Mary Dimercurio Prasad: Flicking Games

Do you have some antsy players in your game group? You know, ones who are touching all the game pieces, even when it isn’t their turn, or bending the cards in their hand? Here’s the perfect solution for those restless hands! Flicking games are a class of dexterity games in which players, in most cases, use their fingers or thumb to propel small objects (e.g. marbles or wooden disks) as a main action of the game. (Note: a few of these games use sticks or string to flick.)

Some flicking games require strategy or tactics during play. Some are fairly light but do get players up out of their chairs to maneuver pieces around during the game. Most are easy to learn, making them great fun for new players (including new gamers) and children. Most involve little in the way of luck but rather tend to reward skill. Below is a list and short summary of flicking games that I have heard of and/or played. I think they all merit at least a quick read – unless you just don’t enjoy flicking games, but in that case, what are you doing here? Links to BoardGameGeek and Wikipedia are included, and my thoughts on some of these games follow, at the bottom.

Crokinole
The origin of Crokinole is uncertain, although the earliest known Crokinole board was made in 1876 in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. The design of Crokinole was probably most influenced by Shovelboard (an early 16th century British game similar to modern day Shuffleboard), Shove Ha’Penny (a 17th century pub game, ), Squails (Victorian parlor game), and Carrom (see below).

Crokinole is played with either two players or four players in teams of two, ages 8+, although there is a specially designed board for three-player Crokinole . The rules are fairly simple: Players or teams take turns flicking wooden disks on the board. Each player/team has their own color (e.g. black and natural wood). The board is arranged in three concentric areas with a surrounding “ditch” along the outer edge of the board. There is a shallow hole drilled in the center, a smidge larger than a disk. The center hole is worth 20 points. The first area, around the center, is worth 15 points and is ringed with eight bumpers evenly spaced around the circle. The second area out from the center is worth 10 points. The third area is worth 5 points. The ditch around the board is out, i.e. worth 0 points. If at least one of the opponent’s disks is on the board, the current player must hit one of them with his disk; if he fails to do so, his disk is removed from the board. We play with the “one cheek rule,” that is, players can lean to make shots but must keep at least that part of their bottom on the chair during play.

Another variation is Five-Hole Crokinole , which is played on a specially made board in which four additional holes are drilled evenly spaced around the 10-point area. Play is similar to Crokinole except that disks shot into the additional holes result in a minus 10 points.

Carrom
Like Crokinole, the origins of Carrom are uncertain. Most sources suggest India circa 1820 but other potential origins are China, Yemen, and parts of Africa. The board is square with four pockets. The basic rules are fairly simple, but the official rules have lots of particulars (certainly more than Crokinole). The game is usually played with two but may be played with four in teams of two, ages 8+.

Basically, there are two sets of nine wooden disks called “carrom men,” usually black and natural wood (white), arranged around a red disk, the “queen,” in the center of the board. White always goes first. On a player’s turn she takes the striker (a slightly larger, heavier disk), and flicks it into another disk or disks (similar to hitting the pool cue into the other balls in Pool). The object is to “pot” (pocket) your own carrom men before your opponent pots hers. However, before potting your final carrom man, the queen must be potted and then “covered” by potting one of your carrom men on the same or subsequent strike.

Pichnotte
Pichenotte, also called Pinnochi, is a French-Canadian version of Carrom. If you speak French, you can check out these rules from the Québec Pichenottes Players Association.

Pitchnut
This game is a combination of Crokinole and Pichenotte. The board is square but with a ditch around the outside and four pockets, one in each corner. Four bumpers are spaced evenly in a circle near the center of the board and two bumpers are near each pocket. Each player has 10 disks (like the ones in Crokinole) in either black or natural wood (white). At the beginning of the game the player disks are placed evenly in a circle around the center between the bumpers, alternating colors. Another single disk, usually red or green and called the “poison” or “dame,” is placed in the middle. A striker (slightly larger, heavier disk) similar to the one in Carrom is flicked into the player disks to move them. The object is to pocket all of your pieces and the “poison” or “dame” before your opponent. In American Pitchnut, the poison must go in after all of the player’s other pieces or that player will lose (similar to sinking the 8-ball in eight-ball while playing billiards).

Karambolage
This very loosely based, HABA version of Carrom by Heinz Meister is for 2 to 4 players, ages 6+. There are six differently colored disks in the playing area, and players use a string to slingshot the wooden disks around.

On a player’s turn, he rolls two dice, which have the six disk colors on them. The player must flick a disk of one of rolled colors into a disk of the other rolled color, scoring one point if successful. If both dice show the same color, the player adds a point to his total for that turn and continues by rolling the dice again. After every successful shot, a player may continue or decide to stop, at which point he records his points. If he misses the intended disk, he scores 0 points for that turn. The game ends when one player reaches the agreed number of points (e.g. 10). The game includes a block that may be positioned by the current player to rebound the shooting disk if no direct shot is available. A couple of variants are included in the rules.

