About Curling
Curling is the elegant ice sport of precision and tactics, sometimes called chess on ice. Teams take turns sliding heavy granite stones down a sheet of ice towards a target called the house. Only the stones closest to the centre, the button, score, so every throw is a choice between drawing into the rings, guarding your best stone or knocking your rival's stones away.
Choose a curl to make your stone bend gently left or right around guards, then hold the screen to sweep the ice, which makes the stone travel further and straighter. Every stone must pass the red hog line to stay in play. Play a three-end match against the computer, a quick one-end game, or face a friend on the same device.
How to play
- Pick the curl (↺ or ↻), then pull back from your stone and release.
- While your stone slides, hold the screen (or Space) to sweep.
- Stones must pass the red hog line; stones that leave the sheet are out.
- After 8 stones, each of your stones closer than the rival's best scores a point.
About Curling
Curling was first played on frozen ponds in Scotland in the 16th century and is now an Olympic sport. It is a game of inches: tactics and touch matter far more than strength.
Tips to score higher
- Use guards: a stone in front of the house protects your best stones.
- Curl around guards to reach the button.
- Sweep to carry a stone that is coming up short.
- With the last stone (the hammer), you can often score more than one point.
Curling FAQ
How is an end scored?
Only one team scores: one point for each of its stones closer to the button than the rival's best stone.
What is the hog line?
A stone must pass it to stay in play.
