# Paperoom — full text Every English page of https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ as Markdown, generated 2026-10-30. Translations: /es/, /ar/, /pt/, /zh/, /fr/. Index: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/llms.txt # Paperoom > Make printable bingo, sudoku, mazes, board games, lotería, mancala and more in six languages. Free, no account, A4 or Letter, offline-ready. Bingo and lotería, sudoku and mazes, snakes and ladders, mancala, Stop and dozens more. Make your own in the browser, in six languages, then print or save a PDF. 40 game makers · 6 languages · A4 & Letter · works offline ## What shall we play? Every maker builds a new set each time, with answer keys, caller sheets, counters and paper dice where a game needs them. ## Bingo & calling games Word and number bingo, 90-ball tickets and lotería, with caller sheets. - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [90-ball bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/): Independent 90-ball tickets with three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers each, plus a caller sheet for the 1–90 game. - [Lotería](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/loteria/): Mexican lotería for your own names: print tablas of 16 with a numbered caller's deck, then play with beans. ## Puzzles with answers Sudoku, mazes, nonograms, crosswords, word searches and codes, each with its solutions. - [Word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/): Word searches from 8 × 8 to 18 × 18 with easy, medium or hard directions, an answer key and a page for long lists. - [Crossword](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/crossword/): A criss-cross grid built from your own answers and clues, with numbered squares, an optional word bank and an answer key. - [Maze](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/maze/): Printable mazes with a marked entrance and exit, from small grids to huge ones, each with an answer page. - [Nonogram](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/): Fill in squares to match the numbers and reveal a hidden picture. Choose 5 × 5, 10 × 10 or 15 × 15, with answer keys. - [Secret code](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/secret-code/): A cryptogram for your own phrases: every letter becomes a number or a symbol, with a few letters given to start. - [Sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/): Number puzzles from gentle 4 × 4 grids to classic 9 × 9, each with exactly one solution. - [Word scramble](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-scramble/): Shuffled letters for every word or phrase, with answer boxes, optional hints and a numbered answer key. ## Pencil & paper games Quick games for two or more: sea battle, dots and boxes, Stop, gomoku and score pads. - [Battleship (sea battle)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/): Two grids per sheet: hide your fleet, call out squares and sink the other player's ships on paper. - [Bulls and cows](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bulls-and-cows/): A code-breaking game for two: guess your partner's secret number from the A and B clues, with optional solo practice. - [Dice score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dice-scores/): Score sheets for five-dice games (Generala, Yams, a yacht card) and Ten Thousand. Up to eight players, typical points. - [Dots and boxes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/): Square dot grids for two to four players: draw lines, claim boxes and add up the score on a printed table. - [Exquisite corpse](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/exquisite-corpse/): A folded drawing or story where each player adds one part without seeing the others. - [Hangman](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hangman/): Guess the secret word one letter at a time, tracing a figure for each wrong guess. Use your own words or blank rounds. - [Letter grid](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/letter-grid/): Find words by linking neighbouring letters in a square grid. Choose the size, the shortest word and a points box. - [Paper soccer](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-soccer/): A pencil game on squared paper: draw lines from dot to dot, aim for the goal and never reuse a line. - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. - [Tic-tac-toe](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/): Printable boards for noughts and crosses: classic 3 × 3, a big 6 × 6 version and an ultimate board of small boards. ## Board games to print Snakes and ladders, the goose game, ludo, mancala, morris, draughts and ancient boards, with pieces and paper dice. - [Alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/): A two-player game of moving and jumping on a five-by-five board, with a starting-position diagram and 24 counters to cut out. - [Checkers, draughts and chess boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/checkers/): Hatched dark squares for checkers, international draughts or chess, with coordinates and pieces to cut out. - [Gomoku and Go boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/): Five-in-a-row boards and Go boards from 9 × 9 to 19 × 19, ready for pens, coins or beans. - [Game of the Goose](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/): A printable 63-square Game of the Goose with classic special squares, or your own challenges on every square. - [Hex](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/): A rhombus of hexagons where each player joins their own pair of edges. A game of Hex can never end in a draw. - [Ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/): Four coloured yards and a race round the cross. Print the board, counters and a paper die, then roll for a six. - [Mancala (Oware, Kalah, Congkak)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/): Two rows of pits and a handful of seeds. Print oware, kalah or congkak boards, with optional seed tokens to cut out. - [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/): Choose a morris variant, print one or two boards per page, and cut out counters for two players. - [Royal Game of Ur](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/royal-ur/): A race game from ancient Mesopotamia: a 20-square board with rosettes, each player's route and pieces to cut out. - [Snakes and ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/): A fresh board every time: choose the number of snakes and ladders, then print counters and a fold-up die. - [Xiangqi](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/): Chinese chess on a printed 9 × 10 board, with 32 cut-out pieces and a legend for the seven kinds of piece. ## Cards & paper crafts Prompt cards, memory pairs, dominoes, fortune tellers, raffle tickets and more to cut out. - [Prompt cards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/): Printable prompt cards for charades, drawing or conversation, six, nine or twelve to a page, with dashed cut lines. - [Dominoes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/): Dotted double-six or double-nine tiles, or word-loop tiles that teach any question and answer pair. - [Paper fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/): Fold a cootie catcher with four colours and eight fortunes you write yourself. Each copy uses a different order. - [Memory pairs](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/memory/): Matching cards for every age: write your own pairs, print them with matching backs, then mix them face down and play. - [Paper dice](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-dice/): Cut out cube nets and fold your own dice: classic dots, numbers, or any words you choose, from 1 to 24 dice. - [Raffle tickets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/raffle-tickets/): Numbered raffle tickets with stubs for the draw. Set the first number, how many tickets and your prize. - [Scavenger hunt](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/scavenger-hunt/): Printable checklists and find-and-draw sheets for parties and classrooms. One sheet per team, optionally shuffled. - [Score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/): Score pads for card and tile games: a plain table for any game, or a tally board for truco, with a few common presets. - [Telephone: write and draw](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/telephone/): A whisper-style game on paper: each booklet passes from writing to drawing and back, then the last panel is compared with the first. ## Table tools for game night No dice? No timer? Keep these open on a phone in the middle of the table. - [Coin flip](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/coin/): Flip a coin on screen and keep a tally of heads, tails and streaks. - [Dice roller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/dice/): Roll up to six dice, from d4 to d20, and hold the ones you want to keep. - [Letter picker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/letters/): Pick a letter for Stop, Basta or Le petit bac, with letters you can include or leave out. - [Number caller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/number-caller/): Call bingo numbers at random, 75-ball or 90-ball or any range, with no repeats and a board to mark. - [Scoreboard](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/scoreboard/): Keep score for up to 12 players, with quick +1 and +5 buttons, custom amounts, round history and undo. - [Spinner](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/spinner/): Spin a wheel to pick a person, a category or a forfeit from your own list. - [Team maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/teams/): Paste a list of names and split it into random teams, by number of teams or people per team. - [Round timer](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/timer/): A countdown for game rounds, with presets, a custom time and a gentle chime. ## Ideas, guides and stories How to host a bingo night, games for language classes, the history of the goose game and more. - [Guides](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/) - [Blog](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/) - [Around the world](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/) - [Questions](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/faq/) ## Your words never leave your device Paperoom generates every sheet in your browser. Word lists, titles and prompts are not uploaded, stored on a server or sent to an AI service. Install it and the makers keep working offline. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ ======== # Bingo maker > Make free printable bingo cards from your own word list or classic 75-ball B I N G O numbers. Up to 60 different cards, with a caller sheet. A4 or Letter. Bingo works best when every player has a different card and the whole table waits for a line to fill. Paperoom makes word bingo from your own list on a 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 grid, or 75-ball cards with the B, I, N, G and O columns. Every card in a batch has its own arrangement, and a caller sheet or the on-screen caller draws each item once. 2–60 players · 15–45 min · Ages 4+ · Played in: Everywhere, North America, and Europe [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Agree on the winning pattern before the first call: a line, a column, a diagonal or the full card. 2. Give each player one card. Every card in the set has a different arrangement, and a free centre, when used, is already marked. 3. Cut the caller sheet into slips and shuffle them, or use the on-screen caller to draw. 4. Call each word or number clearly and at a steady pace. Nothing is repeated within a set. 5. When a player believes they have the winning pattern, they call bingo and the card is checked against the items already drawn. 6. When the game ends, start a new set. A new set resets the caller, so the next game begins with a full pool. ## Tips - Print one page as a test. Check that the smallest words are easy to read at the distance they will be used, then print the full batch. - For a large room or a mixed table, choose a 3 × 3 grid with short words, or select large print with one card per page. - Use black ink only. It keeps the sheets simple and easy to photocopy. - Keep the caller sheet away from the players so they cannot see upcoming items. Use counters that are easy to pick up and clear on the card. - Start from one of the ready-made lists, such as everyday joys or in the classroom, then edit it to suit your group. Save the setup as a file to use it again. ## Where it comes from Lotto-style number games are often traced to a 16th-century Italian lottery, although the links between that lottery and later games are not fully documented. The 75-ball B-I-N-G-O card, with five letter columns, is the North American format and was popularised from around 1930. Word bingo follows the same pattern with items from a list of words, so each player marks what is called. ## Questions ### How many different cards can I make? Up to 60 different cards in one set, printed one, two or four to a page. Every card has its own arrangement, and large print uses one card per page. ### How many items does my word list need? Word bingo needs at least as many different items as there are squares. A 3 × 3 card needs nine items, or eight with a free centre; a 5 × 5 card needs 25, or 24 with a free centre. Repeated lines are removed, and each item can be up to 32 characters. ### What does the free centre do? On odd-sized grids you can include a free square in the middle. It is already marked, so the card needs one fewer item. The 75-ball card also has an optional free centre. ### Is the caller’s order random? Yes. The caller shuffles the full list and draws each item once, without repeats, until every item has been called. The on-screen caller keeps its draw history while the page stays open. ### Can I make the same cards again? Yes. Enter a repeatable seed and keep the same settings to recreate the identical set. You can also save your setup as a file and load it later, although generated cards and caller history are not saved in it. ### Are the sheets printed in colour? No. Paperoom uses black ink only. Choose A4 or US Letter to match your paper, and print at 100% scale with browser headers and footers turned off. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/ ======== # 90-ball bingo maker > Make free printable 90-ball bingo tickets for the 1–90 game. Each ticket has three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers. Caller sheet included. A4 or Letter. Tombala, the 90-ball game, uses numbered tickets from 1 to 90 instead of word grids. Paperoom prints independent tickets: each has three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers, five in every row, with each column using its own range of tens. The tickets are not a strip of six, so each one stands on its own. 2–60 players · 20–60 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: Europe and South Asia [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Give each player one or more tickets. Each ticket has 15 numbers, five in each of its three rows. 2. Agree on the prizes before play begins, for example the first completed row, then two rows, then the full ticket. Confirm any house rules with the group. 3. Cut the caller sheet into slips and shuffle them, or use the on-screen caller, which draws from 1 to 90 without repeats. 4. Call each number clearly. Players mark it on their ticket if they have it. 5. When a player completes an agreed pattern, they call it out, and the caller checks the ticket against the numbers already drawn. 6. Continue until the agreed prizes are claimed, then start a new set. That resets the caller for the next game. ## Tips - Print one page as a test and check that two-digit numbers are clear at the size you have chosen. - Large print with one ticket per page gives the largest numbers and the most room to mark them. - Keep the caller sheet with the caller so the upcoming numbers stay hidden from the table. - Give each player counters that are easy to pick up and large enough to cover a number without hiding the next one. - Save the setup as a file, or note the repeatable seed, so the same set can be made again for a repeat game. ## Where it comes from Tombola is a traditional Italian family game with numbers from 1 to 90, and it is traditionally played at Christmas, especially around Naples. The same format is called housie in Britain, and tambola or housie in India. Lotto-style games in general are often traced to a 16th-century Italian lottery, though the links between them are not fully documented. ## Questions ### How is a ticket laid out? Each ticket has three rows and nine columns, with five numbers in every row and 15 in total. The first column holds 1 to 9, the next holds 10 to 19, and so on, with the last column holding 80 to 90. Numbers in each column increase from top to bottom, and every column has at least one number. ### Are the tickets a six-ticket strip? No. Paperoom makes independent tickets. It does not create a strip of six that uses every number from 1 to 90 exactly once, and each ticket in a batch is distinct. ### How many tickets can I make? Up to 60 different tickets in one set, printed one, two or four to a page. Large print uses one ticket per page. ### Does the caller draw each number once? Yes. The on-screen caller draws from the 90 numbers without repeats, and the printed caller sheet lists each number once. Starting a new set resets the caller. Keep the page open to retain the draw history. ### Can I make the same tickets again? Yes. A repeatable seed with the same settings recreates the identical set. Saved setup files store your settings, but generated tickets and caller history are not saved. