Carrom

Carrom is the board game of South Asian living rooms and tea shops: a square wooden board with a pocket in each corner, nine white coins, nine black coins, one red queen and a heavier disc — the striker — that you flick with a finger to knock your coins in.

Our version runs on a real physics engine. You slide the striker along your baseline, pull back like a slingshot and let go; the coins scatter the way they would on wood. Every shot is worked out on the server and replayed the same for everyone at the table, so what you see is exactly what happened.

How to start a game

1. 1Open Carrom on Alex Play Zone and choose the bot, a one-against-one room, or a four-player room for teams of two.
2. 2On your turn, slide the striker along your baseline — drag it, or use the slider under the board.
3. 3Press on the striker and drag backwards to aim. The further you pull, the harder the shot; a dotted guide shows the first contact.
4. 4Let go to shoot. Pocket one of your own coins and you shoot again.

The rules of Carrom

Coins and colours

• There are nine white coins, nine black coins and one red queen. Player one (or team A) plays white; player two (or team B) plays black.
• The aim is to pocket all nine of your colour, with the queen covered, before your opponent clears theirs.

Turns

• Pocket one of your own coins and you take another shot.
• If you pocket only your opponent’s coins, they stay down — to their benefit — and your turn ends.
• In a four-player game partners sit opposite each other and the turn passes around the table.

The red queen

• You may only pocket the queen after you have pocketed at least one coin of your own.
• Having pocketed it, you must “cover” it: pocket one of your coins on the same shot or on the very next one.
• If you fail to cover, the queen goes back to the centre of the board.
• Nobody may pocket their last coin while the queen is still uncovered; a last coin pocketed like that comes back to the centre.

Fouls

• Pocketing the striker is a foul. Your turn ends and one of the coins you had pocketed is put back in the centre.
• A queen pocketed on a foul shot, or still waiting to be covered when you foul, also returns.

Scoring

• The winner of a board scores one point for every opponent coin still on the board, and three more for having covered the queen.

How to play well

Choose the straightest line

You can place the striker anywhere along your baseline. Before aiming, move it until striker, coin and pocket are as close to one straight line as the board allows — a full hit goes in far more often than a thin cut.

Take the easy coins first, but think about the queen

You cannot touch the queen until one of your coins is down, and you must have a second coin ready to cover it. The best moment for the queen is when you can see both the queen and an easy cover.

Less power, more control

A hard shot scatters everything, including your opponent’s coins into the pockets and the striker after them. Use just enough pace to reach the pocket.

Use the cushions

A coin sitting behind your baseline cannot be hit directly. Aim the striker at the far cushion and let it come back — the guide line helps you judge the angle.

Remember: Shallow cut shots drop far more often than thin, fine cuts — pick the side of the baseline that gives the straightest line.

Common mistakes

• Going for the queen with no cover in sight, and handing it back to the centre.
• Hitting so hard that the striker follows the coin into the pocket — a foul that costs you a coin.
• Breaking up a cluster that held more of your opponent’s coins than your own.
• Leaving your last coin and the queen for the end: you cannot finish until the queen is covered.

Questions and answers

What happens if I pocket my opponent’s coin?

It stays pocketed and counts for them. Your turn ends unless you also pocketed one of your own.

When can I pocket the queen?

Any time after your first coin is down — but remember you need another of your coins on the same or the next shot to cover it.

Can four people play?

Yes. Create a room and play two against two; partners sit opposite each other.

Can anyone cheat with the physics?

No. The server calculates each shot and sends the same result to every player.