How to play
- Slide the bar under the board to place your striker on your baseline.
- Pull back from the striker to aim. The further you pull, the harder the shot. Let go to shoot.
- Pocket one of your own coins and you shoot again. Pocket the striker and it's a foul: one of your coins goes back to the centre.
- Pocket the red queen, then pocket one of your own coins on the next shot to cover it. If you don't, the queen goes back.
- Pocket all 9 of your coins first to win. The queen must be covered before your last coin goes in.
Play Carrom free online against the computer or a friend on the same phone. Aim, flick the striker, pocket all your coins and cover the queen to win.
About Carrom
Carrom is a tabletop game in which players flick a heavy disc, called the striker, to knock smaller wooden coins into the four corner pockets of a square board. It is thought to have started in South Asia and is one of the most played indoor games in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. You'll find a carrom board in homes, clubs, colleges and tea stalls, and the game is played seriously too, with national and international tournaments. The International Carrom Federation was founded in Chennai in 1988.
A full set has 9 white coins, 9 black coins, one red coin called the queen and the striker. At the start the coins are packed in a flower shape around the queen in the centre circle. Each player shoots from their own baseline, the pair of lines in front of them with a red circle at each end.
Carrom on Gamesupa
This version follows the main rules of the real game and keeps them simple enough to learn in one round. You play white and shoot from the bottom of the board. The computer plays black from the top. You can also choose "A friend" and pass the phone between turns.
- Place the striker anywhere along your baseline with the slider, or drag it along the line on the board.
- Aim by pulling back from the striker, like a catapult. The dotted line shows where it will go and which coin it will hit first. The coloured ring around the striker shows the power.
- Pocket one of your own coins and you shoot again. Your turn ends when you miss.
- If the striker falls into a pocket, it's a foul and one of your pocketed coins goes back to the centre.
- The queen must be covered. After pocketing it, you need to pocket one of your own coins on your next shot, or the queen returns to the centre.
How the winner is scored
The first player to pocket all 9 of their coins wins the board. The winner earns one point for every coin the opponent still has on the board, plus 3 points if the winner covered the queen. Your last coin can't go in while the queen is still in play, so plan to cover the queen before you clear your coins.
Quick tips
- Start with straight shots. A coin sitting near a pocket, in line with your striker, is the easiest point on the board.
- Use less power than you think. Soft shots keep the striker on the board and give you more control.
- Move along the baseline. Sliding the striker a little left or right often turns a hard cut into a straight shot.
- Watch the striker after the hit. A hard shot towards a corner can send the striker into the pocket too.
Read more in Carrom rules explained and Carrom tips for beginners.
Carrom questions
Can I play Carrom online with a friend?
You can play with a friend on the same phone or computer. Choose A friend before you start: Player 1 shoots white from the bottom, Player 2 shoots black from the top, and you pass the device between turns. Online play over the internet is not available yet.
How do I aim and shoot?
Place the striker on your baseline, then press near it and pull back in the opposite direction of your shot. The dotted line shows the path and the first coin it will touch. The further you pull, the harder the shot. Let go to shoot.
What happens if I pocket the striker?
It's a foul. Your turn ends and one of the coins you have already pocketed goes back to the centre of the board.
What does covering the queen mean?
After you pocket the red queen, you must pocket one of your own coins on the very next shot. That covers the queen and it counts for you. If you miss, the queen goes back to the centre.
Can I pocket my last coin before the queen?
No. The queen must be covered by someone before either player's last coin goes in. If your last coin drops early, it comes back to the centre.
Why does the striker stop on its own?
Like a real board, the surface has friction, so the striker and coins slow down and stop. Coins also lose some speed each time they bounce off the edge.
Carrom guides
- Carrom Carrom queen rules: how to pocket and cover it What the red queen is worth in carrom, how to cover it, what happens if you miss, and why it must be covered before your last coin.
- Carrom Carrom rules explained Carrom rules in simple words: the board and coins, whose turn it is, fouls, covering the red queen and how points are counted.
- Carrom Carrom tips for beginners Eight practical tips for aiming, controlling power and planning your turn, so you pocket more coins and give away fewer fouls.