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/ ======== # Word search maker > Make free printable word searches from 8 × 8 to 18 × 18 with easy, medium or hard directions. Add an answer key with coordinates. A4 or Letter. A word search hides a list of words in a grid of letters, and the solver finds each word by reading along a straight line. Paperoom places every word from your list in the grid and fills the remaining squares with random letters. Spaces and punctuation are left out of the grid, while the word list keeps your original labels. 1–30 players · 5–20 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Read the word list first, so you know what you are looking for. 2. On an easy grid, words read to the right or downward. Medium adds diagonals, and hard grids allow all eight directions. 3. Scan the letters for the first letter of a word, then follow the straight line of letters that spells it. 4. Circle or mark each word in the grid, and cross it off the list. 5. A correct word found in a different place from the answer key still counts, because random filler letters can form extra matches by accident. 6. Check your work against the answer key, which highlights each placement and gives its starting row and column. ## Tips - Start with easy directions for a first puzzle, then move up to medium and hard as the solver becomes more confident. - Keep the word list short for a small grid. Long lists print on a separate sheet so that the type stays readable. - Print the answer key on its own sheet so it is not seen by accident, and keep it for checking later. - Test one page at 100% scale and check that the letters are large enough at the distance they will be read. - With black ink, highlighted answer squares use bold type and an outline, so the key still shows clearly without colour. ## Where it comes from A word search hides a list of words in a grid of letters, and the format has been a common feature of puzzle books, newspapers and activity sheets. Its exact origin is not well documented. Word searches are used for quiet play and classroom practice, because each find asks the solver to look closely at the letters. ## Questions ### What grid sizes and directions can I choose? Grids run from 8 × 8 to 18 × 18. Easy words read right or down, medium adds diagonals, and hard uses all eight directions. ### How long can my word list be? Between 2 and 30 words, each up to 80 characters. Every word must fit inside the grid size you choose, so a long word needs a larger grid. Long lists print on a separate page. ### What happens to spaces and punctuation? They are left out of the grid, so a phrase such as sun flower is placed as one word. The word list keeps your original labels, so the printed list still reads as you wrote it. ### Can I use words in any language or script? Yes. Letters, accents and numbers from your custom list are kept in the grid. Arabic pages are set right to left, and Arabic easy grids place words leftward or downward. ### Can an unintended word appear in the grid? Yes. Random filler letters can form extra matches by accident. The answer key shows the intended placements, and a correct find of any listed word is still a correct find. ### Can I make the same puzzle again? Yes. Enter a repeatable seed and keep the same settings to recreate the identical grid and answer key. Setup files can also be saved and loaded. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/ ======== # Prompt cards maker > Make free printable prompt cards for charades, drawing or conversation. Six, nine or twelve cards per page, cut along dashed lines. A4 or Letter. Prompt cards hold one idea each: an action to act out, an object to draw, a revision question or a conversation starter. Paperoom sets your prompts on cards with dashed cut lines, six, nine or twelve to a page. Each unique prompt appears once, and the last page may have empty spaces. 3–30 players · 10–40 min · Ages 5+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Print the sheets and cut along the dashed lines so each prompt becomes a separate card. 2. Shuffle the cards before you start, or generate them with Shuffle prompts turned on. 3. Place the cards face down in a pile on the table. 4. Take the top card and read it silently, so the other players cannot see it. 5. Act it out, draw it, or start a conversation about it. The other players guess, sketch or respond. 6. Agree on a gentle time limit together, and allow a pass or a partner if someone would like one. ## Tips - Keep each prompt short. The maker accepts up to 80 characters per line, but a few words are easier to act or draw at a glance. - Choose six cards per page for the most room to draw or write, or twelve for a compact pile. - Mix the kinds of prompt, such as an action, an object, a sound and a feeling, so the game keeps moving. - Print and cut one test sheet first, to check the card sizes and that the dashed lines sit where you expect. - Leave out private names and personal details on cards that will be shared, and check that each prompt suits your group. ## Where it comes from Acting out a word or phrase for others to guess, known as charades, is a parlour game played in many countries, and its origins are not well documented. Prompt cards follow the same simple pattern of one card, one idea and one round at a time, whether the prompt is an action, a drawing or a question for discussion. ## Questions ### How many cards fit on a page? Six, nine or twelve, chosen when you generate the sheets. Fewer cards per page give more room to draw or write, and more cards per page use less paper. ### Can I shuffle the prompts? Yes. Turn on Shuffle prompts when you generate the sheets to mix the order. Turn it off to keep the order you wrote. ### How many prompts can I include? Up to 120 lines, each up to 80 characters, in any script. Repeated lines are removed, so each unique prompt appears once. ### What happens if the prompts do not fill the last page? The last page keeps any empty spaces. You can add more prompts later and generate the sheets again. ### Can I save my prompts for another time? Yes. Save your setup as a file and load it later. Generated cards are not stored in the file, so generate the sheets again after loading. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/ ======== # Alquerque maker > Make a free printable alquerque board with a starting-position diagram and 24 cut-out counters in two inks, each with its own shape. A4 or Letter. Alquerque is a two-player game of moving and jumping on a grid of 25 points. Each player starts with twelve pieces, and the rules are short enough to learn in a few minutes, so it suits children and adults alike. 2 players · 10–30 min · Ages 7+ · Played in: Arab world & Middle East, Europe, and Africa [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Place your twelve pieces as in the starting-position diagram: the two rows nearest you, plus the two points to your right on the middle row. Leave the centre point empty. 2. Players take turns. On your turn, move one piece along a drawn line to an empty point next to it. Diagonal lines exist only where they are drawn. 3. To capture, jump over an adjacent opposing piece along a line into the empty point just beyond it, and remove the piece you jumped. 4. After a jump, the same piece may keep jumping if another capture is available from where it landed, so one turn can take several pieces. 5. Agree before you start whether a capture is compulsory when one is available, and whether pieces may move backwards. Versions of the game differ on both. 6. Win by capturing all of your opponent's pieces. Agree beforehand what happens when a player cannot move. ## Tips - Print on card for a sturdier board, and keep the counters in an envelope between games. - Before each move, look for a double jump: one capture can open a long chain for the same piece. - For younger players, keep the starting-position diagram beside the board until they know where the pieces go. - Shapes matter more than colour on black-ink copies, so check that each player's counters are easy to tell apart. ## Where it comes from Alquerque takes its name from the Arabic al-qirq, and the game is mentioned in the tenth-century Arabic Book of Songs, Kitab al-Aghani. The Book of Games made for King Alfonso X of Castile in 1283 describes it as well. It is widely considered an ancestor of draughts, also called checkers. ## Questions ### Where does the name come from? The name comes from the Arabic al-qirq. The game is mentioned in the tenth-century Arabic Book of Songs, the Kitab al-Aghani. ### Is alquerque related to draughts? Alquerque is widely considered an ancestor of draughts, also called checkers, and its jumping captures will look familiar to anyone who has played draughts. ### Why are some of the diagonals missing? Diagonal lines join only points whose row and column numbers add up to an even number. This is the classic arrangement, and it gives every small square exactly one diagonal. ### How many can play? Two players, each with twelve counters. The pieces page prints both sets, one with round teal counters marked with a circle and one with orange counters marked with a triangle. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/ ======== # Battleship (sea battle) maker > Make free printable sea battle sheets with two grids, a fleet checklist and optional ships placed for you. 8 × 8 to 12 × 12, A4 or Letter. A guessing game for two players, each hiding a fleet on a grid and trying to find the other's ships by calling out squares. Paperoom can place each fleet at random so that no two ships touch, or you can let each player place their own in secret. 2 players · 15–40 min · Ages 7+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each player keeps their fleet secret from the other, either on their own grid or on a sheet Paperoom has already filled in. 2. Ships are straight lines of squares. Two ships may not touch, not even at a corner. 3. Take turns calling a square such as B7. The other player answers hit or miss. 4. Mark each shot on your enemy grid: a cross for a hit and a dot for a miss. Tick a box on your fleet list for every square of your own ships that is hit. 5. A ship is sunk when every one of its squares has been hit. The first player to sink the whole fleet wins. ## Tips - For a quick game with younger players, use the 8 × 8 grid with the compact fleet. - The 12 × 12 grid with the grand fleet makes a longer game for a rainy afternoon. - Call squares in a pattern, such as every second square, so that a few shots cover more of the grid. - Print two sheets per page and cut between them to give two players a sheet each. ## Where it comes from Battleship is a guessing game for two players, each hiding a fleet on a grid. It is often said to have been played with pencil and paper in the early twentieth century, before printed pads and later board versions appeared. ## Questions ### Do I need a commercial set to play? No. You only need pencils and printed sheets. Each player keeps their own sheet, so the game works on paper alone. ### How are the ships placed? Turn on the option to place each fleet at random. Ships stay inside the grid and never touch, not even at corners. Without it, each player places their ships in secret. ### Why can the grand fleet not be printed on an 8 × 8 grid? The grand fleet needs a 10 × 10 or larger grid because its seven ships must keep a clear square between them. Choose a larger grid for it. ### Does this work on US Letter paper? Yes. Choose A4 or US Letter in the paper setting and the grids are sized to fit that page. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/ ======== # Bulls and cows maker > Make free printable bulls and cows score sheets with 3, 4 or 5 digit secrets, digit strips and a fold-under solo secret. A4 or Letter. Bulls and cows is a pencil game of logic, played by two people, and often called 猜数字 or 1A2B in China. Each guess earns a score of A for right digits in the right place and B for right digits in the wrong place, and the aim is to find the secret in as few guesses as possible. 1–2 players · 5–20 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: East Asia and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bulls-and-cows/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each player writes a secret number with different digits under My secret, and keeps it hidden. 2. Take turns guessing the other player's number. Each guess uses different digits, written in the boxes of one row. 3. The other player answers with A (right digit, right place) and B (right digit, wrong place). Record both in the row. 4. Cross off a digit in the strip once you know it is not in the secret. 5. The first player to find the number in fewer guesses wins. If the rows run out, reveal the secret and start again. ## Tips - Begin with the digits in order, such as 0 1 2 3, to learn which digits are in the secret. - A result of 0A 2B means two digits are in the secret but none is in the right place yet, so try them in new positions. - For solo practice, fold the strip under along the dashed line, play against the hidden number, and unfold it to check. - Two tables per page make a quick game for a table; one per page gives room for large print. ## Where it comes from Bulls and cows is a code-breaking game that needs only pencil and paper. The same idea appears under many names around the world, and in China it is often called 猜数字 or 1A2B. ## Questions ### Can the secret start with 0? Yes. Any digit from 0 to 9 can be part of the secret, but each digit can be used only once. ### Why must the guesses use different digits? Different digits keep the clues clear, because each A or B refers to one digit in one position. The same rule applies to the secret. ### Can I play by myself? Yes. Turn on the solo secret and fold the strip at the bottom of the first page along the dashed line. The number is printed upside down, so you can check your answer by unfolding it. ### Can I make the same secret again? Yes. Enter a repeatable seed and keep the same settings to recreate the same solo secret. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bulls-and-cows/ ======== # Checkers, draughts and chess boards maker > Print checkers, international draughts or chess boards with coordinates and cut-out pieces. Hatched dark squares stay clear in black ink. A4 or Letter. Checkers, draughts and chess share a chequered board. Paperoom prints the dark squares hatched in black, so they stay clear on a black-and-white printer, and adds coordinates and optional pieces to cut out. 2 players · 15–45 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: Europe, Africa, and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/checkers/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each player takes twelve pieces and places them on the dark squares nearest to them. 2. Move one piece diagonally forward onto an empty dark square. Only dark squares are used. 3. To capture, jump diagonally over an opponent's piece onto the empty square just beyond it. Jumps are compulsory in most rule sets. 4. Reach the far row to crown a piece as a king, by stacking a captured piece on top of it. Kings move diagonally forwards and backwards. 