Carabande / Pitch Car / Pitch Car Mini
These flicking race games are almost the same, except that Pitch Car Mini is a smaller (oh sooo cute!) version. Each handles from 2 to 8 players, ages 5+. These games all contain laminated fiberboard, or MDF, track pieces with puzzle-like ends that fit together in different configurations. Groves in the track pieces (usually on one side) allow builders to add plastic bumper guards. Many variations of track may be built, especially if you add another copy of the (same) game or an extension/expansion for even more fun. Note that the games are not compatible with one another, i.e. if you own Pitch Car, buy only expansions for Pitch Car (or another copy of Pitch Car) to add track.

Each player is given a different colored “car” (wooden disk); the cars are numbered from 1 to 8. The first player is the player with the number 1 car. She places her car behind the start line and flicks, followed in car order by the other players. Play continues in car order, starting again with the first player, etc. A game is usually three laps around the track. On the last lap, the first one to cross the line is in first place, second one across is in second place, etc. This is basically the game but there are some other rules, for example if a car flips over, the owner will miss the next turn. See the BoardGameGeek page for Pitch Car for information about all three games and for track building ideas.

Zopp
Zopp can be played with two players, or with four in teams of two, ages 6+. The rules are somewhat similar to soccer. Each team has three stones, in black or white, representing their players. A red stone represents the ball. The player stones are flicked either with fingers or using a “Zopp-stick.” Each side takes turns attempting to “kick” the ball into the goal by flicking their player stones. Players predetermine whether they want to play up to a number of goals (e.g. 5 or 10 goals) or base the game on time (e.g. two half-games of 10 minutes each). In the latter case, the team with the most goals after that time wins – if there is a tie, they play a “sudden death” round with the next goal winning the game.

Subbuteo / Super Footy
Subbuteo is a flicking football (in the U.S., soccer) simulation game for two players, ages 6+. It was first printed in 1947 and was probably designed based on the older game Newfooty (invented in the 1929 by William Keeling of Liverpool). There used to be other Subbuteo variations (e.g. Subbuteo Hockey, Subbuteo Rugby, Subbuteo Cricket) but these seem to be long out of print. Subbuteo, on the other hand, is currently in print, and while it’s a little difficult to find in the U.S., you can get it in the United Kingdom at several major stores. A competing version, Super Footy, is currently available in Canada.

Subbuteo is played like football (soccer). The field is a large cloth “pitch” that may need to be clamped down onto a board (included in the old sets), although the newer Dream Team Stadium includes supports that put tension on the pitch. It also comes with teams of 3D, painted player pieces, mounted on half-spherical bases. Each player selects a team. There are many teams available, representing countries from around the world. Some games even include real life football player cards. The teams are set up on the pitch. The game begins with one player controlling the ball. Players must flick player pieces into the ball; players may never flick the ball directly. If a player misses the ball, control goes to the other team. Since Subbuteo is a simulation type game, rules basically follow those of football (soccer). This game is very popular in many countries. For more information, check out the Subbuteo technical page. There is even an American Subbuteo Association!

Maus Nach Haus / Hula Hippos
A HABA game for 2 to 4 players, ages 5+, that is being reprinted by Gamewright in June 2008. Each player selects which color mice they would like and takes all six of that color. One player spins a wooden ring (about 5 inches in diameter); all players try to flick their mice such that they will be in the ring when it stops spinning and falls. Mice in the ring are worth one point each and are removed from the game. Continue playing until one player reaches four points. The Gamewright version is the same size as the HABA game, but the mice have been transformed into hippos!

Mäuse-Rallye
In English, HABA published this game as Mice Rally. This game is for 2 to 4 players, ages 5+. Players use a stick to flick their mice around a racetrack. If they fall down a hole, the player temporarily becomes a cat. Earn a piece of cheese for every lap around the track. The winner is the player who collects the most cheese.

Elk Fest
Elk Fest is a simple two-player game for ages 8+. Each player takes a wooden moose. The object is to be the first player to get his moose across the “river,” i.e. to move from one wooden riverbank to the other. Each player starts with three wooden stepping stone disks. Players try to flick the stepping disks into place during their turn, moving their moose if possible and as far as they can. The winner is the first person to get the front hooves of his moose on the opposite riverbank.

Tumblin-Dice / Tumblin-Dice Jr.
Tumblin-Dice is a game for 2 to 4 players, ages 8+. It is not strictly a flicking game but flicking is one common way to move the dice. (Some people choose to slide the dice; others believe sliding should not be allowed.) The object of the game is to score the most points by getting the highest dice on the highest multiplier platforms.

The board steps downward in multiple stages with higher scoring platform multipliers as you move down. The easiest and closest platform has a 1x multiplier (basically the dice just have to cross a line), the next platform down has a 2x multiplier, then a 3x, and finally, on the bottom, there are three rather small platforms with 4x multipliers. Players alternate turns flicking one die at a time of their own color, giving each a chance to knock opponents’ dice from the board. Once players have flicked their four dice, the dice are scored. A game usually consists of four rounds.

