your mat is always read correctly. No START button? Skip it and pause with the on-screen button, P or Esc. You can redo setup any time in Settings → Dance mats.
Add a second mat for 1v1

Plug in another mat and choose Set up · Player 2. No second mat? Player 1 can use W A S D on the keyboard and Player 2 the arrow keys.

Mat controls

Where	▲ ▼	▶	◀	START
Menus	Move up and down	Choose	Back	Nothing
In a game	Answer the call			Pause
Paused	▼ Restart	Resume	Quit to menu	Resume
Full time	Nothing	Play again	Menu	Nothing

The keyboard arrows do exactly the same, with P or Esc to pause.

Playing on the mat

Start in the middle square. Step out to the arrow, then come straight back to the middle, ready for the next call.
Use whichever foot is closest. There’s no wrong foot, only a wrong arrow.
NOTHING means still. Keep both feet in the middle. Even a twitch onto an arrow counts as a move.
Menus work on the mat too. Up and down to move, right to choose, left to go back.
START pauses and resumes a game, and does nothing else. Pausing deals a fresh call when you come back, so it can’t be used to think.
Start on Relaxed speed until the moves feel natural, then speed up.

Play safely

Warm up first and take breaks.
Never play in football boots or on a mat that slides.
Stop if anything hurts or you feel dizzy.
Grown-ups: keep an eye on younger players.
The game uses quick flashes of colour. If you have epilepsy, check with a doctor first.

Full safety advice

If something’s not working

It still says “Keyboard”

Step on an arrow first: browsers hide mats until they’re pressed. If that doesn’t work, unplug the mat, plug it into a different USB port (not an unpowered hub) and refresh the page. Close other programs that might be using the mat, like Steam or StepMania.

The arrows are mixed up, or one doesn’t work

Run Settings → Dance mats → Set up again: step off the mat first, then step on each arrow when asked and pass the check. If an arrow never registers, the mat itself may be damaged: try it on another computer.

An arrow keeps pressing itself

Flatten the mat and check there are no folds or objects under it. Soft mats sometimes need a few minutes to settle after being rolled up. Then run the setup again.

My mat has a “Mode” or “Analog” button

If arrows behave strangely, press that button once to switch mode, then run the setup again. Most mats work best in their default (digital) mode.

Can I use a phone or tablet?

StepOver works best on a laptop or desktop with a USB mat. Some Android phones and tablets work with a USB-C (OTG) adapter. iPhones and iPads usually don’t recognise dance mats, but you can still play Classic with touch.

Does a wireless mat work?

Usually, if your computer sees it as a game controller once it’s paired. Set it up the same way. If it disconnects, try a wired mat instead.

Still stuck? Email support@stepover.uk with the name of your mat and we’ll help.

Inside the game

Floodlights, kits and a clock that won't wait

StepOver gameplay: the board reads NOT NOT NOT RED with arrows pointing right, over a pitch with four coloured goals, two of them yellow — **Level 8.** Three NOTs, a call written in a misleading colour, arrows pointing the wrong way and two goals wearing yellow. Where do you shoot?

StepOver mode picker showing the nine starting levels for Sudden Death, each with a short hint and its own best score — **Pick your start.** Begin Sudden Death at any of nine levels, each with its own best to beat.

StepOver 1v1 mode in the dark Floodlights look, with two pitches side by side — **1v1 local.** Same call, two pitches. First right answer scores, a wrong one gifts your mate a goal.

StepOver stats page with totals, a reaction time chart and accuracy by call type, using example data — **Your stats.** Watch your reaction time drop and see which calls catch you out. (Example data.)

The main event

Built for dance mats

Plug in a USB mat, step on each arrow once to set it up, and you're playing with your feet. Add a second mat for 1v1.

Built in

Made for everyone

Six languages, a colour-blind friendly kit option, light and dark looks, and four countdown speeds from Relaxed to Pro.

Modes

From a quick go to a proper session

Pro · the main event

Dance-mat training

Step on the arrows instead of pressing keys. The full StepOver experience: real foot speed, balance and decisions under pressure.

Free

Classic

10, 20 or 30 calls. Mistakes are counted but you keep going, so it's the best place to learn. Score how many you get right.

Free

Sudden Death

One mistake and it's full time. Nine starting levels, up to four NOTs, and a countdown that keeps getting shorter.

Pro

Reaction tests

10, 20 or 30 calls. Get your average reaction time, accuracy and fastest answer.

Pro

1v1 local

Two players, two mats (or WASD and arrows). Results feed a league table for your mates.

Pro

Leaderboards and stats

Filter records by speed and date. Track your progress and the calls that trip you up.

Pro+ · soon

AI coach

Training plans built from your stats, and calls that target your weak spots.