Quick answer: To play carrom online free, open Carrom with Buddies on Gipcus and choose Find Opponent, Private Game or Play With Bot. Slide the striker along your baseline, drag back from it to aim and set power, then release to shoot. Pot all nine of your carrommen and cover the red queen first, with 30 seconds per turn.
By Ashish Sharma · Updated October 30, 2026 · How we tested: we read the rules, fouls, menu and timer straight from the Carrom with Buddies game files (HTML5, Instant Games Studio / MarketJS) and checked them against the Gipcus game page.
Play now: Carrom with Buddies runs free in your browser on PC or phone, no download.
Carrom looks simple: flick the striker, sink the coins. But most players lose games the same way, by firing hard at everything and handing the board to the other side. These carrom tips cover the basic rules and the habits that actually win matches online.
What are the basic carrom rules?
Pot all of your own colour, cover the queen, and avoid fouls. In detail:
- The pieces: nine white coins, nine black coins, one red queen and a heavier striker.
- Your goal: pocket all of your own colour before your opponent pockets theirs.
- Turns: you place the striker on your baseline and flick it. Pocket one of your coins and you shoot again; miss and the turn passes.
- The queen: after you pocket the red queen you must “cover” it by pocketing one of your own coins on the next shot. If you don’t, the queen goes back to the centre.
- Fouls: pocketing the striker is a foul, and one of your pocketed coins goes back to the board. Carrom with Buddies also counts potting your opponent’s coin as a foul (see the table below).
- Winning: pot all your coins with the queen covered before your last coin goes down.
Online versions can tweak small details, so check the in-game rules screen once before your first match.
What are the controls in Carrom with Buddies?
You use only the mouse or a finger: slide the striker, pull back to aim and set power, then let go. The game is a slingshot: the striker flies the opposite way to your drag.
| Action | Mouse (desktop) | Touch (phone or tablet) |
|---|---|---|
| Place the striker | Click and drag it left or right along your baseline | Drag it along the baseline |
| Aim | Press on the striker and drag away from the coin you want to hit; the guide line shows the direction | Same, with your finger |
| Set power | Drag farther for a harder shot; power stops growing at a fixed maximum | Same |
| Shoot | Release the button | Lift your finger |
Each turn has a 30-second timer. If it runs out, the turn passes to your opponent.
Which modes can you play?
The main menu has three ways to play:
| Menu button | Who you play | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Find Opponent | A random online player | Real matches |
| Private Game | A friend: enter or create a room password, then copy or share the link | Playing someone you know |
| Play With Bot | The computer | Practising bank shots and power |
How do you play your first Carrom with Buddies match?
- Open Carrom with Buddies on Gipcus and press play. Nothing installs.
- Pick Play With Bot for your first game so you can learn power without a live opponent.
- Note your colour (white or black). You have nine carrommen to pot.
- Slide the striker along your baseline until it lines up straight with a coin and a pocket.
- Press on the striker, drag back away from the target, and release at medium power.
- Pot your own colour to shoot again. When you pot the red queen, pot one of your own carrommen on the very next shot to cover it.
- Once comfortable, switch to Find Opponent or a Private Game with a friend.
Which fouls does Carrom with Buddies punish?
Four mistakes count as fouls in this game, as listed on the in-game rules screen. Each one costs you a piece:
| Foul | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Potting the striker | One of your potted carrommen returns to the board |
| Potting your opponent’s carrommen (unless one of yours drops on the same shot) | One of your potted carrommen returns |
| Potting the queen without potting one of your carrommen on the next shot | The queen goes back to the board |
| Potting all your carrommen without covering the queen | One carrommen returns |
If your opponent has already covered the queen, you only need to pot all of your own carrommen to win.
What are the best carrom tips to win?
Control power, line up straight shots and time the queen. The seven habits that matter most:
1. Control power before you chase accuracy
The most common beginner mistake is full power on every shot. A hard striker scatters coins, often parks your pieces in front of the opponent’s pockets, and raises your chance of sinking the striker for a foul. Use soft and medium shots for anything near a pocket.
2. Use the whole baseline
You can slide the striker anywhere along your baseline. Move it until the line from striker to coin to pocket is as straight as possible. A straight shot at half power beats an angled shot at full power.
3. Learn one bank shot
When a coin sits behind your baseline or is blocked, bounce the striker off the side cushion. Start with a single rebound off the nearest side and practise it until it’s reliable. In Carrom with Buddies you can rehearse these angles against the computer as often as you like.
4. Take the queen at the right time
Don’t grab the queen early if you have no easy coin to cover it. Wait until one of your coins sits close to a pocket, then sink the queen and cover it straight away.
5. Leave the board awkward for your opponent
If you can’t pocket anything, play a soft shot that pushes your coins toward pockets and nudges theirs behind cover. Good defence wins as many carrom games as clever attack.
6. Clear coins near your pockets first
Easy coins near the pockets you shoot at are free points. Take them first to keep your turn going and build a lead before attempting difficult cuts.
7. Watch out for the striker
Before every shot, picture where the striker goes after it hits. If its path ends in a pocket, take a little power off or change the angle to avoid a foul.
What other board games can you play free?
- Carrom with Buddies: flick-and-pocket practice anytime.
- Ludo Life: classic Ludo; read our Ludo winning tips.
- UNO: the card game everyone knows.
- Chess Online: zero luck, pure skill; start with our chess tips for beginners.
- Snakes and Ladders: pure luck with a twist; see our Snakes and Ladders rules guide.
Want the full list? See our guide to classic board games you can play online free.
FAQ: carrom online
Can I play carrom online free?
Yes. Carrom with Buddies on Gipcus plays in your browser on PC, Android and iPhone with no download.
What happens if you pocket the striker in carrom?
It’s a foul. You lose your turn and one of your pocketed coins goes back to the board.
Do you have to cover the queen?
Yes. After pocketing the queen you must pocket one of your own coins on the next shot, or the queen returns to the board. You must also cover it before your last coin goes down.
Can you play carrom online against the computer?
Yes. Choose Play With Bot in Carrom with Buddies to practise against the computer for free.
How do you play carrom with a friend online?
Choose Private Game, enter or create a room password, then copy or share the link so your friend joins the same room.
Is potting your opponent’s coin a foul?
In Carrom with Buddies, yes, unless one of your own coins drops on the same shot. One of your potted coins returns to the board.
How long do you get for each shot?
30 seconds. If the timer runs out, the turn passes to your opponent.
