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—Wins / Losses: 0–0

Who's playing?

Level 1
You0/10
Hops0/10

Move one marble a turn: a step to a free hole next to it, or hop over a marble into the free hole behind, as many hops in a row as you can. Nothing is captured. Fill the opposite triangle first to win.

Chinese Checkers game cover

Chinese Checkers

Board · Hop your marbles across the star, 2 to 6 players.

Play Chinese Checkers free online against Hops the frog and his pond friends, or pass the phone for 2, 3, 4 or 6 players. Hop your ten marbles across the six-pointed star and be the first to fill the triangle on the other side. You can also play Chinese Checkers online with friends: send a link and they join from any phone or computer.

How to play

  1. Choose Easy, Medium or Hard to play against Hops (and his pond friends at a bigger table), or Friends to play on one device. Pick 2, 3, 4 or 6 players and press Start.
  2. On your turn, move one marble: tap it (or drag it), then tap a glowing hole. A small dot is a step, a ring is a jump.
  3. A step moves a marble into an empty hole right next to it. A jump hops over one marble of any colour into the empty hole straight behind it.
  4. After a jump you may keep jumping from where you land, as often as you can and in any direction. Jumped marbles stay on the board: nothing is captured.
  5. The first player to fill the triangle opposite their start wins. If rival marbles are still sitting in your target, you win once every hole there is filled and at least one marble is yours.

Tips to win

  • Build ladders: marbles one hole apart in a line let you chain long jumps across the star.
  • Don't leave a straggler behind. A marble stuck at the back costs many slow steps at the end.
  • Rival marbles make good stepping stones too: any colour can be jumped.
  • Fill the far tip of your target first, so the marbles coming behind still have room.
  • Get your marbles out of your starting triangle early: under the modern rule, marbles left at home can help a rival finish.
  • Stuck? Press Teach me and Hops shows a good move and says why, like how many rows a jump chain gains.
  • To play friends online, open the Online tab, choose Play a friend and pick 2, 3, 4 or 6 players, then send the link. Once a friend has joined you can press Start now, and Hops' pond friends fill the empty seats. Each turn has a 30-second clock.

Guides

Questions

How do you play Chinese Checkers?

Each player has 10 marbles in one point of the star. Take turns moving one marble: a step into a neighbouring hole, or jumps over single marbles into the empty holes behind them, as many in a row as you can. The first to fill the opposite point wins.

Can you jump over your own marbles?

Yes. You can jump over any single marble, yours or a rival's, as long as the hole right behind it is empty. Nothing is captured.

Can you step and then jump in the same turn?

No. A turn is either one step, or one or more jumps in a row. Once you've stepped, your turn is over.

What if a rival leaves marbles in my target triangle?

GameLake uses the common modern rule against blocking: you win as soon as every hole of your target triangle is filled and at least one of those marbles is yours. Parking marbles in someone's target can't stop them.

Can a marble leave the target triangle again?

No. Once a marble has reached your target triangle it can still move around inside it, but it can't leave.

How many people can play?

Two, three, four or six. Two players start opposite each other, three use every other point, four use two opposite pairs and six fill the whole star. Hops and his pond friends Pip, Shelly, Finn and Lily take the seats you don't fill.

Is Chinese Checkers from China?

No. It was invented in Germany in 1892 as Stern-Halma, a star-shaped version of the older game Halma. American sellers gave it the name Chinese Checkers in the late 1920s.

How smart is Hops?

Easy only sees short jumps and often settles for a small step. Medium plans a move ahead to set up ladders, and Hard also weighs your best reply in a two-player game.

Can I play Chinese Checkers online with friends?

Yes. Choose Online, then Play a friend, pick the number of players and send the link. Up to six people can sit at one table, and Hops' friends fill empty seats. Quick match finds you a random opponent instead. No account needed.

Is Chinese Checkers free?

Yes. Play free in your browser on phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no account. Your game is saved if you leave mid-way.