Kanche
Play Kanche now · free, no download, no sign-up
Kanche is the game of glass marbles played on dusty school grounds and in the lanes of India. You crouch at a chalk ring, pull back your shooter marble and flick it to knock other marbles out of the ring and into your pouch. The clack of glass on glass is half the fun.
This version is seen from above at golden hour and offers two classic ways to play: the ring game and GOLI, where you roll into a small pit before you can attack. It is relaxed enough for a quick go, with plenty of room for skill in angles, spin and power.
How to play
- Pull back anywhere on the screen and let go to flick your shooter; the further you pull, the harder the shot.
- Ring game: start from outside the chalk line. You can drag your shooter around the ring to choose where to shoot from.
- Knock marbles out of the ring to win them. If you win one and your shooter stays inside the ring, you shoot again.
- GOLI: first roll your marble into the pit, called the gotti, then hit your rival's marble to win it.
- Stones on the ground bounce marbles, which can help you reach hidden ones.
- Coins you earn buy new shooter marbles for your pouch.
Controls
On a phone or tablet
Touch the ground, drag back to aim and set the power, then release to flick. Drag the shooter around the ring to move it before a shot.
On a computer
Click and drag back with the mouse, then release to flick; drag the shooter around the ring in the same way to reposition it.
Game modes
Solo
Clear 24 ring stages in as few shots as you can for up to three stars each, or try the gotti challenge.
Vs computer
Take turns against a computer player on easy, medium or hard, who tests possible flicks before choosing one.
2 players
Share one board with a friend and take turns flicking.
Tips
- Hit a marble off-centre to send it sideways.
- A soft flick keeps your shooter inside the ring so you can shoot again after a win.
- Go for marbles near the chalk line first; they only need a nudge.
- In GOLI, roll gently: a fast marble hops over the pit instead of dropping in.
- Use stones as cushions to bank shots onto marbles that are hidden behind others.
About the game
Kanche, also known as goli or kancha, is one of the best-loved childhood games in India, played wherever there was a patch of soft ground and a handful of glass marbles. This game keeps the ring and pit rules and adds ring layouts such as the cross, the heap and the triangle, stars and twelve collectable shooters, from cat's-eye and tiger to galaxy and golden sun.
On a phone the pull-back flick feels like the real thumb flick, and the board fits portrait. On a desktop the mouse gives very fine control over aim and power.
Questions
- Is Kanche free?
- Yes, it is free to play in your browser.
- What is the difference between the ring game and GOLI?
- In the ring game you knock marbles out of a chalk circle. In GOLI you must first roll into the pit, then hit your rival's marble.
- Can two people play on one device?
- Yes, the 2 players mode lets you take turns on the same board.
- Does it save my progress?
- Stage stars, coins and your shooter collection are saved in this browser on this device.
