Carrom at a Glance
| Game Type Dexterity, Flicking, Team Based | Play Time 60 mins | Skill/Complexity (1.5 - 5) Light |
| Age 6+ | Publisher(s) Many | Published Not Known |
| Categories Family / 2 Player | Players 2 - 4 (2 is best) | Cost $10 - $100 + |
| Our Rating 9/10 |
About – Description
The Carrom Board Game is believed to have originated in India and became popular after World War 1.
Carrom is a serious game with competitions held internationally and has its own federation, the International Carrom Federation (ICF). The sport that has been passed down the generations in South Asian families for many years.
This tabletop game is ideal for those who are over the age of 6 years old and perfect for families. It’s suitable for anything from 2-4 players with the best experience coming from just two players playing the game.
Who’s it best suited for?
Due to the simplistic nature of Carrom, the game is ideal for families and children. The children have a lot of fun from the way in which the game is played and it has an element of excitement and intrigue to it.
It’s also competitive so playing friends and doubles competitively is an excellent challenge.
Skill – Complexity
There is no real skill required to play the game although it is a game based around dexterity and so, players have to be good with their touch and feel throughout.
Carrom requires players to move discs around a board. It’s considered very easy to play, especially when you take age into consideration.
Set Up – Playing Rules & Instructions
Some Carrom games and players may use miniature cues which makes it even more like a game of pool. Most people don’t and use their fingers as it should be played.
Powder is also used on the board to help pieces move around, however, this powder is said to contain Boric acid which is classified as a serious health hazard in the EU. The Boric acid type powder is the best type for the game, although many are able to find much less toxic powders including potato and vegetable starch.
Setting up the game is simple. It consists of a board that has bumpers around the edge and carrom men which are small discs and come in two colors.
The strikers are also small discs and used to push the carrom men around the board while there is a red disc known as the Queen.
The queen is placed at the center of the board and is the most valuable piece of the game.
To determine who goes first someone holds a black carrom man in one hand and a white one in the other. The players then guess which color is in each hand, with the player who guesses correctly being given the first strike.
Players then have to use their striker to strike their carrom men into the corner pockets followed by the queen. If you sink the red queen then you will have to sink a carrom on your next shot in order to cover it, however, if a player fails to do this then the queen is placed back in the center of the board.
The first player to sink all 9 of their Carrom men and the queen will win points for the round, which is also known as a board.
The winner is then determined by the first player reaching 25 points or 8 boards.
When played in one of the various South Asian countries Carrom will have different rules for these countries and even for areas within them. When purchasing a Carrom board it will come with its own instructions that you may follow and/or use others.
Versions – Editions
Carrom the board game is a very traditional game that dates back many decades and so, it has changed very little. There are different variants of the game such as professional Carrom, point Carrom and total point Carrom, and variants for various countries.
Variations of board sizes and corner pockets are available. The larger the pockets the easier it is to play for beginners to the game.
Likes & Dislikes
Players like the fact that this is a tabletop game that resembles the more popular game of pool.
It has been known to give children hours of fun and that makes it a great family game that requires practice to get better at it. However, despite it being a game of dexterity, players can find it difficult to hit the striker correctly.
Final Thoughts
Carrom is a simple game to set up and does have a certain likeability to it. Its traditional feel is appealing in its own way and because of the way in which it is ideal for younger children, it gives them a chance to improve their dexterity skills.
It is a great, all-round family game that can be played time and time again.
