Carrom
In Carrom you flick wooden discs across the board and sink them in the pockets. Free, no install, no sign-up, plays against the computer.
In Carrom, nine pieces each plus the red queen. Flick your pieces into the four corner pockets; pocket the queen and cover it to win.
Works offline after the first visit. No install, no sign-up.
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How to play Carrom
Flicking a piece
Drag back anywhere on the board and let go, slingshot style. The further you pull, the harder it goes; a steady pull keeps the aim true.
Pocketing your colour
Each side has nine pieces of one colour. Sink your own pieces into any of the four corner pockets; sinking the other colour is allowed but gains you nothing, because the piece goes straight back on the board.
The red queen
The queen sits in the middle. Pocket her, then pocket one of your own pieces in the same or a later turn to cover her — otherwise she comes back out.
Winning the round
Clear all nine of your pieces, having covered the queen, before the other side does. The computer flicking follows the same board rules.
Slide the striker along the line
The striker waits on the baseline at the bottom of the board. Drag along that line to shift it left or right, or nudge it with the arrow keys, and only then pull back to fire. Where the striker starts decides which angles are open to you.
A sunk striker costs you nothing
If the striker itself rattles into a pocket it is simply returned to the baseline. You lose the turn when the shot pots nothing of yours, but you are never docked a point or a piece for it.
Pot one and keep shooting
Sinking a piece of your own colour earns another shot immediately. The turn only passes when a shot ends without one of your pieces dropping, so a good run can clear several pieces before the other side even gets to aim.
Carrom Tips and Strategy
Cover the queen first
Pocketing the queen does nothing on its own, since she returns to the board unless you sink one of your own pieces in the same or a later turn. Leave a spare piece near a pocket whenever you take her, and the round is yours to convert.
Set up, do not smash
Hitting your own pieces around the board only gives the computer easy shots into the pockets. Lay your pieces along the lines into a pocket instead, and keep them out of the way of its own aiming paths.
You may knock, never sink
Striking the other colour is allowed and often useful for positioning, but pocketing it counts for nobody and does not move you closer to winning. Every shot should either sink one of your own or set one up.
Work from the far side
The striker fires from the bottom line, so the pockets nearest you are the awkward ones to line up on. Play towards the far half of the board instead, where the route from the baseline into a corner pocket stays open as the pieces thin out.
Bank the striker instead of squeezing
A cushion bounce costs the striker speed but not accuracy, and the board is small enough that a rebound is easy to judge. When the straight line to a piece runs into the cluster, bank the striker off a side cushion rather than trying to thread it through.
Carrom — Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the queen come back?
You pocketed the queen but did not cover her with one of your own pieces in time, so she returns to the board.
Can I hit the other colour?
You may use your piece to knock an opponent piece, but pocketing the opponent's colour gains you nothing and the piece is put back on the board.
How do I aim?
Drag back on the board to set direction and power, then release. Drag the baseline itself to slide the striker left or right before you pull; a pull of only a few pixels is ignored.
Does it need installing or an account?
No. It runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer and works offline after the first visit.
How many pieces are on the board?
Nineteen in total: nine of each colour and the red queen in the middle. You only ever shoot at your own nine.
Do I lose a piece if I foul?
There is no foul or penalty system at all. Nothing is ever taken off you, and the red queen is the only piece that can leave the board and come back.
Can I sink more than one piece in a shot?
Yes. Every piece of your colour that drops is counted and stays down, and you carry on shooting afterwards.
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