5. A player who cannot move, or who has no pieces left, loses the game. 6. International draughts uses a 10 × 10 board with 20 pieces each, and men capture backwards too. Chess uses the same 8 × 8 board with a light square at each player's right-hand corner. ## Tips - Print on card so the board lies flat. The hatching keeps the dark squares clear. - In international draughts, record moves with the square numbers 1 to 50. In checkers and chess, call them by coordinates. - To crown a king, stack a captured piece on top of your piece. - Chess tokens use the standard chess symbols, so kings, queens and pawns are easy to tell apart at a glance. ## Where it comes from Draughts or checkers is played on the dark squares of a chequered board. Spanish and Brazilian players call the game damas, and French players call it dames. English draughts, known in North America as checkers, uses an 8 × 8 board with 12 pieces each. International draughts uses a 10 × 10 board with 20 pieces each and is played competitively in the Netherlands, parts of Africa and elsewhere. The same 8 × 8 board serves for chess. ## Questions ### What is the difference between checkers and international draughts? Checkers uses an 8 × 8 board with 12 pieces each. International draughts uses 10 × 10 with 20 each. In international draughts men capture backwards too, and kings fly along diagonals. ### Why are the dark squares hatched? The hatching keeps the dark squares clearly different from the light ones on a black-and-white printer or photocopier. ### Can I play chess on it? Yes. Choose chess for an 8 × 8 board with a light square at each player's right-hand corner. The pieces page has 32 cut-out tokens: 16 white on paper and 16 black on blue tint. ### How many counters does each set include? Checkers gives 16 red and 16 yellow counters, which is 12 each plus 4 spares. International draughts gives 24 of each, which is 20 each plus 4 spares. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/checkers/ ======== # Crossword maker > Make a free printable crossword from your own answers and clues. Crossing answers share letters, numbers match the clues, and an answer key is included. A crossword is a word puzzle in which answers cross one another in a grid and share letters. Paperoom places your answers for you, longest first, and numbers every square that starts an across or down answer. 1–4 players · 10–30 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: North America and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/crossword/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Read the clues in the Across and Down columns. The number in a square matches the clue that starts there. 2. Write one letter in each white square. Across answers run left to right, and down answers run top to bottom. 3. Where an across and a down answer cross, they share one square, so each letter you find helps two answers. 4. The brackets after a clue show the length of each word: (5) is one word of five letters, and (3, 5) is two words. 5. If your sheet has a word bank, use it as a list of answers to check against. Words are shuffled and do not match the numbers. 6. When you finish, compare the grid with the answer key on the last page. ## Tips - Start with the clues you know best. Each answer you fill in gives you a letter for a crossing word. - Use a pencil for the first attempt, so letters are easy to change when a crossing answer shows a different one. - Print the answer key on a separate sheet so a classroom or family can check work later. - Large print gives bigger squares and clues for comfortable reading. ## Where it comes from Arthur Wynne’s “word-cross” appeared in the New York World on 21 December 1913 and is usually called the first crossword. Crosswords later appeared in newspapers and puzzle books in many countries, and they are now printed in many languages. ## Questions ### Do answers have to be single words? No. A phrase such as NEW YORK or ICE-CREAM works. Spaces, hyphens and punctuation are left out of the grid, and the bracketed count shows the length of each word. ### Why do some clues have two numbers in brackets? The count shows each word in the answer. (3, 5) means the answer has two words, with three letters in the first and five in the second. ### Can I use the same answers again? Yes. Enter a repeatable seed with the same settings to recreate the identical grid, clues and answer key. ### Does the grid work for other languages? Yes. Enter answers in any script. Arabic grids are mirrored so across answers read from right to left, and each letter is shown in its own square. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/crossword/ ======== # Dice score sheets maker > Free printable score sheets for Generala, Yams, a five-dice yacht card and Ten Thousand (Farkle). Two to eight players, typical points. A4 or Letter. Five dice, up to three rolls a turn, and a category to fill each time. Paperoom prints the score table for the game you choose, with the usual categories and typical points for a starting point, plus room for every player's name and scores. 2–8 players · 20–45 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: Latin America, Europe, and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dice-scores/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. On your turn, roll all five dice. You may roll up to three times, keeping the dice you want and rolling the rest again. 2. When the turn ends, write your points in one empty category. Each category can be filled once per player, and a category you cannot make scores zero. 3. Upper section: score each face by adding up the dice showing that number. If the upper total reaches 63, add the bonus. 4. Generala: five of a kind on the first roll, called generala servida, traditionally wins the game at once at many tables. Agree on the rule before you start. 5. Ten Thousand (also called Farkle, Diez mil or Dix mille): on each roll, keep the scoring ones, fives and sets, then bank your points or roll the rest. A roll with no scoring dice loses the turn. The first player to 10,000 points wins. ## Tips - Agree on point values before the first roll. Scoring differs from table to table, and the sheet's typical values are only a starting point. - Print on card or thick paper, and use a pencil so a wrong score is easy to correct. - For larger groups, print one table per page. Two tables work best with four or fewer players. - Keep a running total in the bottom rows, so nobody has to add up a whole column at the end of the game. ## Where it comes from Five-dice games are played in many countries. Generala is a favourite in Argentina, Uruguay and much of Latin America. Yams, or Yam's, is the French family version, and yacht is an old English name for the same idea. Ten Thousand, also called Farkle, Diez mil or Dix mille, is a push-your-luck game. The early history of these dice games is not well documented, so names and rules vary from family to family. ## Questions ### Why are the points only typical values? Scoring varies from table to table. The typical values are a starting point, and the note on the sheet reminds players to agree on theirs before the first roll. ### How do I choose the game? Pick Generala, Yams, the five-dice yacht card or Ten Thousand. Each one prints its own categories, so the rows always match the game you are playing. ### Why does Ten Thousand have numbered turns? Ten Thousand is scored turn by turn, so the sheet lists turns 1 to 25 and a total. Players add each turn's points as they go, and the first to the target score wins. ### When do I get two tables on a page? Two tables fit when four or fewer players share a page in normal print. With more players, or in large print, one table fills the page. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dice-scores/ ======== # Dominoes maker > Make free printable dominoes: a dotted double-six or double-nine set, or word-loop tiles with an answer key. A4 or Letter. Dominoes work for play and for learning. Choose classic dotted tiles for a traditional game, or word-loop tiles, where the answer to each question is printed on another tile, so the whole set closes into a loop. Paperoom shuffles word-loop tiles and prints an answer key in loop order. 2–4 players · 10–30 min · Ages 5+ · Played in: East Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Arab world & Middle East [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Shuffle the tiles face down and give each player a hand. Set aside any tiles that are left over. 2. Classic: the first player places a tile. Each player in turn matches one end of the line with the same number of dots. 3. Word loop: each player places a tile so that the question on one tile sits next to its answer on another. 4. A player who cannot match a tile draws from the pile, or passes if the pile is empty. 5. The first player out of tiles wins a classic game. In a word loop, play on until the whole loop is closed and check it against the answer key. ## Tips - Use the double-six set for everyday play with two to four players. The double-nine set, with 55 tiles, suits larger groups. - Print word-loop tiles on card stock. Write your own opposites, sums or vocabulary pairs, one per line, to match your lesson. - Use the answer key to check a finished loop, or keep it face down until the group is stuck. - Keep the halves of each tile lined up when you cut so the tiles look like real dominoes. ## Where it comes from Dominoes appear in Chinese records by around the 12th century. European dominoes appeared in Italy in the 18th century and spread across Europe and the Americas. Today they are especially popular in Latin America and the Caribbean and across the Arab world. A double-six set has 28 tiles; a double-nine set has 55 and suits larger groups. Word-loop dominoes are a classroom activity where every tile's answer matches another tile's question. ## Questions ### What is the difference between the two sets? A double-six set has 28 tiles, with every pairing of the numbers 0 to 6. A double-nine set has 55 tiles, with the numbers 0 to 9. Choose double-nine when you have more players or want a longer game. ### How does a word loop work? Each line you write is a question and its answer. Paperoom gives each tile an answer on the left and a question on the right, so that every answer sits next to the question it solves and the chain closes into a loop. ### How many pairs can I use? Between three and forty lines. Each line can be up to 83 characters including the equals sign. ### Can I use dominoes in any language? Yes. Word-loop tiles accept any script, and the text shrinks to fit each half of the tile. Classic tiles use dots, so they need no words at all. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/ ======== # Dots and boxes maker > Make free printable dots and boxes sheets with 4 to 10 dots per side, optional star bonus boxes and a score table under each board. A4 or Letter. Dots and boxes needs nothing but a pencil and a grid of dots, which makes it a good game for a train, a waiting room or a quiet evening. Paperoom prints square grids with 4 to 10 dots per side, with optional star boxes that count for bonus points. 2–4 players · 5–20 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: Europe and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each board is a grid of dots. Players take turns drawing one straight line that joins two neighbouring dots. 2. When a line closes the fourth side of a box, write your initial in that box and draw again. 3. A box marked with a star is a bonus box and counts for two points instead of one. 4. Keep playing until every possible line has been drawn. 5. Count each player's boxes and points. The player with the higher total wins, and the score table is where you write it down. ## Tips - Avoid drawing the third side of a box, because that gives your opponent a box to claim. - Near the end, look for long chains of boxes. They often decide the game, so count them before you draw. - Use a different pencil colour for each player so the lines are easy to tell apart at a glance. - Large print gives one board per page, which is easier to share around a table. ## Where it comes from Dots and boxes was published by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1889 under the name La Pipopipette. Two players take turns drawing lines, and the classic strategy is to avoid drawing the third side of any box, because that hands the other player a box to claim. ## Questions ### How many players can play? Two to four. The score table has two player columns, so for three or four players, write the extra initials and scores in the margin or use a second copy of the sheet. ### What are the star boxes? Star boxes are bonus boxes placed at random on each board. The sheet marks them with a star and a note at the top of the page. Each one counts for two points. ### Can I make the same boards again? Yes. Keep the same settings and enter the same seed to recreate the same boards and bonus stars. ### Do I need special paper? No. Plain paper works well. Print at 100 percent scale, with the paper size matching your printer, so the dot grid keeps its true size. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/ ======== # Exquisite corpse maker > Make free printable exquisite corpse sheets. Choose drawing or story mode, 3 to 5 folded sections, optional suggestions and up to 10 sheets. A4 or Letter. An exquisite corpse is a folded game. Each player draws or writes one section of a whole, then folds the paper so the next player sees only the join marks. 3–5 players · 10–20 min · Ages 5+ · Played in: Europe and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/exquisite-corpse/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Fold the paper along the dashed lines so the sections are hidden from each other. 2. The first player draws or writes the top section, keeping it within the join marks at the bottom. 3. Fold back so only the join marks show, then pass the sheet to the next player. 4. The next player continues from the join marks without looking at the earlier sections. 5. Repeat until every section has a drawing or sentence part, then unfold the sheet and read or look at it together. ## Tips - Use a suggestion for each section to get started, or leave the sections blank for a wilder result. - Draw the join marks lightly so the next player can see where to connect their part. - In story mode, keep each part short. The fun is in how the parts fit together. - Print several sheets and play in rounds so everyone gets a turn at the top section. ## Where it comes from The exquisite corpse was developed by Surrealist artists in Paris in the mid-1920s, including André Breton, Yves Tanguy, Marcel Duhamel and Jacques Prévert. Its name comes from an early sentence the group made: "Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau". Each player adds a part without seeing the earlier ones, which is why the finished figure or sentence surprises everyone. ## Questions ### What is the difference between drawing and story mode? Drawing mode has labelled sections for parts of a figure, such as head, body and legs. Story mode has sections for the parts of a sentence, such as who, where and what happened. ### How many players do I need? Three to five is a good number. Each player takes one section, so the number of sections is usually the number of players, or fewer sections for a shorter game. ### What do the join marks do? Each fold line has two short marks that cross it. The next player uses them to line up their part with the part before, even though they cannot see it. ### Can children play this? Yes. Drawing mode needs no reading, and story mode can be played with younger players using the suggestions as starting ideas. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/exquisite-corpse/ ======== # Paper fortune teller maker > Make a printable paper fortune teller (cootie catcher) with your own four colours and eight fortunes. Up to six copies in different orders. A4 or Letter. A folding paper toy that children have played for generations. Write four colours or words on the outside and eight fortunes inside. Paperoom prints each copy with the fortunes in a different seeded order, so every player's teller is different. 2–8 players · 5–20 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: Everywhere, East Asia, Europe, and Latin America [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Ask a friend to pick one of the four colours on the outside. 2. Spell the colour, opening and closing the teller once for each letter. 3. Ask for a number from the ones showing, and open and close the teller that many times. 4. Ask for one more number, lift that flap and read the fortune underneath. 5. Read the fortune aloud, then start again with a new colour or number. ## Tips - Standard printer paper folds cleanly. Thicker card lasts longer if you play often. - Keep the fortunes kind and harmless, so every reading makes someone smile. - Use questions or spelling words instead of fortunes to turn the teller into a revision quiz. - Decorate the outside flaps before folding, but keep the colours and numbers easy to read. ## Where it comes from The paper fortune teller is a folded paper toy played by children around the world. It is called a cootie catcher or chatterbox in English, comecocos in Spain, cocotte en papier in France, and 东南西北 ("east, south, west, north") in China, where the outer flaps often show the four directions. Its origins are uncertain; it belongs to the long tradition of paper folding. ## Questions ### How many copies do I get? Choose one to six. Each copy is one printed page. The first copy keeps your fortunes in the order you typed them, and later copies use shuffled orders that stay the same for the same seed. ### Do I need glue? No. The steps on the instruction page only use cutting and folding. ### Can I write my own fortunes? Yes. Type exactly eight lines in the fortunes box, each up to 60 characters. ### Why are there exactly four colours? The teller has four colour flaps, so the colours box needs exactly four lines, each up to 18 characters. