About Star Checkers
Star Checkers, better known as Chinese checkers, is played on a six-pointed star full of holes. You start with ten marbles packed into the bottom point and must move all of them into the opposite point at the top before your rival does the same in the other direction. Despite the name, the game was invented in Germany in the 1890s and became popular around the world.
The magic is in the jumps: a marble can hop over any neighbouring marble, yours or your rival's, into the empty hole behind it, and keep hopping in a chain as long as it can. Build ladders of marbles to send pieces flying across the board in one move. Nothing is ever captured, so it is a pure race of planning. Play an easy or hard computer, or a friend on the same device.
How to play
- Tap one of your pink marbles. Every hole it can reach glows green.
- A step moves one hole in any of six directions.
- A jump hops over one marble into the empty hole behind it, and jumps can chain.
- Fill the top point with all ten of your marbles to win. Fewer moves score more.
About Star Checkers
Despite its name, Chinese checkers was invented in Germany in 1892 as Stern-Halma, a star-shaped version of the game Halma. Its long chain jumps make every turn feel like a small puzzle.
Tips to score higher
- Build ladders: rows of marbles with gaps between them let you jump across the board.
- Move your back marbles regularly; the last marble is what usually loses races.
- Use your rival's marbles as stepping stones too.
- Avoid leaving holes in the target point; fill it from the tip first.
Star Checkers FAQ
Can a jump chain change direction?
Yes. Each hop can go in any of the six directions.
Can marbles be captured?
No. Nothing is captured; it is a pure race.
Try next: Checkers, Nine Men's Morris and Gomoku.
