Carrom
About Carrom
Carrom is a flicking board game, a beloved fixture of Indian summers, played on a smooth square board with pockets in the corners. You flick a striker to knock your assigned pieces into the pockets, racing your opponent to clear your color, with the prized red queen worth chasing along the way.
It's a game of touch and angles, all about the satisfying clack of pieces and the glide across the powdered board. The red queen adds the key wrinkle: you have to 'cover' her by pocketing one of your own pieces right after, or she goes back to the center. Aiming, judging rebounds, and controlling the striker are the whole skill.
You can play Carrom free in your browser with no download. Our physics keep the real glide and rebounds, so the feel carries over even without the talc powder. It's easy to start flicking, and learning to control the striker and plan your angles rewards practice. Just mind your fingers, figuratively speaking.
Controls
You play by aiming and flicking the striker. Drag the striker along your baseline to position it, set your aim, then pull back and release to flick it at your pieces.
The striker and the red queen shape the game:
- Flicking the striker sends it across the board to knock your pieces toward the pockets. The direction you aim and the power of your flick decide everything, and rebounds off the sides open up trick shots.
- The red queen is the prize piece. After pocketing her, you must 'cover' her by pocketing one of your own pieces on the next shot, or she's returned to the center of the board.
Fouls, such as pocketing the striker itself, return a piece to the board as a penalty.
You win by pocketing all your assigned pieces, and covering the queen, before your opponent. The difficulty rises across eight levels.
Tips
- Control your power. A flick that's too hard sends pieces flying off target or pockets the striker, so judging just enough power for the shot is more important than hitting hard.
- Use the rebounds. The striker and pieces bounce off the board's sides, so learning to bank shots off the cushions lets you reach pieces you can't hit straight on.
- Line up angles carefully. Pocketing a piece is all about the angle the striker hits it, so take a moment to picture the line from the piece to the pocket before you aim.
- Plan to cover the queen. Since you must pocket one of your own pieces right after the queen, only go for her when you have an easy follow-up shot lined up, or she'll just return to the center.
- Avoid pocketing the striker. Sinking the striker itself is a foul that returns a piece to the board, so be careful with hard shots near the pockets that might carry the striker in too.
- Set up your next shot. A good player thinks about where the striker and pieces end up, so aim not just to pocket a piece but to leave yourself a makeable shot next turn.
Frequently asked questions
Is Carrom free to play?
Yes. You can play as much as you want with no download and no account.
How do you play Carrom?
You flick a striker from your baseline to knock your assigned pieces into the corner pockets. You race your opponent to pocket all your pieces, and you also try to pocket and cover the red queen for a bonus.
What is covering the queen?
After you pocket the red queen, you must 'cover' her by pocketing one of your own pieces on your very next shot. If you don't, the queen is returned to the center of the board, so you time going for her carefully.
How do you win at Carrom?
You win by pocketing all of your assigned pieces before your opponent does, having also pocketed and covered the queen. Good aim, controlled power, and using rebounds are the keys to clearing your pieces.
Can I play Carrom on my phone?
Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser, and you aim and flick by dragging, so it works well on phones and tablets.
How do I get better at Carrom?
Focus on controlling your power rather than hitting hard, learn to bank shots off the sides, and line up your angles before aiming. Plan your shots so you cover the queen at the right time and leave yourself a good next shot.
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