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/ ======== # Gomoku and Go boards maker > Make free printable gomoku (five in a row) and Go boards in 9 × 9, 13 × 13 and 19 × 19. Add coordinates and print one or two per page. A4 or Letter. Five in a row and Go are both played on the intersections of a grid of lines, so one printed sheet suits either game. Paperoom draws the lines, star points and coordinates, and you bring the stones: pens, coins or dried beans. 2 players · 5–60 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: East Asia [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. For gomoku, give one player X marks and the other O marks, or use two pens in different colours. 2. For gomoku, take turns marking an empty intersection. The first player to make five in a row, in any direction, wins. 3. For Go, take turns placing a stone on an empty intersection, using black and white coins or beans. 4. In Go, a group of stones with no empty intersection beside it is captured and taken off the board. 5. At the end of a Go game, count the empty intersections each player has surrounded. The larger territory wins. 6. If the coordinates are printed, call out a move with its column letter and row number, such as H8. ## Tips - Use two pen colours, or mark X and O by hand, so the players are easy to tell apart in black ink. - Coins, buttons, dried beans or pebbles make good Go stones. Remove captured stones as soon as they are taken. - Print the 15 × 15 gomoku board two to a page and play several quick rounds on the same sheet. - A plastic sleeve and a dry-erase marker let one sheet last many games. ## Where it comes from Five in a row is called gomoku in Japan and wuziqi (五子棋) in Chinese. It is played on the intersections of a Go board or on squared paper with X and O, and a tournament variant called renju limits the first player. Go is played on the same kind of grid: 9 × 9 and 13 × 13 boards are used for beginners, and the 19 × 19 board has the most intersections. ## Questions ### What is the difference between gomoku and Go? Gomoku is won by making five in a row. Go is about surrounding territory and capturing stones. Both use the intersections of lines, so the same kind of sheet serves either game. ### Why can I print two boards per page only for some sizes? Two 15 × 15 gomoku boards or two 9 × 9 Go boards fit on one page with room for coordinates. Larger boards use the whole page so the lines stay easy to read and mark. ### Which letters label a Go board? Go boards use the letters A to T without I, so 19 columns get 19 letters. Gomoku boards use A to O. ### Are the boards different each time? No. Each board is a fixed layout, so the same settings always print the same sheet. Choose more pages to print several copies. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/ ======== # Game of the Goose maker > Make a free printable Game of the Goose: 63 spiral squares with classic geese and bridges, or your own challenges. Counters and a paper die included. Game of the Goose is a race game on a spiral of 63 squares. Paperoom prints the board with the classic geese, bridge, inn, dice, well, maze, prison, death and garden squares, or fills every square with a challenge of your own. 2–6 players · 20–45 min · Ages 5+ · Played in: Europe and Latin America [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Put every counter on the start square, 1. Take turns rolling the dice and moving forward by the total. 2. If you land on a goose, jump ahead to the next goose and roll again. 3. Follow the special square you land on, as the legend explains: the bridge, inn, dice, well, maze, prison and death squares each change your progress. 4. To win, land exactly on the goose garden, 63. If you roll too far, count back the extra spaces, as your table agreed. 5. In custom mode, do the challenge on the square you land on before the next player rolls. 6. Agree your house rules before you start. Versions differ between countries and families, so decide how wells, mazes and overshooting work. ## Tips - Print on thicker paper or card so the board lies flat, then glue it to a stiff backing for a longer life. - Two dice make the game quicker and use more squares. One die is fine for young children. - In custom mode, write challenges that everyone can do comfortably: simple actions, jokes, facts and kind dares. - Read the legend together before the first roll so that everyone knows the house rules for bridges, wells and the maze. ## Where it comes from Game of the Goose is a race game on a spiral of 63 squares. It is recorded in Italy in the late 16th century and spread across Europe; it is known as Jeu de l'oie in France, Juego de la oca in Spain and Latin America, and Jogo da glória in Portugal. Many later printed race games copied its spiral design. Special squares and penalties vary between countries and families, so agree on house rules. ## Questions ### Do the rules vary by country? Yes. Special squares and penalties differ between countries and families. The legend on the second page explains each square, so you can agree house rules before you play. ### Should we roll one or two dice? Traditional versions usually roll two dice. One die is fine for children and makes games shorter. The sheet includes one paper die net; print it twice or use an ordinary die for a second one. ### Can I write my own squares? Yes. Choose custom mode and enter up to 49 challenges, one per line. Each goes on a plain square in a random order. The geese and the goose garden stay the same. ### How many people can play? Two to six players is comfortable. The pieces page has counters for six players, each set marked with a different shape so black-and-white copies still work. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/ ======== # Hangman maker > Make free printable hangman sheets with your own secret words or blank rounds. Choose the figure, the alphabet strip and a key page. A4 or Letter. Hangman is a word-guessing game for two or more people: one player keeps a secret word, and the others guess letters one at a time. Paperoom draws the boxes, the alphabet to cross off and a figure to trace for each wrong guess. 2–8 players · 5–20 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hangman/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. One player keeps the secret word. Use a word from the key page, or make one up for a blank round. 2. The others call one letter at a time. A correct letter is written in every box where it fits. 3. For a wrong letter, cross it off the alphabet strip, tick the next wrong-guess box and trace the part of the figure with that number. 4. The guessers win by spelling the whole word before the figure is finished. The figure is complete after ten wrong guesses, and then the keeper wins. 5. Swap roles after each round so that everyone has a turn to keep the word. ## Tips - For younger players or a classroom, the snowman or flower figure keeps the mood light. - Phrases work well: spaces and punctuation are printed for you, so players only guess the letters. - Blank rounds need no preparation. Choose the number of letters and players can make up their own words. - Keep the key page out of the guessers' sight until the round is over. ## Where it comes from Hangman is played in many countries under many names and is a common pencil game in classrooms and at family tables. Its rules are simple enough to explain in a minute, and players usually remember the drawing that grows with each wrong guess. ## Questions ### Can I use words in any language? Yes. Words and phrases can be in any script. Each letter, accent or Chinese character gets its own box, while spaces and punctuation are printed. ### What happens if I leave the words empty? Paperoom prints blank rounds with the number of letter boxes you choose. Use them to write a word on the spot or to let each player make up a word. ### How many players do I need? Two to eight. One player keeps the word while the rest guess. With more players, let the role rotate after each round. ### Why are the figure parts so faint? The figure is a guide. Each wrong guess is traced over with a pencil, so the drawing is made by the players and the faint dashed lines are easy to follow. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hangman/ ======== # Hex maker > Make free printable Hex boards from 7 × 7 to 13 × 13, with red and blue edges and optional coordinates. Print one or two boards per page. A4 or Letter. Hex is a two-player connection game on a board of hexagons, and its rules fit on a single line. Paperoom draws the rhombus with its coloured edges, and you colour the hexagons one at a time with a pencil or pen. 2 players · 10–30 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: Europe and North America [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each hexagon is one space. Players take turns colouring one empty hexagon with their own colour. 2. Red wins by joining the top edge to the bottom edge with an unbroken chain of red hexagons. 3. Blue wins by joining the left edge to the right edge in the same way. 4. Two hexagons are connected only when they share a side, so a chain can bend at any corner. 5. The first player to complete a chain wins. Because of the rules, a game of Hex can never end in a draw. ## Tips - Two pen colours make the red and blue chains easy to follow across the board. - In black ink, the top and bottom edges are solid and the left and right edges are dashed. - Start with the 7 × 7 board to learn how a chain bends around corners, then move up to 11 × 11 or 13 × 13. - Name each move with its letter and number before you colour it. It makes a game easy to review afterwards. ## Where it comes from Hex was invented by Piet Hein in Denmark in 1942. John Nash devised the same game independently in 1948. Each player tries to connect their two sides of a rhombus of hexagons, and a game of Hex can never end in a draw. ## Questions ### Why can a game of Hex never end in a draw? The rules of Hex rule out a draw, so every finished game has a winner. Paperoom prints the board; the players decide who has connected. ### How do I print the board in black ink? Turn on black-ink mode. The top and bottom edges become solid lines and the left and right edges become dashed lines, so the two players can still tell them apart. ### Why are there two boards per page only for some sizes? Two 7 × 7 or 9 × 9 boards fit on one page with room for the labels. Larger boards use the whole page so the hexagons stay large enough to colour neatly. ### What do the letters and numbers mean? Letters run across the top and numbers run down the left side, starting from the top row. They give every hexagon a name, so you can call out or write down a move. Turn coordinates off for a clean board. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/ ======== # Letter grid maker > Make free printable letter grids for word-finding games in 4 × 4, 5 × 5 and 6 × 6 squares. Choose the shortest word and a points box. A4 or Letter. A letter grid is a word-finding game for one to eight players, who all search the same square of tiles. Paperoom weights each letter by how often it appears in the chosen language, so the grid reads like real text. 1–8 players · 3–10 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/letter-grid/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Look at the square of tiles. Each tile holds one letter. 2. A word follows neighbouring tiles in any direction: across, down or diagonally. 3. Use each tile once in a word. Write each word you find in the lines beside its grid. 4. Only words of the shortest length chosen for the sheet count, such as three or four letters. 5. Score each word with the points line, then add up the total in the Score box. ## Tips - For a family game, start with 4 × 4 grids and three-letter words, then move up to 5 × 5 as players get confident. - Give each grid a few minutes, or use a timer, so the game keeps moving. - Print two grids per page for a table of players, or one per page for large print. - Keep the points box on so players can compare totals at the end. ## Where it comes from Word-finding grids are a simple pencil game with many forms in many languages. Players search one square of letters for words that link neighbouring tiles, and every printed grid is a fresh set of letters. ## Questions ### Why does the English grid have a Qu tile? English grids use one Qu tile in place of a Q, so words such as queen can be built from a single tile. Count the Qu tile as two letters when you measure a word. ### How are the letters chosen? Each tile is drawn at random from approximate letter frequencies for the language. Latin-alphabet grids keep at least a quarter vowels, and Chinese grids use very common characters that often combine into everyday two-character words. ### Can I make the same grids again? Yes. Enter a repeatable seed and keep the same settings to recreate the identical set of grids. ### Can I use these in a classroom? Yes. Choose the paper size used by your printer, add the points box for scoring, and print as many grids per page as the class needs. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/letter-grid/ ======== # Lotería maker > Make free printable lotería boards and a caller's deck from your own names: 1 to 60 tablas of 16 names. A4 or Letter. Lotería is a game of chance for families and fairs. Paperoom prints your own names in place of the classic pictures: each tabla is a board of 16 names, and the caller's deck gives every name a number to call out. Draw in the pictures yourself, or play with words alone. 2–30 players · 15–45 min · Ages 4+ · Played in: Latin America [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/loteria/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Give each player a tabla and a pile of beans. Choose the winning pattern before the first card is called. 2. The caller shuffles the deck, draws one card at a time and announces its name, often with a short rhyme or riddle. 3. Each player who has that name on their tabla covers it with a bean. 4. The first player to cover the agreed pattern shouts “¡Lotería!” and the caller checks the board card by card. 5. The caller checks the winning board against the cards already called. If every marked name was called, that player wins the round. ## Tips - Keep one name per line and check the spelling. Shorter names fit more easily on the small cells. - Two tablas per page saves paper. One large tabla per page is easier to read from across a table or for players with weaker eyesight. - Print the deck on card stock, cut along the solid lines and keep the caller's cards together in a bag or tin. - Give each player a different colour of bean so the caller can see whose board is which when checking a win. ## Where it comes from Lotería is a traditional game of chance from Mexico, related to bingo. It is played with a deck of 54 illustrated cards and boards called tablas, usually with 16 pictures in a 4 × 4 grid. A caller, el cantor, draws cards and often announces each with a short rhyme or riddle, and players mark their boards with beans. It came to Mexico from Europe, descending from Italian and Spanish lotto games, and is a fixture of fairs and family gatherings. Paperoom prints names, not the classic illustrations, so families can draw their own pictures. ## Questions ### Do I have to use the classic pictures? No. Paperoom prints names, not the classic illustrations, so you can draw your own pictures in each cell or play with the names alone. ### How many different tablas can I make? From 1 to 60. Each tabla holds 16 different names taken from your list. Every tabla is different from the others, and the order of the names changes too. ### How many names do I need? At least 16, and up to 80 names of 28 characters or fewer. The deck numbers every name in the order you wrote it, so the caller's cards match the numbers on the tablas. ### Why are some names missing from a tabla? Each tabla uses 16 of your names, chosen at random. Names that are not on a tabla still appear in the caller's deck, so the caller can call them. