How to play carrom online, free vs a bot or friend

Carrom is a flicking game played on a square wooden board with a pocket in every corner. It is hugely popular across South Asia and a fixture of family gatherings, and it is easy to pick up. On inkmate you can play it free in your browser against a bot, on one phone with a friend, or in a private room with someone far away.

What is on the board

Each side has nine coins in its colour, white or black. There is one red coin called the queen, placed in the centre. You flick a larger disc called the striker, from your own baseline at the near edge of the board, to hit the coins into the four corner pockets.

The goal

Pocket all nine of your own coins before your opponent does, and settle the queen along the way. The queen is the prize piece, but it comes with a condition, explained below.

How a turn works

1. Slide the striker along your baseline to the spot you like.
2. Aim and flick it. The striker should hit a coin; you cannot just hit the board edge.
3. If you pocket one of your own coins, you shoot again. Keep going until you miss.
4. If you miss, the turn passes to your opponent.

The queen and the cover

If you pocket the queen, you must "cover" it by pocketing one of your own coins on the same shot or on the very next shot of the same turn. If you manage, the queen is yours. If you cannot, the queen goes back to the centre of the board. You cannot win the game before the queen has been settled either: if your last coin goes in too early, it is put back.

Fouls

If the striker itself falls into a pocket, that is a foul. Your turn ends and one of your pocketed coins goes back to the centre. Coins of the other colour that you pocket stay pocketed and count for your opponent, which means careless shots help them.

Carrom has many house variations and official rules that differ in scoring. The version on inkmate is the classic one above: clear your nine coins and settle the queen to win.

Ways to play on inkmate

• Against a bot: open carrom and take on a doodle bot at your own pace.
• One phone: choose the together option and pass the device, a good fit for two people on a sofa.
• Private room: make a room, send the code and play a friend from anywhere, with emoji reactions for celebrating a double.

A game lasts roughly ten to twenty minutes.

Playing the striker

On a touch screen the striker works like the real thing. You slide it along your baseline to choose where to shoot from, then drag to aim and set the power, and let go to flick. The coins bounce, spin and rebound off the sides, so each shot plays out a little differently, and part of the fun is learning how hard to flick. Take your time over the first few shots: a gentle flick teaches you far more than a wild one.

Why it works for two

Carrom is naturally a game for two people, with only a handful of rules and long streaks of play when one of you is on a roll. That makes it a great pick for a call with one friend, a partner or a cousin. Each shot is quick, so there is always something to react to, and the other person is rarely just waiting.

Tips to get started

1. Aim for the pockets, not just the coin. Picture the line from the pocket through the coin and hit the coin on the far side from the pocket.
2. Use gentle power on easy shots. A hard flick sends coins bouncing around and often into your opponent’s pockets.
3. Go for coins that sit near a pocket before the awkward ones. Easy shots keep your streak alive.
4. Do not take the queen on a risky shot. If you cannot cover it, you have gained nothing.
5. Think about where the striker stops, because a good shot leaves you a good next shot.

tip: For a longer guide to the rules and ways to sharpen your aim, read carrom rules and tips to improve your strike.

Looking for something more relaxed afterwards? Ludo and snakes and ladders both work well in the same room. Or just pick up the striker and take your first shot.