A comment that we see / hear often is: "wow, this reminds me of carrom"! And, you'd be right, because carrom is one of the inspiring games behind Carrooka! In this blog, we'll give an overview of 1) what carrom is, 2) what the connection to Carrooka is, and 3) why, as a fan of carrom, you'll also fall in love with this new twist!
What is Carrom?
Carrom is a dexterity based board game in which pieces are hit with a striker to go into pockets (this should sound familiar to those who have played Carrooka). The goal of the game is to pocket all of your pieces before the opponent does, with bonus points being rewarded for sinking the red piece in sequence with your other pieces.
While the exact origins of the game are unknown, is it widely believed and accepted that the game was invented in India, where it is most popularized.
What's the Connection?
Before Carrooka was invented, Jack Furnival was looking for an alternative to Snooker, as Snooker tables don't fit into most households. In his searches, he came across Carrom, which would be one of the primary inspirations to his new creation, Carrooka.
Let's look at the game itself - what similarities do the two games share?
What's the Same?
- The pieces, and shooting style: The striker and the point pieces are the same as you'd use in carrom, with colouring to match the rules and gameplay of snooker and pool. The powder wax that comes with boards is also carrom powder, giving the boards the same kind of slide.
What's Different?
- Square vs Circle: a Carrom board is a square, with borders that are more predictable for clean ricochet shots. A Carrooka board, however, is much less predictable in terms of bank shots due to the circular form of the board - but, going full circle around the railing is much easier, opening a new avenue for scoring points! And, the circle shape is more friendly for the lazy susan, which brings us to difference two:
- The shooting line... or lack thereof: In Carrom, each player (2-4 people) is designated a side of the board, which has a line that they can shoot from - the new twist with Carrooka is, like in billiards, you shoot from wherever the striker is on the board!
Why Carrom Lovers Will Also Love Carrooka:
If you know and love carrom, you will most certainly fall in love with this new twist. Here are a few reasons as to why:
- Similar enough to learn quick, different enough for a new challenge: Carrooka rules are based off of Snooker and Pool8, both of which are similar to Carrom in nature of objectives. With that said, they are not the same. Both versions give unique challenges that will keep it entertaining, and the circle shape gives you new shots to master!
- Accessibility: One aspect of Carrooka that trumps many of its relatives is the lazy susan atachment on the bottom of the board. Unlike carrom, carrooka players aren't bound to shoot from one spot on the board - they can stay in their chair, and shoot however is comfortable for them, wherever the piece is!
- Quick games, tonnes of laughs around the table: Carrom and Carrooka share the same spirit of being a simple game that is hard to master, making it a game that'll have friends and family laughing and cheering around the board.
If you'd like another flicking fun game to add to your board games repitoire, visit our shop here. And, as always, happy flicking!