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/loteria/ ======== # Ludo maker > Make a free printable Ludo board with four coloured yards, star safe squares, home columns, counters and a paper die. A4 or Letter. A race game of dice and luck for two to four players. Each colour has a yard in its corner, a start square marked with an arrow, and a home column of five squares. Paperoom prints the same layout every time, with shapes on each yard so that black-and-white copies still tell the players apart. 2–4 players · 20–60 min · Ages 5+ · Played in: South Asia, Europe, East Asia, and Arab world & Middle East [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each player takes the four counters with their shape and places them in the yard of the same colour. 2. Roll the die. Only a 6 brings a token out, onto its start square. Any other roll passes the turn. 3. Move clockwise round the outer track by the number you roll. A 6 gives you another roll straight away. 4. If you land on a rival's single token, send it back to its yard. Many house rules keep a token on a star square safe. 5. Turn into your home column before the track ends, then move up it. Many rules need the exact number to reach the centre triangle. 6. The first player to move all four tokens into the centre wins. ## Tips - Print on card or thick paper so the board lies flat. Glue the die net to card before you cut and fold it. - Leave the stars on for a gentler game, or turn them off for a faster one with no safe squares. - Use black ink only for a photocopy-friendly version. The colours turn to greys, and the shapes keep the four players apart. - Keep the counters in their yards when they are not in play, so every token starts from the same place. ## Where it comes from Ludo is a simplified, dice-based descendant of Pachisi, the cross-and-circle race game played in India for centuries; the Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have played it on giant courtyard boards. A version called Ludo was patented in England in 1896. Relatives include Parchís in Spain, Petits chevaux in France and the aeroplane chess family (飞行棋) in China. Rules differ by country and by family. ## Questions ### Do I need a real die? No. Turn on counters and a paper die to print a cube net you can cut, fold and glue. Any ordinary six-sided die also works. ### How many can play? Two to four. Each player uses one yard and one colour of counters; in a two-player game, the other two yards simply stay empty. ### What do the stars mean? In many house rules, a token that stands on a star square cannot be sent back to its yard. Turn the stars off if your group plays without that rule. ### Why is the board shaped like a cross? Ludo descends from Pachisi, a game played on a cross-shaped board. Paperoom keeps the cross, with three-square-wide arms and a yard in each corner, so the layout feels familiar to players of related games. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/ ======== # Mancala (Oware, Kalah, Congkak) maker > Print free mancala boards for oware, kalah or congkak, one or two per page, with optional seed tokens to cut out. A4 or Letter. Mancala is a family of sowing games. You lift the seeds from one pit and drop them one at a time around the board, and the aim is to capture or collect the most seeds. Paperoom prints the board for three forms: oware, kalah and congkak. 2 players · 10–30 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: Africa, Arab world & Middle East, and South Asia [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each player owns the row of pits nearest them. Start with four seeds in every pit. 2. On your turn, lift all the seeds from one of your pits and sow them one at a time, counter-clockwise, into the pits that follow. 3. If a pit holds twelve or more seeds, skip the pit you started from when you go round. 4. If your last seed makes two or three seeds in an opponent's pit, capture them. Also capture the pits before it while they hold two or three in an unbroken run. 5. You must leave your opponent with seeds to play when you can. The first player to capture 25 seeds wins; 24 each is a draw. 6. Kalah differs in one way: sow into your own store but not your opponent's. A last seed in your store gives another turn, and a last seed in an empty pit on your side captures it together with the seeds opposite. When one side is empty, the other player banks the rest. Most seeds wins. ## Tips - Oware and kalah need 48 seeds and congkak needs 98. Beans, pebbles or buttons all work well. - Scoop the pits from an egg carton: a twelve-cup carton gives two rows of six, the shape of an oware board. - Keep captured seeds in a small bowl beside each player, so the 25-seed win is easy to count. - For young players, start with kalah. The stores make the score easy to follow. ## Where it comes from Mancala is a family of count-and-capture games played across Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. The name is linked to the Arabic naqala, meaning to move. Oware (also awalé or ayò) is a two-row game from West Africa played with 48 seeds. Kalah is a simplified 20th-century version often taught in schools. Congkak is played in Malaysia and Indonesia, with seven holes in each row. ## Questions ### How many seeds do I need? Oware and kalah use 48 seeds: four in each of twelve pits. Congkak uses 98: seven in each of fourteen holes. Turn on seed tokens for cut-out counters, or use beans, pebbles or buttons. ### What is the difference between oware and kalah? Oware has no stores. You capture when your last seed makes two or three in an opponent's pit. Kalah adds stores, extra turns and captures from empty pits on your side. ### Can I use an egg carton? Yes. A twelve-cup egg carton gives two rows of six pits for oware or kalah. Use two bowls for the stores. ### Is it for two players? These boards are set up for two players, one on each row. Each board is labelled Player 1 and Player 2, so both sides are clear. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/ ======== # Maze maker > Make free printable mazes in four sizes, with long winding corridors or many short branches. Each maze has one route, shown on an answer key. A4 or Letter. A maze is a small puzzle with one clear goal and many wrong turns. Paperoom carves each maze from a grid so every cell can be reached and there is exactly one route from the entrance to the exit. 1 player · 5–20 min · Ages 4+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/maze/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Find the opening marked Start in the top wall and the opening marked Finish in the bottom wall. 2. Trace a route between them with a pencil, following the passages. 3. Do not cross any wall. When you reach a dead end, go back to the last junction and try another way. 4. Each maze has only one route, so once you find it, the job is done. 5. Check your answer on the answer key, where the route is drawn in pink. ## Tips - Start with a small winding maze. Long corridors are easy to follow with a finger before the pencil comes out. - If a maze feels stuck, try working backwards from Finish. The route is the same in both directions. - Branching mazes suit people who enjoy checking each dead end carefully. - Print the answer key on a separate sheet so people can check their work without seeing the route first. - Large print gives one maze per page, with plenty of room to draw. ## Where it comes from Mazes appear in puzzle books, magazines and activity sheets in many countries, and people draw them on paper, card and chalkboards alike. Paperoom makes perfect mazes, in which every cell connects to every other cell by exactly one route, so there are no loops and no closed-off areas. The winding style is carved with a depth-first search that makes long corridors, and the branching style uses Prim's method, which leaves many short dead ends. ## Questions ### What is a perfect maze? A perfect maze has no loops and no closed-off areas. Every cell can be reached, and there is exactly one path between any two cells. ### What is the difference between winding and branching? Winding mazes follow one passage for a long way before they branch. Branching mazes grow in many directions at once, so they have many short dead ends. ### Can I make the same mazes again? Yes. Enter a repeatable seed and keep the same settings to recreate the identical set, including its answer key. ### Why are the entrance and exit in the walls? Start is always in the top wall and Finish in the bottom wall, at random columns. That way the route can cross the whole sheet, and the openings are easy to spot. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/maze/ ======== # Memory pairs maker > Make free printable memory matching cards from your own pairs, with matching backs and shuffled order. A4 or Letter. Make a set of matching cards in minutes. Write one pair per line: two different cards that belong together, or a single word to make two identical cards. Paperoom lays them out on a grid, adds matching backs and shuffles the order. 1–6 players · 10–25 min · Ages 3+ · Played in: Everywhere and Latin America [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/memory/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Place all the cards face down on the table, spread out so they are easy to reach. 2. The first player turns over two cards and shows everyone what is on them. 3. If the two cards make a pair, the player keeps them and takes another turn. 4. If they do not match, turn both cards face down again in the same places. The next player takes a turn. 5. The game ends when every pair has been found. The player with the most pairs wins. ## Tips - Matching cards share a light tint, which gives younger players a helpful clue. Keep shuffle on for older players so the tints do not give the pairs away. - For younger children, use 12 cards per page and pictures or single words. For older players, use 20 cards and pairs such as a word and its translation. - Print on card stock or glue the sheets onto thin cardboard so the cards hold their shape and do not show through. - Keep the backs aligned by printing double-sided on the long edge, or cut out the fronts and glue each one to a matching back. ## Where it comes from Pairs, also called Concentration, is a card game in which all the cards lie face down and players turn over two at a time to find matches. It rewards attention and memory and suits players of all ages. It is called Memorama in Mexico, jogo da memória in Brazil and jeu de mémoire in French. ## Questions ### What can I put in a pair? Anything that belongs together. Pair a word with its translation for language practice, a capital with its country, or a sum with its answer. Pairs with one line and no equals sign make two identical cards. ### How many cards can I make? Up to 60 pairs, which is 120 cards. Each side can have up to 40 characters, and the layout grows to as many pages as you need. ### Does the order of the cards matter? Not for play. Turn on shuffle to mix the cards into a random order every time you make the sheets. Turn it off to keep the pairs in the order you wrote them. ### Why are the backs printed on the same page as the fronts? Each front page has a matching back page, mirrored left to right, so when you print double-sided on the long edge the backs line up with the fronts. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/memory/ ======== # Nine men's morris maker > Make a free printable morris board for nine, six, three or twelve men's morris, one or two boards per page, with counters. A4 or Letter. A two-player game of placing, sliding and capturing that needs no dice and no luck. Paperoom prints the board for the variant you choose, with the points and lines drawn exactly, and counters for both players with two spares each. 2 players · 10–30 min · Ages 7+ · Played in: Europe and Latin America [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Placing: players take turns putting one piece on any empty point until every piece is on the board. A mill made while placing also removes an opponent's piece. 2. Moving: once all pieces are placed, move one piece along a line to a neighbouring empty point on the same line. 3. Mill: three of your own pieces in a row along a single line make a mill. Remove one of your opponent's pieces for each mill you make. 4. Flying (optional): when a player is down to three pieces, that player may jump to any empty point. Agree on this rule before you start. 5. Winning: reduce your opponent to two pieces, or leave them with no legal move, to win the game. ## Tips - Print on card and keep the two spare counters of each colour beside the board in case a counter is lost. - Start with three men's morris to learn the idea of a mill in a few minutes, then move up to the full game. - Choose two boards per page to play two games at once on one sheet of paper. - Agree on the flying rule before the first move, so neither player changes the rules half way through. ## Where it comes from Morris games are very old: boards have been found scratched into stone in many places, and the game appears in Alfonso X of Castile's Libro de los juegos (1283). Nine men's morris was popular in medieval Europe. It is called Molino in Spanish, Trilha or Moinho in Portuguese (Trilha is common in Brazil) and Jeu du moulin in French. Twelve men's morris adds diagonals, and variants with diagonals are played in several regions. ## Questions ### Which variant should I choose? Nine men's morris is the classic board with 24 points. Three men's morris is a short introduction, six men's morris is a middle step, and twelve men's morris uses the same 24-point board as nine men's morris with four diagonals added. ### What is a mill? Three of your own pieces in a row along a single line with no gaps. Making a mill lets you remove one of your opponent's pieces. ### Is three men's morris like tic-tac-toe? In spirit, yes: it is a tiny relative of tic-tac-toe, but the pieces move after they are placed, so the game keeps changing until one side can no longer move. ### Do I need counters? Turn on pieces to print counters for two players: the set for each player includes the pieces needed plus two spares. Blue dots and yellow squares keep the players apart on black-and-white copies too. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/ ======== # Nonogram maker > Make free printable nonogram picture puzzles in 5 × 5, 10 × 10 and 15 × 15 sizes. Every puzzle has one solution. Answer keys included. A4 or Letter. A nonogram is a picture puzzle solved by logic: the numbers beside each row and column say how many filled squares are in each run. Paperoom draws every puzzle from a library of simple pictures and checks it with a line solver, so each one has exactly one answer. 1 player · 10–40 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: East Asia and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each row has numbers on its left, and each column has numbers above it. 2. Each number is a run of filled squares. Two runs in the same line always have at least one empty square between them. 3. Read the numbers in order: the first number is the first run from the top or the left. 4. Fill in every square the numbers force, and mark squares you know are empty with a dot or a light cross. 5. Keep going until the picture appears. A 0 means the whole line stays empty. ## Tips - Start with the longest numbers, since they leave the least room for choice. - Mark empty squares with a dot so you do not have to check them again. - Print the answer key on its own sheet so a classroom or family can check work later. - Large print gives one puzzle per page for comfortable reading. ## Where it comes from Picture logic puzzles like these were devised in Japan in the late 1980s, and they are often associated with the names Non Ishida and Tetsuya Nishio. In other places they are also known as Hanjie or Griddlers. ## Questions ### Does every puzzle have exactly one solution? Yes. Each picture is checked by a line solver that works through the numbers row by row and column by column. If it can fill every square from the numbers alone, the solution is unique. ### Why are 15 × 15 puzzles always one per page? A 15 × 15 grid needs room for its longer numbers, so it takes the whole page. Two puzzles per page are offered for 5 × 5 and 10 × 10 grids. ### Can I make the same puzzles again? Yes. Enter a repeatable seed and keep the same settings to recreate the identical set, including the answer key. ### Can I use these in a classroom? Yes. Turn on name and date lines, choose the paper size used by your printer, and print the answer key separately. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/ ======== # Paper dice maker > Make printable paper dice in small, medium or large sizes. Choose classic dots, numbers or your own words on each face. Fold-up cube nets for A4 or Letter. Paper dice are cube nets that fold into real, working dice. Paperoom prints the cut-out nets with classic dots or numbers, or with your own words for story, question or activity dice in the classroom. 