The short version

The soccer ball is in Mellow’s starting bedroom. Interact with it to begin the timing minigame. As the ball moves, place the pointer over the ball and left-click when the ball is immediately below the horizontal KICK line. A keyboard direction is not required.

Once you find the timing, keep the same rhythm. The visual prompt can disappear, so following the ball’s movement is more reliable than waiting for new text.

Step-by-step controls

  1. Return to Mellow’s bedroom and locate the soccer ball near the stairs.
  2. Select the normal interaction cursor and click the ball to start.
  3. Keep your pointer over the ball’s path.
  4. Wait until the ball has crossed to just below the KICK line.
  5. Left-click once. Avoid double-clicking.
  6. Re-center on the ball and repeat the same beat for the next kick.

The minigame rewards consistent timing rather than fast clicking. If you are trying to recover after a miss, treat the next bounce as a fresh first kick.

Why the kick keeps failing

You click as the ball touches the line

The successful window appears to be a fraction later: click when the ball is below the line, not centered on it. This is the most common early input.

You follow the word instead of the ball

The KICK prompt is a reference marker, not a button. Keep the cursor on the moving ball itself.

You are clicking too quickly after a miss

Repeated clicks make it harder to read the next bounce. Stop, watch one full movement, then resume with a single deliberate click.

Your rhythm drifts during a long streak

Do not speed up because the score is rising. Watch the crossing point each time. Players report that the game gives little feedback about whether a miss was early or late, so a steady visual reference matters.

What do you get for a high score?

The Steam achievement list includes Footwork Master. Community reports identify a score of 100 as the target. This is optional completion content and is not required to continue the main story.

Verification notes

The input explanation is supported by the answer marked by the original poster in the Steam community soccer discussion and by reports from owners of the full Steam release. The exact timing can feel slightly different with display latency, so use the position of the ball as your reference.

Continue from the bedroom

If you are progressing through the opening rather than chasing a high score, leave the soccer challenge for later and move on to the room’s main puzzle sequence. When the first forced combat encounter begins, use the Clocky boss fight guide.