For this writer, Crokinole has long topped the list of all-time favourite games.
Crokinole holds its lofty position partly because of the memories of playing with my dad more than half a century ago, and partly because it is a game of skill, one you can practice and steadily improve at.
Carrooka, this week’s review game from designer Jack Furnival, follows in the same general footsteps, at least sort of.
The initial thought was that Carrooka would feel very similar to crokinole, but once on the table, it proved to be much more closely related to Carrom; in fact, the two feel a bit like half-brothers.
Both use a shooter, think cue ball, which is especially appropriate in Carrooka, where players flick to strike other pieces on the board and knock them into pockets.
Carrom uses a square board while Carrooka uses a round one, but the lineage between the two is easy to see.
In Carrooka, you actually have two “games,” both essentially miniature cue sports. In one, you sink a red disc followed by a coloured disc, much like Snooker. The other version uses solids and stripes in a format similar to Eight-ball pool.
Both work great and are tons of fun.
Via email, Furnival explained that the game has a rather extended history.
“It began with a 20-year love of playing snooker once a week in a local club with friends,” he explained. “I had a look around to see if I could find a good quality small version of snooker so I could practice at home, but there was nothing available that wasn’t plastic and flimsy. But while looking I stumbled across the ancient Indian game of Carrom and realized that it was essentially flick pool. I looked into the history of Carrom and realized that it influenced the development of snooker… then I got curious!”
“What about a combination of Carrom and Snooker? I am a carpenter with 35 years’ experience making fine furniture, so I was lucky to have the skills to play around with the idea, initially just thinking about making a game for myself. The pandemic gave me even more time to experiment.”
The first board he made was rectangular, like a snooker table. It proved large and awkward, forcing players to stretch across the table to line up shots.
The solution was unexpected.
“We thought about making it rotate so we could reach the shots, adding a ‘lazy Susan’ mechanism to the base. But if you spin a rectangle the corners knock your drinks off the table! Then we realized it had to be round. As soon as I made a circular board, everything clicked into place and Carrooka was born.”
Only then did Furnival consider launching a Kickstarter campaign to see if others might enjoy the game as much as he did.
They did.
“I packed in the day job, opened a workshop and went into full-time production.”
Furnival also wanted Carrooka to work on multiple levels.
“On one level I wanted it to be fun, inclusive, open to all and enjoyable to play. But on a deeper level I wanted Carrooka to be as difficult to conquer as real snooker, something that stretches, challenges and frustrates you as you develop skill.”
“You can ‘hit and hope’ and have a great laugh, but you can also plan safety shots designed to force your opponent into a difficult position.”
However, Carrooka is not easy.
In fact, it requires more skill, or at least a different skill set, than crokinole. Using the shooter adds a whole new level of complexity. A round striker hitting another round disc to try to drop it into a small round hole is not a simple task.
The designers themselves acknowledge the challenge.
“Circle angles! They are really hard!! You will often need rebound shots where counters bounce off the rail. This happens with Carrom too, but it’s easier to judge on a square board.”
“Crokinole is also circular, but you’re flicking the target disc directly toward the middle. Carrooka involves flicking a striker into another counter, that takes a lot of skill, or a lot of luck!”
The good news is that the absolutely gorgeous board, this one from Tracey Boards in Canada, is mounted on a rotating “lazy Susan” base so players can turn it to line up their shots.
That feature is key. It makes the game much easier to play, even if you are likely to miss more shots than you sink until you’ve had some practice.
This is, after all, a game of skill, so much so that one Guilder, Stephen, suggested it felt more like a sport than a board game.
Furnival agrees that the rotating board is what truly defines the game.
“With snooker or pool you’re standing, walking, bending and contorting. With Carrooka you sit and rotate the board to line up your shots.”
Ultimately, Carrooka is an excellent alternative for players who enjoy cue sports but don’t have the room, or the budget, for a full table.
“We believe it offers the best snooker or pool experience that fits into a tiny home and is inclusive for all,” the designers say.
That said, Carrooka is not inexpensive. It’s more of an investment than a casual board game purchase, so you’ll want to be sure it’s something you plan to play regularly.
It’s also not the easiest game to store or transport. The board is larger and heavier than either a crokinole or carrom board, so it isn’t something you’ll be casually bringing to the local coffee shop.
But if you want a lifetime game of skill, a board you might one day pass down to your grandchildren, then Carrooka fits that role perfectly.
It’s very early in 2026, but if this one doesn’t end up in the top five for us Guilders, it will be both a surprise and a sign of an exceptionally strong year for board games.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
YOU WILL NEED PRACTICE BUT WITH CARROOKA IT’S WORTH THE EFFORT
Crokinole holds its lofty position partly because of the memories of playing with my dad more than half a century ago, and partly because it is a game of skill, one you can practice and steadily improve at.
Carrooka, this week’s review game from designer Jack Furnival, follows in the same general footsteps, at least sort of.
The initial thought was that Carrooka would feel very similar to crokinole, but once on the table, it proved to be much more closely related to Carrom; in fact, the two feel a bit like half-brothers.
Both use a shooter, think cue ball, which is especially appropriate in Carrooka, where players flick to strike other pieces on the board and knock them into pockets.
Carrom uses a square board while Carrooka uses a round one, but the lineage between the two is easy to see.
In Carrooka, you actually have two “games,” both essentially miniature cue sports. In one, you sink a red disc followed by a coloured disc, much like Snooker. The other version uses solids and stripes in a format similar to Eight-ball pool.
Both work great and are tons of fun.
Via email, Furnival explained that the game has a rather extended history.
The first board he made was rectangular, like a snooker table. It proved large and awkward, forcing players to stretch across the table to line up shots.
The solution was unexpected.
Only then did Furnival consider launching a Kickstarter campaign to see if others might enjoy the game as much as he did.
They did.
Furnival also wanted Carrooka to work on multiple levels.
However, Carrooka is not easy.
In fact, it requires more skill, or at least a different skill set, than crokinole. Using the shooter adds a whole new level of complexity. A round striker hitting another round disc to try to drop it into a small round hole is not a simple task.
The designers themselves acknowledge the challenge.
The good news is that the absolutely gorgeous board, this one from Tracey Boards in Canada, is mounted on a rotating “lazy Susan” base so players can turn it to line up their shots.
That feature is key. It makes the game much easier to play, even if you are likely to miss more shots than you sink until you’ve had some practice.
This is, after all, a game of skill, so much so that one Guilder, Stephen, suggested it felt more like a sport than a board game.
Furnival agrees that the rotating board is what truly defines the game.
Ultimately, Carrooka is an excellent alternative for players who enjoy cue sports but don’t have the room, or the budget, for a full table.
That said, Carrooka is not inexpensive. It’s more of an investment than a casual board game purchase, so you’ll want to be sure it’s something you plan to play regularly.
It’s also not the easiest game to store or transport. The board is larger and heavier than either a crokinole or carrom board, so it isn’t something you’ll be casually bringing to the local coffee shop.
But if you want a lifetime game of skill, a board you might one day pass down to your grandchildren, then Carrooka fits that role perfectly.
It’s very early in 2026, but if this one doesn’t end up in the top five for us Guilders, it will be both a surprise and a sign of an exceptionally strong year for board games.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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