1–30 players · 5–15 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-dice/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Print on cardstock or thin card. Cut along the solid lines with scissors or a craft knife and a ruler. 2. Score each dashed fold line with a ruler and a blunt tool, then fold it so the printed side faces outward. 3. Glue the grey tabs inside the cube one at a time, press each seam flat and let the glue dry before you roll. 4. Story dice: roll them all and make up a short story that uses every picture word you rolled. 5. Question dice: roll one die and answer the question on the face you land on, or ask a classmate to answer it. ## Tips - Use cardstock or a thin cereal box card. Printer paper folds easily but tends to flop. - A glue stick is clean and quick. Glue one tab at a time so the paper stays flat while it dries. - Score every fold with a ruler before you bend it; the crease is what keeps the cube square. - Test fairness by rolling a die 60 times and counting each face. A fair die lands on each face about ten times. ## Where it comes from Cube nets fold into dice, and on a standard die opposite faces add up to seven. Custom faces turn the same cube into story dice, question dice or activity dice for classrooms. ## Questions ### Why do opposite faces add up to seven? On a standard die, opposite faces add up to seven. The classic dots and numbers use 1, 2, 3, 5, 4 and 6 so that 1 and 6, 2 and 5, and 3 and 4 sit opposite each other. ### Can I use words instead of numbers? Yes. Choose your own words and enter one face per line. Every six lines make one die, and faces up to 24 characters long may repeat. ### What paper should I use? Cardstock or thin card works best. Thinner paper can be used, but it is easier to bend unevenly and the dice will be less sturdy. ### How many dice can I print? Up to 24 dice in the classic dots or numbers modes. Your own words allow up to 144 faces, which is also 24 dice. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-dice/ ======== # Paper soccer maker > Make free printable paper soccer pitches in small, standard and large sizes, with dots, goal mouths and rules. One or two pitches per page. A4 or Letter. Paper soccer needs only a pencil, a sheet of paper and an opponent. Paperoom prints the dotted pitch with its goals and a centre ring, and you draw the ball's path one line at a time. 2 players · 5–15 min · Ages 7+ · Played in: Europe [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-soccer/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. The ball starts on the ring in the centre of the pitch. Agree who plays first. 2. On your turn, draw one line from the ball's dot to a neighbouring dot. Horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines all count. 3. The ball then moves to the dot at the end of your line. A line can never be drawn twice. 4. If the ball lands on a dot that already has a line touching it, or on the edge of the pitch, you move again from that dot. 5. Score by reaching your opponent's goal. Player 1 attacks the top goal and Player 2 attacks the bottom goal. 6. You lose if you get stuck, which means the ball has no unused line to move along. ## Tips - Use the small pitch for a quick game and the large pitch for a longer, more careful one. - Print two pitches per page to share a single sheet between two games. - Keep a spare sheet for practice. Planning a few moves on paper makes the real game easier to follow. - Agree before you start how many goals end the game, so both players know when it is over. ## Where it comes from In Poland the game is called piłkarzyki na kartce, which roughly means little footballers on paper. It is played on squared paper, where the ball moves from dot to dot along the lines and bounces when it reaches a point that has already been used. ## Questions ### Why are the goal mouths two squares wide? Each goal mouth is two squares wide and centred on the top and bottom edges. The goal box extends one square outside the pitch, so the target is clear. ### Do I need squared paper? No. Every intersection has a dot, so the printed pitch works on plain paper. The game itself is played on squared paper, which makes straight lines easy to see. ### Is there one official set of rules? Versions vary from place to place. This sheet uses the rules panel at the bottom: one line per move, no line used twice, and a move again on a used dot or the edge. ### How long is a game? It depends on the pitch and the players. The small pitch suits a quick game and the large pitch a longer one. Agree on the number of goals before you start. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-soccer/ ======== # Raffle tickets maker > Make free printable raffle tickets with numbered stubs. Choose the first number, up to 500 tickets, 8 or 10 per page and your prize. A4 or Letter. Raffle tickets for a school, club or community event. Paperoom numbers every ticket and its stub identically, so each stub can be matched to its ticket after the draw. It prints the tickets only: it does not handle payments or registrations. 10–500 players · 10–30 min · Ages 12+ · Played in: Everywhere, Latin America, and Europe [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/raffle-tickets/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Set up the sheet: enter the prize and draw details, then choose the first number and how many tickets you need. 2. Print one test sheet on plain paper and check the size and the stub layout before printing on your final paper. 3. Cut out the tickets along the solid lines, then tear the stubs apart along the dashed line. 4. Sell tickets. Write the buyer's name and phone number on the stub, then give the buyer the ticket. 5. Keep the stubs together in a box or bag for the draw. At the draw time, pick a stub and record the winning number. ## Tips - Check the local rules before you sell tickets. Some places need a permit or limit prizes and sales. - Thicker paper or card makes tickets easier to handle and harder to lose. - Keep the prize line short and clear, so people can read it from across the room. - At the end of sales, count the stubs against the numbers you printed, so you know no ticket is missing. ## Where it comes from Raffles are a common way for schools, clubs and community groups to raise money. Buyers take a numbered ticket for a chance to win a prize, and a winning number is drawn at a set time. Rules for raffles and lotteries differ between countries and regions, so check local rules before you sell tickets. ## Questions ### Do I need permission to hold a raffle? It depends on where you are. Check local rules: some places require a permit or limit prizes and sales. Paperoom does not give legal advice. ### How are the numbers printed? Each ticket and its stub carry the same number, zero-padded to at least three digits so the numbers line up. Arabic sheets use Arabic-Indic digits. ### Does Paperoom take payments or registrations? No. It only prints the tickets. Record sales and payments yourself. ### Can I print tickets without stubs? Yes. Turn off stubs to print full-width tickets without the tear line. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/raffle-tickets/ ======== # Royal Game of Ur maker > Print the Royal Game of Ur, a race game from ancient Mesopotamia, with each player's route, the rules and pieces to cut out. A4 or Letter. The Royal Game of Ur was played in ancient Mesopotamia about 4,500 years ago. Paperoom prints the 20-square board with each player's route, seven pieces for each side and a rules box. The rules follow a modern reconstruction, so families often adapt them. 2 players · 15–30 min · Ages 7+ · Played in: Arab world & Middle East [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/royal-ur/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Toss four coins and count the heads. That number is how far you move one piece. In this version, no heads means you miss your turn. 2. Each route runs along your own row, across the shared middle row, and back along your own row to the exit. 3. You must land exactly. A square holds one piece, so you cannot land on your own piece either. 4. In the middle row, landing on an opponent's piece sends it back off the board. The middle rosette is safe: no piece there can be sent back. 5. Landing on a rosette gives you another throw. 6. Bear off with the exact number. The first player to get all seven pieces home wins. ## Tips - Four coins give the same spread of 0 to 4 heads as the original four tetrahedral dice, and they are easier to find. - Before the first throw, trace the arrows: the blue route runs along the top row and the pink route along the bottom row. - Keep pieces that are off the board in a cup beside you, so you can bring them in quickly. - Agree on the exact-landing and no-heads rules before you start, because families play them differently. ## Where it comes from Leonard Woolley excavated boards in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, in present-day southern Iraq, in the 1920s. The game was played in ancient Mesopotamia about 4,500 years ago. Irving Finkel of the British Museum reconstructed rules from a cuneiform tablet written around 177 BC by the Babylonian scribe Itti-Marduk-balāṭu. Modern rules are a reconstruction, and many families use simplified versions. ## Questions ### Are these the original rules? Nobody can be certain. The rules here follow a modern reconstruction built from a cuneiform tablet and excavated boards, and many families play their own versions. ### Why four coins instead of dice? The original throws used four tetrahedral dice, with two of the four tips marked. Four coins give the same 0 to 4 spread with the same odds, so nothing else is needed to play. ### What do the rosettes do? Landing on a rosette gives you another throw. The rosette in the middle of the board is safe, so no piece there can be sent back. ### How many players and pieces are there? Two players with seven pieces each. The pieces page has seven blue and seven pink counters, each marked with its own shape. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/royal-ur/ ======== # Scavenger hunt maker > Make a free printable scavenger hunt with your own items: a checklist or find-and-draw sheet, one copy per team, optional shuffle. A4 or Letter. A searching game for any group that can walk, look and share. Teams race down a list of things to find, or slow down and draw each find, which trains the eye for detail. Paperoom prints one sheet per team, and each copy can be shuffled so the groups do not all head to the same spot first. 1–30 players · 15–60 min · Ages 4+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/scavenger-hunt/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Print one sheet for each team, and give every player a pencil or crayon. 2. Set the boundary before anyone starts: the garden, the room or the path, plus a meeting point. 3. Checklist: tick each item when your team has found it. Find and draw: sketch the thing in its box rather than taking it. 4. Play for a set time. Stop when the time is up or when every item is found, then check the finds together. 5. Count the ticks, or the best drawings, to decide the winner. Agree on that before the hunt begins. ## Tips - Choose items that can be found without picking, moving or disturbing anything. Leave out anything living, fragile or unsafe to touch. - For young children, use one column and bigger items, and pair each child with an adult. - Use the find-and-draw style on a walk where nothing should be collected, or for a quieter group. - Print on thicker paper, or slip the sheet into a plastic wallet if it might rain. ## Where it comes from Scavenger hunts are list-based searching games played at parties, in classrooms, on nature walks and on trips. Teams race to find or photograph each item. The find-and-draw version is slower and rewards noticing details, which suits younger children and quieter groups. ## Questions ### How many items should a list have? Ten to twenty suits most outings. Paperoom accepts up to 60 items, each up to 60 characters, and removes exact repeats so every item appears once. ### Can players photograph items instead of ticking them? Yes. Many teams photograph each find rather than collecting it. Agree on that rule before you start, and check your group's rules on phones. ### Why print one copy per team? Each team needs its own sheet to tick or draw on. With the shuffle option, every copy after the first has a different order, so teams search different places first. ### Is it safe for young children? Keep children within sight and set clear boundaries. Choose items that can be found without picking, moving or disturbing anything. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/scavenger-hunt/ ======== # Score sheets maker > Make free printable score sheets for card and tile games: a plain table, or a truco, baloot, tarneeb, belote, mahjong or rummy preset. A4 or Letter. A score sheet keeps everyone honest. Choose a plain table for any game, or start from a preset that matches a scoring style, such as a truco tally or a tarneeb bid column. 2–8 players · 10–90 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: Latin America, Arab world & Middle East, Europe, East Asia, and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Choose a preset, or pick custom columns and set the number of players. 2. Type your own column names if you want them, one per line. 3. Write each round's points in its row as the round finishes. 4. For tally boards, draw one stroke for each point: four upright strokes, then a diagonal across them, for every five points. 5. Add the points up at the bottom, and stop when a team or player reaches the target. ## Tips - Print two pads per page for a quick score sheet for two tables. - Use the names field to put team or player names in the column headers before printing. - Keep a pencil with an eraser near the table, so mistakes are easy to fix. - Check the target before you start. Agree on it with everyone who is playing. ## Where it comes from Truco is played in Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, where a game is often 30 points tallied as drawn squares of five, and Truco Paulista in Brazil is played to 12 points. Baloot is popular in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, where scores are written in columns labelled لنا and لهم and a common game ends at 152, while tarneeb is played in the Levant, often to 41. Belote is a classic French game often played to 1000 or 501 points, and mahjong scoring varies by region. ## Questions ### What does a tally square mean? Each square stands for five points. Draw four upright strokes and then a diagonal across them to make a full square. Partial squares are fine for the points that are not yet complete. ### Why are some presets set to a specific number of points? Each preset starts with the target that is commonly used for that game, such as 30 for truco or 152 for baloot. You can change it in the target field, up to 12 characters. ### Can I use my own names for the columns? Yes. Type one name per line in the column names box, up to eight names of up to 20 characters. Names replace the default labels, and any text in any script can be used. ### Does mahjong have one scoring system? No. Mahjong scoring varies by region and by table, so the mahjong preset is a plain layout with four seats and a score and total line for each round. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/ ======== # Secret code maker > Make free printable secret codes from your own phrases. Each letter becomes a number or a symbol, with a decoder strip and an answer key. A4 or Letter. A secret code, or cryptogram, hides a phrase by giving each letter its own number or symbol. Paperoom makes a fresh code for every phrase, and each code is different from the others, so the key from one phrase cannot solve another. 1–4 players · 10–30 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/secret-code/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each phrase is written in code. Every letter has one number or symbol, and the same letter always has the same code. 2. Spaces, digits and punctuation are printed as they are, so word lengths and sentence shape are easy to see. 3. Use the printed letters, if any, as starting points. Write each letter you find into the boxes that share its code. 4. Use the decoder strip under each phrase: write a letter beneath each code, then read the phrase across the boxes. 