Tiddlywinks has been around for centuries as a popular board game for both young children and serious adults alike. The players with the most dexterity have the upper hand in this board game that’ll have you practicing your flipping skills until the cows come home. Whether you pick up an edition at your local retail store or you attend one of the many Tiddlywinks championships around the world, you’ll sure to love the practical fun of this eclectic board game.

Squidgers and Winks

One of the most delightful aspects of Tiddlywinks is the unique terminology that it uses to describe the various components and actions of the game. The goal of the game is to flip small discs called “winks” into a cup on the center of the board. To do this, players will have to use a larger disc called a “Squidger” or “Tiddledy” to shoot the winks into flight.

Players propel the winks into the air by pressing down on the edge of the wink with the squidger so that the wink pops up into the air. The game is usually played on a large felt mat to help make it easier to flip the winks. While landing your wink into the cup in the center will earn you the most points, some editions of the game allow you to also earn points by landing within a certain target area.

The goal of the board game is to win the most points by the end of the final round. Players have two options to choose a winner. They can either choose to play a set number of rounds, naming the player with the highest points the winner, or they can play to a specific number of points, ending the game whenever one player reaches that score.

Squopping Your Opponent

Unlike many board games, Tiddlywinks is less based on things like strategy and luck and more focused on physical dexterity. The more you play Tiddlywinks, the better you get at flicking the little winks in the right direction. In fact, there are actually a large number of professional organizations and clubs dedicated to the game. Countless people gather together each year to see who can stand out amongst the crowd as the best player.

But you don’t have to be a Tiddlywinks expert to enjoy the fun of engaging in psychological warfare during the game. One of the most diabolical aspects of this board game comes from trying to psych out your opponent as they make their move. All’s fair in Tiddlywinks, as you can feel free to use all of the intimidation tactics you like to distract your opponent and keep them from getting their wink in the cup!

In some version of the game, you have another defensive tool to keep your opponent from getting points called “Squopping.”  This is when you shoot your own winks to land on top of your opponent’s winks. Because only the wink on top gets to be counted in points, this can be a useful way of keeping your opponent’s winks from being counted and advancing your own winks.

Other Versions of Tiddlywinks 

Over the years, many versions of Tiddlywinks had been released with different themes, rules, and mechanics. There’s a Snoopy’s Game of Tiddlywinks that features characters from your favorite comic strip as well as a Tom & Jerry Tiddlywinks that features the eponymous cartoon cat and mouse. Some versions of Tiddlywinks come with a rubberwood circular box that has a hole in the center for you to try and flip the wink into, while others come with a plastic cup or round target playing mat.

Flip Your Wick with Tiddlywinks

Tiddlywinks is playable by anywhere from 1-6 players. You can easily practice flipping the winks into the cup on your own as you refine your skills before playing with a larger group. It’s suitable for ages 4 and up, as even the youngest of players can have fun flipping winks and squopping the other players. Playing time lasts around 10 minutes, although it can go on for longer depending on how many rounds you choose to play.

Practice your flipping skills and buy Tiddlywinks today!