Tumblin-Dice Jr. is a smaller version of Tumblin-Dice. It includes two sets of dice instead of four, and the board is smaller as well, with only two 4x platforms instead of three.

Tocce
Tocce is once again a game for two players, or four players in teams of two. It is similar to a tabletop version of Bocce; the object is for players to get their wooden disks as close to the target disk as possible. Players/teams alternate turns.

Willy Waschbär
A simple game for 2 to 4 players ages 6+. Each player takes her own colored raccoon markers (wooden disks). Raccoon disks and food disks (slightly smaller wooden disks) are placed around the board. On a player’s turn, she may flick any raccoon to either gather food, by knocking those disks off the board, or knock other raccoons off the board and out of the game. The player with the most food (and at least four disks) and still in the game (i.e. with at least one raccoon on the board) is the winner.

Taktika
This is a two-player game in which each player has an army of 10 brown or natural wood wooden disks. Each army is composed of three different units: 4 infantry, 4 archers, and 2 cavalry, and each unit type moves and “kills” in a different manner. The table top forms the battlefield. The winner is the player who “kills” six of his opponent’s units. Four special disks are included for optional scenarios.

Marbles
A marble is a small ball, usually made of glass or stone, that varies in size from about 1/4 inch (0.635 cm) to 3 inches (7.75 cm) in diameter, although most are about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) in diameter. Marbles date back as far as ancient Egypt and Rome. They were commonly made of clay, glass, or stone. The oldest known marbles, dated 3000 BC, were made of semi-precious stones and were found buried with an Egyptian child at Nagada. Find more information about the origins of marbles at The Marble Museum.

The word “Marbles” also describes a series of games that may be played with marbles. A common variation is called Ringer. In its simplest form, players a circle (e.g. in sand), then take turns trying to knock the other players’ marbles out of the circle. Players “shoot” marbles using fingers and thumb. How to Shoot a Marble is a primer put out by The American Toy Marble Museum.

Thoughts and Favorites

Some flicking games include suggestions on how to flick. Here are a few hints for finger flicking games: A push is not a flick! A flick includes a sharp sudden release of a bent finger. If you are flicking hard pieces, such as wooden disks, your finger may hurt after a while if you start the flick too far from the disk. Start the movement closer for less pain. This will also tend to improve accuracy. Move the shooting finger straight through towards the target for better aim.

From the games listed above, I have played Crokinole, Karambolage, Carabande/Pitch Car Mini, Subbuteo, Tumblin-Dice, Taktika, and Marbles – although I can’t remember how many years it’s been since I played Marbles, and I don’t even want to think about it! All are good games, and in fact I own most of them. Although I wouldn’t turn down an offer to play any of them, my current favorites are Crokinole, Carabande/Pitch Car Mini, and Subbuteo. I have played Tumblin-Dice only a couple times, but I am thinking about purchasing a copy.

Crokinole is a great game for two or four players. (I do wonder about the three-player game but not enough to buy another board.) The downside to the game is that a good board can be quite pricey and does take up a lot of space. I’m thinking about hanging mine on the wall with framing hangers and Kevlar cord (as opposed to wire which may scratch the wall or the back of the gameboard). Voilá, instant game room decoration! Game boards can be beautifully painted (see the board Aldie had painted for BGG.Con) or designed with different colors of stained wood (see the Hilinski boards at Crokinole World).

As for game play, there’s something really satisfying about knocking away your opponent’s disks and getting yours to score, especially if your disk falls into the hole in the middle on the same shot – completely on purpose, of course. Simple game to learn, and so much fun!

Carabande/Pitch Car Mini can be easily be played with up to eight people and, even maxed out, it moves along at a good pace (as long as players are paying attention to when their turns come around). Games are fairly short, lasting about 30 minutes each. These games are super easy to learn and almost as much fun to watch as they are to play. Be sure to play on a very flat surface as the track pieces may bump up at the puzzle ends causing all kinds of trouble to drivers. (For some, this may be part of the fun?) The downside is that these games are fairly expensive and because the pieces are so heavy, they can also be expensive to ship. I do think they are worth the expense though!

Subbuteo is quite exciting to play, with virtually no down time for either player. It does require a bit of skill, although it doesn’t take long to learn to move the ball around – that is, in the intended direction! Truly skilled players can control both the player pieces and ball. There are lots of examples on You Tube, including a funny Wembley 67 tribute. Some Subbuteo fans have made very elaborate stadiums. (I personally don’t have that much extra time on my hands!)

If you purchased a Subbuteo game with a wrinkled fabric pitch, you can iron it on the back side. (Do not iron the front!) Put the iron on a fairly low setting. It may help to use mist or steam to get stubborn wrinkles out. You might also want to try placing a slightly damp towel on top of the cloth before ironing, especially if your iron runs hot.

I hope you found some new, interesting flicking game choices to try! I, myself, am looking forward to trying others on the list as well!

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