5. Check your solution against the answer key, which lists each phrase and its letter-to-code table. ## Tips - Start with the most common codes. The letters that appear most often in English, such as E and T, are often a good place to begin. - Fill in the decoder strip as you go, so every box you write also helps with the rest of the phrase. - For symbols, draw a small tally next to each shape in the decoder, so you can spot patterns quickly. - Print the answer key on a separate sheet so a classroom or family can check work later. ## Where it comes from Substitution codes, in which each letter is replaced by another symbol, have been used for private messages and puzzles for a very long time. Printed cryptograms are now a common puzzle format, and the same method works with numbers, shapes or any other set of signs. ## Questions ### Does each phrase get its own code? Yes. Every phrase is a separate puzzle with its own random code, and the answer key shows the letter-to-code table for each one. ### What does the letters given setting do? It reveals that many different letters in the phrase, chosen at random, and prints them in their boxes. A letter given in one box is given in every box where it appears. ### Can I use phrases in other languages? Yes. Letters in any script get their own code, and marks such as Arabic vowel signs stay with their letters. Each Chinese character counts as one letter. ### Why are there fewer symbols than letters in some phrases? Symbol mode uses forty-one shapes, so a phrase can have at most that many different letters. Use numbers mode, or shorten the phrase, if you see that message. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/secret-code/ ======== # Snakes and ladders maker > Make a free printable snakes and ladders board with your own number of snakes and ladders. 8 × 8 or 10 × 10, counters and a fold-up paper die included. A4 or Letter. A race game of pure luck that even very young players can join. Paperoom places the snakes and ladders for you, never putting two on the same square, so every set of sheets is a new board. 2–6 players · 15–30 min · Ages 4+ · Played in: South Asia and Europe [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each player puts a counter just before square 1. Take turns rolling one die. 2. Move your counter forward by the number shown, following the numbers back and forth up the board. 3. If you stop on the foot of a ladder, climb straight to the square at its top. 4. If you stop on a snake's head, slide down to the square at its tail. 5. The first player to reach the last square wins. Agree before you start whether you need the exact number to finish; many families bounce back the extra spaces. ## Tips - For young children, choose the 8 × 8 board with more ladders than snakes. Rounds are shorter and less frustrating. - Print the board on thicker paper or card so it lies flat. Buttons, coins or beans make good counters if you skip the cut-out pieces. - Fold the paper die carefully along the dashed lines before gluing the tabs. A standard die's opposite faces add up to seven. - Turn it into a learning game: ask a question or say a times-table fact whenever someone lands on a ladder. ## Where it comes from Race games with snakes and ladders come from India, where versions known as Moksha Patam or Gyan Chaupar linked the squares to virtues and vices: good deeds lifted a player up, misdeeds sent them down. The game reached Britain in the late nineteenth century and became a nursery classic around the world, usually with the moral labels left off. ## Questions ### Is every board different? Yes, unless you reuse a seed. The snakes and ladders are placed at random, with no square holding two endpoints and no snake or ladder on the first or last square. ### Do I need a real die? No. Turn on counters and paper dice to print a cube net you can cut, fold and glue. Any ordinary six-sided die works too. ### How many people can play? Two to six is comfortable. The pieces page has four sets of counters, each marked with its own shape so black-and-white copies still work. ### Do you have to land exactly on the last square? It is up to your table. A popular rule is that you must roll the exact number; otherwise, move to the end and count the extra spaces back. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/ ======== # Stop (categories game) maker > Make free printable Stop and categories score sheets with your own categories, 4 to 14 rounds, pre-printed letters and points. A4 or Letter. The categories game is a fast word game: a letter is chosen, everyone writes a word for each category that starts with it, and the first player to finish calls Stop. Paperoom prints the table, the letters and a points column. 2–10 players · 10–30 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: Latin America, Europe, Arab world & Middle East, and Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Write the categories across the top of the sheet, such as Name, Animal, Place, Food, Thing and Job. 2. Choose a letter for the round. Pre-print one on the sheet, or pick it with a spinner, a dice roll or a letter from a bag. 3. Everyone writes a word for each category that starts with the letter, as quickly as they can. 4. The first player to finish calls Stop. Everyone stops writing, and the words are read out and checked. 5. Score each answer: 10 points for an answer nobody else has, 5 for a shared answer and 0 for a blank or invalid one. The highest total after the last round wins. ## Tips - Choose concrete categories that people can agree on, such as Animal or Country, and add a harder one for older players. - Agree on the rules before you start: whether a word must be a real one, and whether proper names count. - Use short rounds with fewer categories for young players, and longer games with ten categories for adults. - Print two sheets per page and cut between them to give two tables a sheet each. ## Where it comes from The categories game is played under many names: Basta, Stop or Tutti Frutti in Spanish-speaking countries, Stop or Adedonha in Brazil, and Le petit bac in France. In many Arabic-speaking countries it is named after its first columns, إنسان، حيوان، نبات، جماد، بلاد (person, animal, plant, object, country). ## Questions ### How is the letter chosen? Any way your group agrees: a spinner, a letter picker, a dice roll or a letter from a bag. Some groups count fingers to choose a letter, which is one meaning of the Brazilian name adedonha. Turn on pre-printed letters to skip this step. ### Why does a letter never repeat on a sheet? When pre-printed letters are on, each sheet is drawn with different letters, so a table never works through the same letter twice in one game. ### Can I change the categories? Yes. Type one category per line, between two and ten of them, each up to 40 characters. The default list is only a starting point. ### How many sheets should I print? Give one sheet to each player, table or team, since each sheet can have its own letter order. Choose the number of sheets in the settings. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/ ======== # Sudoku maker > Make free printable sudoku puzzles in 4 × 4, 6 × 6 and 9 × 9 sizes. Every puzzle has one solution. Choose the difficulty, puzzles per page and an answer key. A4 or Letter. Sudoku is a logic puzzle: no arithmetic, just careful reasoning. Paperoom builds every grid from a valid solution and removes clues only while a solver confirms there is still exactly one answer. 1 player · 5–30 min · Ages 6+ · Played in: East Asia and North America [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each puzzle is a square grid divided into boxes. Some squares already contain numbers. 2. Fill the empty squares so that every row contains each number once. 3. Every column must also contain each number once. 4. Each outlined box must contain each number once too. 5. There is only one correct solution. If you get stuck, look for a row, column or box that is missing just one or two numbers. ## Tips - New to sudoku? Start with a 4 × 4 grid using the numbers 1 to 4, then move up to 6 × 6. - Use a pencil and write small candidate numbers in the corner of a square while you think. - Print the answer key on a separate sheet so a classroom or family can check work later. - Large print gives one big puzzle per page for comfortable reading. ## Where it comes from Number-placement puzzles like this were published in the United States in the late 1970s under the name Number Place. The Japanese puzzle publisher Nikoli popularised them as sudoku in the 1980s, and the name became known worldwide in the 2000s. ## Questions ### Does every puzzle have exactly one solution? Yes. After each clue is removed, a solver checks that only one solution remains. If a removal would allow a second solution, the clue stays. ### How is the difficulty chosen? Easy puzzles keep more clues and hard puzzles keep fewer. Difficulty is based on the number of clues, so some puzzles at the same level may feel easier than others. ### Can I make the same puzzles again? Yes. Enter a repeatable seed and keep the same settings to recreate the identical set, including the answer key. ### Can I use these in a classroom? Yes. Turn on name and date lines, choose the paper size used by your printer, and print the answer key separately. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/ ======== # Telephone: write and draw maker > Make free printable write and draw telephone booklets of 4 to 12 panels, as cut-apart slips or a folded strip, with starting phrases. A4 or Letter. Telephone is a chain game on paper. Each player writes or draws what they see in the panel before theirs, and the booklet shows how far a message changes along the chain. 4–12 players · 15–30 min · Ages 7+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/telephone/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Give each player a panel from the same booklet. Panel 1 has a starting phrase when you turn on the prompts. 2. Players write in the lined panels and draw in the framed panels, alternating down the booklet. 3. Each player looks only at the panel before theirs, then writes or draws their own panel. 4. Pass the panel on to the next player in the chain. Keep going until every panel has been filled. 5. Read the booklet from start to finish, or lay the panels in order, and compare the first phrase with the last drawing. ## Tips - Cut the slips apart before you start, so each player holds just one panel. - Keep the players quiet while they work, so nobody can see the panel before theirs by accident. - Try a strip if you want the booklet to stay together. Fold it along the dashed lines. - Use one booklet for each team when you play with a larger group. ## Where it comes from This is a generic write-and-draw version of the telephone game, sometimes called a whisper game. Players pass a message along a chain, and the message changes as each person interprets it. Alternating writing and drawing makes the changes easy to see when the booklet is read again. ## Questions ### Why do the panels alternate between writing and drawing? Each change is a small translation. Writing a drawing into words, and drawing words into a picture, makes the differences between players easy to spot. ### How many booklets do I need? One booklet is enough for a small group. For a larger group, use one booklet for each team, so each chain can be compared separately. ### What is the difference between slips and a strip? Slips are separate panels you cut apart, which suits players who hold one panel at a time. A strip keeps each booklet together, folded like a concertina. ### Can I use this with young children? Yes. The starting phrases are simple, and drawing panels do not need any reading. Older players can add their own phrases instead. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/telephone/ ======== # Tic-tac-toe maker > Make free printable tic-tac-toe sheets: classic 3 × 3 boards, big 6 × 6 grids and ultimate boards, with a tally row under each. A4 or Letter. Tic-tac-toe is a quick game for two that needs only a pencil and a grid. Paperoom prints classic boards, a larger six-by-six version and an ultimate board made of nine small boards, with a tally row under each one for keeping score. 2 players · 2–15 min · Ages 4+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Choose a board and check together that both players can see the whole grid before the first move. 2. Players take turns placing an X or an O in an empty square. X always goes first. 3. The first player to get three marks in a row across, down or diagonally wins. On a big board, four in a row wins. 4. If every square is full and nobody has a line, the game is a draw. 5. Record each result in the tally row under the board, one mark for each win or draw. ## Tips - On a classic board, the centre square belongs to more winning lines than any other, so it is often a good first move. - Use a different pencil for each player, or write X and O clearly, so nobody is unsure whose move it was. - Play several rounds and keep the tally to see who takes the series. - Classic boards suit quick breaks. Big and ultimate boards are better for longer, more thoughtful games. - Large print puts fewer, bigger boards on each page, which suits a classroom or a group around one table. ## Where it comes from Tic-tac-toe goes by many names: noughts and crosses in the UK, tres en raya in Spain, jogo da velha in Brazil, morpion in France, 井字棋 in China and XO in many Arabic-speaking countries. Whatever it is called, the game is the same, with two players, one grid and three marks in a row. ## Questions ### Why does the big board need four in a row? A 6 × 6 grid has room for longer lines, so four in a row fits it better than three. Three in a row would be too easy to block on a grid that large. ### How does the ultimate board work? Each small board is a game of its own. The square you choose in a small board decides which small board your opponent must play in next. Win small boards to claim them, and three claimed boards in a row win the whole game. ### How many sheets should I print? Choose the number of pages. Each page holds the boards for your board type, so one page of classic boards with nine per page gives you nine games. ### What is the tally row for? Each board has a line for X and a line for O. Players can record who won each game, or write points across a series of games. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/ ======== # Word scramble maker > Make free printable word scrambles from your own words and hints. Each word is shuffled on its own, with answer boxes and a key. A4 or Letter. A word scramble gives players a set of shuffled letters to rearrange into a word they can name. Paperoom shuffles each word on its own, so phrases keep their word order and spaces, and every letter is used exactly once. 1–4 players · 5–20 min · Ages 7+ · Played in: Everywhere [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-scramble/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Each numbered row shows the letters of one answer, mixed up. A phrase shows each of its words separately. 2. Move the tiles in your head or on scrap paper until they spell a word or phrase you know. 3. Write each letter in the boxes below its tile, one letter to a box. Leave a gap between words in a phrase. 4. If hints are printed, they appear in grey under the row. Read one when you are stuck. 5. Check your answers against the answer key, which lists them in order. ## Tips - Start with the short words for a quick win, then move on to the longer phrases. - Say the letters aloud. Hearing the sounds can bring the word to mind faster than looking at the tiles. - For younger players, keep hints on and choose large print for bigger tiles and boxes. - Print the answer key on a separate sheet so a classroom or family can check work later. ## Where it comes from Word scrambles are played in many languages and classrooms. Letters from a known word are shuffled and the player is asked to find the original, a simple task that works with any alphabet or script. ## Questions ### Can I use words in other languages? Yes. Enter words in any script. Each letter, accent or Chinese character is its own tile, and Arabic letters are shown separately as they are written in a list of words. ### What does the one box per letter option do? With it on, each letter has its own square to write in. With it off, each word has a writing line instead, which suits longer answers. ### How are the words shuffled? Each word is shuffled separately using a seeded random generator, and shuffled again if the result matches the original order. The same seed and settings give the same sheets. ### Is there a limit on how many words I can add? Yes. You can enter up to forty answers, with up to thirty letters each. Hints can be up to sixty characters. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-scramble/ ======== # Xiangqi maker > Make free printable xiangqi (Chinese chess) boards with 32 cut-out pieces, a legend of how each piece moves and up to four boards per sheet. A4 or Letter. Xiangqi is Chinese chess: two players, red and black, move generals, chariots, horses and soldiers across a board of nine by ten lines. Paperoom prints the board and 32 cut-out pieces, with a legend that shows each piece's move beside its character. 