The game of tiddlywinks

Tiddlywinks is a game of strategy and dexterity for two to four players.

In the popular children's game of tiddlywinks, the aim is to flick small counters (which we call "winks") into a pot with a larger disc (which we call a "squidger"). The players take turns, but if a wink goes in the pot then that player gets another go. The first player to get all their winks into the pot wins.

The adult game emphasises a minor component of the rules of the children's game: that if a wink lands on top of another wink, the lower wink may not be played. From this simple statement leads a world of strategy; the adult game is about controlling your opponent's winks, building and attacking piles of winks, creating a strong defensive or threatening position and building a lead before the game ends. A player still wins if all his winks are potted, but many games reach the end of the time limit without this happening.

More information about the game of tiddlywinks is available on the websites of The English Tiddlywinks Association and The North American Tiddlywinks Association.