No. Bowling is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Bowling on?

Bowling is available on Atari 2600.

When did Bowling release?

Bowling was first released on December 31, 1979.

Bowling

Dec 31, 1979SportAtari 2600

Bowling — frequently asked questions

Is Bowling on Steam?: No. Bowling is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Bowling on?: Bowling is available on Atari 2600.
When did Bowling release?: Bowling was first released on December 31, 1979.

About Bowling

The game is based on the game of bowling, playable by one player or two players alternating. In all six variations, games last for 10 frames, or turns. At the start of each frame, the current player is given two chances to roll a bowling ball down an alley in an attempt to knock down as many of the ten bowling pins as possible. The bowler (on the left side of the screen) may move up and down his end of the alley to aim before releasing the ball. In four of the game's six variations, the ball can be steered before it hits the pins. Knocking down every pin on the first shot is a strike, while knocking every pin down in both shots is a spare. The player's score is determined by the number of pins knocked down in all 10 frames, as well as the number of strikes and spares acquired.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Atari
Publisher: Atari
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer
Themes: Party

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

54/100

from 8 ratings

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

Complete

$15

Sealed

$52

Label variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Text Label	$6	$13	—
Tele-Games	$4	$17	—

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Atari	Picture	CX2628	Common+
North America Atari	Text - Red text	CX2628	Common+
North America Sears	Text	99842	Common+
North America Unknown	Taiwan Cooper	—	—
Europe Quelle	Short	—	—

Also released in South America by Polyvox.

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA
Released: 1979
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1
Authenticity: Low

On Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration since Dec 5, 2023 — the cartridge is now a collectibleLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

Larry Kaplan's 1979 Bowling, a simple early sports cart that is cheap and on Atari 50.

Bowling is Atari's 1979 tenpin bowling game for the 2600, designed and programmed by Larry Kaplan. Six game modes change how the ball moves and whether a second player joins.

It is basic but plays cleanly for what it is, and it is on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration if you only want to play it.

How it was made

Designed and programmed by Larry Kaplan and released by Atari in March 1979. Sears also sold it.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 2 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

First $9.95 discount. In September/October 1982 the Atari Club's members-only price list cut this, one of Atari's oldest titles, to $9.95.
1981 dealer price. Atari's confidential retailer price list for January 1 to June 1, 1981 lists Bowling (CX2628) in its basic tier: dealers paid $14.00 against a suggested retail price of $22.95.

Before you buy

Low risk; every version is cheap. Three listings are priced: the standard cart, a Text Label cart and a Tele-Games cart from Sears. They are the same game, so check which label is in the photos if you collect variants, and otherwise buy whichever is cheapest. Sealed standard copies cost noticeably more than boxed ones.