Carrom: the classic flick-and-pocket board game, online and free
Carrom is a digital take on the beloved South-Asian tabletop game. Think of it as a cross between billiards and air hockey, played with flat wooden discs on a smooth square board. You flick a heavier disc called the striker to knock your own discs into the four corner pockets before your opponent clears theirs. It's easy to pick up in a minute and endlessly satisfying to master, with the same "just one more shot" pull as a good game of pool. No board, no powder, no setup. Just open it and play against the computer.
How to play
Your striker sits on the base line at the bottom of the board. Aim and shoot with a single slingshot motion: pull back from the striker to set the direction and the power (the further you pull, the harder the flick), then release to fire. Sink your own colour of disc (light or dark) to keep shooting; miss, or pocket the wrong disc, and play passes to your opponent.
- Aim: drag back away from the striker, like a slingshot, so it fires in the opposite direction to your pull. A guide line shows where it will go.
- Power: the length of your pull sets the strength of the flick: short pulls for delicate cuts, long pulls for break shots.
- Reposition: slide the striker left and right along the base line before you shoot to line up the perfect angle.
The single red disc in the middle is the Queen, the most valuable piece on the board and worth chasing once you've cleared a few of your own.
Difficulty
Play against a computer opponent at Easy, Medium or Hard. Easy is forgiving and great for learning the physics; Medium plays a steady positional game; Hard punishes loose shots and rarely wastes a turn. Bank shots off the cushions and gentle cut angles all behave the way they would on a real board, so skill you build here is skill you'd use at a family table.
Tips
- Softer is often smarter: a controlled tap that leaves the striker in a good spot beats a wild break.
- Use the side cushions. Banking the striker off a wall opens up discs you can't hit straight on.
- Clear discs that clog the pockets first, so later shots have a clean path.
- Line up the angle by moving the striker along the base line before you even think about power.
Frequently asked questions
Is Carrom free? Yes, free to play with no account or download. It runs in any modern browser on phone, tablet or desktop.
Can I play against a friend? The current version is single-player against a computer opponent at three difficulty levels.
Do I need to know the real rules? No. The basics are on screen and you'll pick up the feel within a game or two.
Stuck? Read the Carrom strategy guide
Want a different kind of table game? Try Ludo, or browse all Zamborin games.