2 players · 20–60 min · Ages 8+ · Played in: East Asia [Make it](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/) · Every sheet is generated on your device. PDF fonts load from this site on the first download. ## How to play 1. Set up each side in the standard pattern: the general in the middle of its palace, advisors and elephants on either side, horses and chariots on the back line, cannons two rows forward and five soldiers three rows forward. 2. Red moves first. On your turn, move one of your pieces as its move allows, then let your opponent play. 3. Most pieces capture by moving onto an opposing piece. A cannon captures only by jumping over exactly one piece to reach the piece beyond; without a jump it moves like a chariot. 4. Elephants never cross the river, and a horse can be blocked when a piece stands next to it on its first step. 5. The generals may not face each other on an open line, with no piece between them. A move that leaves them facing is illegal. 6. The game ends when a general is trapped and cannot escape capture. Agree before you start how to handle a draw. ## Tips - Print the board on card or thick paper so that it lies flat and the pieces stay where you put them. - For a first game, keep the legend beside the board until everyone knows how each piece moves. - Use a large-print sheet for younger players, with a single board on each page. - Black-ink copies still work: red pieces get a dashed inner ring, so the two sides stay distinct without colour. ## Where it comes from Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, is played on the crossings of a board of nine by ten lines, with a river across the middle. The river carries the inscription 楚河 漢界, which means "Chu River, Han border". Each side has seven kinds of piece, and each kind has its own character on the red side and on the black side. ## Questions ### Why do the red and black pieces use different characters? Each kind of piece has a character for each side, such as 帥 for the red general and 將 for the black one. The legend lists them side by side so that you can match them quickly. ### Why are the river characters turned around on one side? The right-hand characters, 漢界, are printed upside down on purpose, so that they read the right way up for a player sitting on the other side of the board. ### Who moves first? Red moves first. Agree the colours before you start, and the player with red takes the first turn. ### Can I print it in black ink? Yes. Choose black ink and the red pieces get a dashed inner ring, so the two sides can still be told apart without colour. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/ ======== # Coin flip > Flip a coin on screen for heads or tails. Each flip uses your browser's cryptographic random generator, with a tally of heads, tails and streaks. Who goes first? Flip the coin and it tosses, turns and lands on heads or tails, chosen by your browser's cryptographic random generator, with the tally kept on this device. [Open](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/coin/) ## Tips - Each side has an equal chance on every toss, so over many flips the counts settle close to even. - A streak is a run of the same result in a row. Each flip is independent, so a run does not make the next flip more or less likely to match it. - The tally and the last result are remembered on this device only. Reset tally clears them. ## Questions ### Is the coin fair? Yes. Each flip picks heads or tails with the browser's cryptographic random generator, with no bias toward either side. Nothing is stored outside this device or sent anywhere. ### Why does the coin spin several times before it lands? The coin turns three or four full turns and then settles on the side that was picked. The number of turns varies from flip to flip, but the result comes only from the random pick. ### Does it work offline? Once Paperoom is installed or the page has been saved for offline use, the coin runs without a connection. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/coin/ ======== # Dice roller > Roll one to six dice on screen: six-sided dice or d4, d8, d10, d12 and d20. Hold dice between rolls, see the total and the last eight rolls. Lost the dice again? Roll them here. Six-sided dice tumble to the face they landed on; tap a die after a roll to hold it while the others roll again. [Open](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/dice/) ## Tips - Every roll uses your browser's cryptographic random number generator, so each face is equally likely. - Holding dice works well for five-dice games where you keep some dice and re-roll the rest. - Your choice of dice count and sides is remembered on this device only. ## Questions ### Are the rolls fair? Yes. Each roll comes from the browser's cryptographic random generator with no bias toward any face. Results are not stored or sent anywhere. ### Can I roll different kinds of dice at once? One kind at a time: choose the number of sides, then up to six dice of that kind. ### Does it work offline? Once Paperoom is installed or the page has been saved for offline use, the roller runs without a connection. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/dice/ ======== # Letter picker > Draw a random letter for Stop, Basta or Le petit bac. Choose which letters are in play, keep letters from repeating and start over whenever you like. Starting a round of Stop? Draw a letter for the categories game, where hard letters start left out and no letter repeats until you start over. [Open](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/letters/) ## Tips - The default leaves out letters that are hard to answer in most languages, such as Q, X and Z in English. Tap any letter to change that. - For the categories game, draw a letter, then everyone writes a word in each category that starts with it. - Included letters and the letters drawn so far are remembered per language on this device only. ## Questions ### How is a letter chosen? Each draw picks one of the letters still available with the browser's cryptographic random generator. While No repeats is on, a drawn letter is not drawn again until you start over. ### Which alphabets are included? English, Spanish (with Ñ), Brazilian Portuguese, French, Arabic (its 28 letters) and Simplified Chinese, where the picker uses the radicals instead of letters. ### Does it work offline? Once Paperoom is installed or the page has been saved for offline use, the picker runs without a connection. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/letters/ ======== # Number caller > Call bingo numbers at random with no repeats: 75-ball with B I N G O columns, 90-ball, or any range up to 200. Auto-call every 5, 10 or 15 seconds. Calling bingo for the table? Press Call next and a number is drawn at random from the ones not yet called. Mark the board as you go, or let auto-call do the calling. [Open](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/number-caller/) ## Tips - Numbers come from the browser's cryptographic random generator, and each game draws every number exactly once. - Auto-call stops by itself after the last number. Pause keeps the time left until the next call. - The game type, range and called numbers are remembered on this device only, so a refresh does not lose your game. ## Questions ### Are the calls random and fair? Yes. Each call picks one number at random from the numbers not yet called, using the browser's cryptographic random generator. Nothing is pre-set or repeated within a game. ### Is anything sent anywhere? No. The called numbers and your settings are kept in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to Paperoom or any other service. ### Does it work offline? Once Paperoom is installed or the page has been saved for offline use, the number caller runs without a connection. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/number-caller/ ======== # Scoreboard > Keep score for up to 12 players in any game. Quick +1, +5 and custom amounts, a bar per player, round history and undo, all on this device. Keeping score on paper? Add the players, then tap the buttons after each point. Next round logs the totals, so you can see how the game went over time. [Open](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/scoreboard/) ## Tips - Type a negative number in the amount box to subtract points, for penalties or corrections. - Undo reverts the last score change, including a reset. Next round only records the scores and does not change them. - Players, scores and round history are remembered on this device only, so a refresh keeps the game. ## Questions ### Can I use it for any game? Yes. It only adds and subtracts numbers you enter, so it works for card, board, sports or party games. It holds up to 12 players. ### Is the score sent anywhere? No. Players, scores and rounds are kept in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to Paperoom or any other service. ### Does it work offline? Once Paperoom is installed or the page has been saved for offline use, the scoreboard runs without a connection. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/scoreboard/ ======== # Spinner > Spin a wheel of two to 24 entries to pick a person, a category or a forfeit. Each spin is random, and you can remove the winner after picking. Who starts, which category, what is the forfeit? Type one entry per line and spin, and the wheel turns to land on a winner drawn by your browser's cryptographic random generator. [Open](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/spinner/) ## Tips - Write one entry per line. The wheel gives every entry an equal slice, however long its text is. - Turn on remove after picking to go through a list without repeats, such as a turn order or a set of forfeits. - Entries and the remove option are remembered on this device only. ## Questions ### Is the spin fair? Each entry gets an equal slice. The winner is chosen with the browser's cryptographic random generator before the wheel turns, and the wheel always stops on that winner's slice. ### How many entries can I use? Between two and 24. Long entries are shortened on the wheel with an ellipsis, but the winner is shown in full under the wheel. ### Does it work offline? Once Paperoom is installed or the page has been saved for offline use, the wheel runs without a connection. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/spinner/ ======== # Team maker > Split a list of names into random teams of similar size, by number of teams or people per team. Shuffle again or copy the teams in one click. Need teams for game night? Type one name per line, choose how many teams or how many people per team, then make the teams. Team sizes differ by at most one. [Open](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/teams/) ## Tips - Blank lines are ignored, and the same name can appear more than once if two people share it. - When the list does not divide evenly, some teams have one person fewer than the others. - Names and settings are remembered on this device only, so a refresh keeps your list. ## Questions ### How are people put into teams? The names are shuffled with the browser's cryptographic random generator, then dealt out round robin, so team sizes differ by at most one. ### Is my list uploaded? No. The names are handled in your browser and saved only on this device. Nothing is sent to Paperoom or any other service. ### Does it work offline? Once Paperoom is installed or the page has been saved for offline use, the team maker runs without a connection. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/teams/ ======== # Round timer > A countdown timer for game rounds, from 30 seconds to 10 minutes or any custom time. Start, pause and resume, with a gentle chime when time is up. Give every player the same time. Choose a round length and press Start, and the ring counts down to zero, with a chime when time is up. [Open](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/timer/) ## Tips - The timer measures real elapsed time, so the round ends on schedule even when the tab is in the background. - Where your browser supports it, the screen stays awake while the timer runs. - Your last round length and sound setting are remembered on this device only. ## Questions ### How accurate is the timer? It measures real elapsed time with the browser's performance clock rather than counting interval ticks. In a background tab the chime can arrive a moment late, but the timer checks the time again as soon as the tab is shown. ### Does the chime need permission? No. Your browser generates the two-tone chime with the Web Audio API after you press Start. Nothing is downloaded or sent, and the Sound chip turns it off. ### Does it work offline? Once Paperoom is installed or the page has been saved for offline use, the timer runs without a connection. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/timer/ ======== # Planning an activity hour with older adults > How to plan a regular activity hour for older adults in care homes, libraries or community centres, with large print, familiar themes and mixed games. ## Start by asking the group A regular hour works best when the people taking part help shape it. Ask them, at the first session and from time to time after that, which subjects they enjoy: local places, songs from their youth, seasons, cooking, gardening or sport. Write the answers down and use them to choose themes. A word search built from places in the town is often a better starting point than one about subjects nobody mentioned. Respect every answer, including "no". Some people will prefer to watch or to help, and that is a valid way to take part. Make the hour easy to join late or to leave early, so nobody feels they must stay for the whole session. ## Print so that it is easy to read Clear printing is worth getting right before the first session. Paperoom offers a large print option and a black-ink-only option, and the two can be combined for high-contrast pages. For more detail on large-print pages, see the [large print games guide](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/large-print-games/). 1. Choose large print in the game settings before you generate each sheet. 2. Print one test sheet, and hold it at the distance a reader would normally hold a page. 3. Check that the paper is bright white and the ink is solid black. Faint toner or pale ink makes small letters harder to follow. 4. Keep a spare copy of every sheet, and print the answer key on separate paper, so it does not distract from the puzzle. > Print the sheets for each session on the same paper and in the same settings, so the pages look familiar from week to week. ## Choose the seating and light Seating and light decide how comfortable the hour feels, so set the room before anyone arrives. - Arrange chairs in a circle or a horseshoe, so everyone can see the caller and each other. Leave space for wheelchairs and walking frames. - Choose chairs with arms and firm seats, and offer a table at a comfortable height for writing. - Place tables so the light falls on the page, not behind the reader. Use a lamp close to the table if the room is dim. - Keep the room at a steady temperature, with a glass of water within reach of each seat. ## Pace the hour Plan a simple run of events, and share it at the start. A useful pattern is one social game, one quiet puzzle, then a short social game to finish. Allow more time than you expect for each round, because everyone needs a moment to find their place on a sheet. A short pause between games lets people stretch, chat or ask for help without rushing. ## Mix quiet puzzles and social games Quiet puzzles and social games suit different people, so offer both. - **Quiet puzzles:** a [word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/) on easy or medium, or a simple [sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/). Word searches can be shared out between two people, and sudoku puzzles can be done alone or with a helper beside the table. Sudoku first appeared in 1979 as "Number Place". - **Social games:** [bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) with a caller works well for a group. Use the [number caller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/number-caller/) on screen if no one wants to read the numbers aloud. Let people opt in to any game. A person who would rather complete a puzzle quietly should be able to do so without being asked to call numbers or read clues. ## Roles for helpers Clear roles help helpers feel useful and keep the hour running. 1. **Caller or reader:** calls numbers or reads clues at a steady pace, and repeats each one once. 2. **Card checker:** sits near a player who wants help, and checks their card quietly. 3. **Table host:** greets people, shows them to a seat and makes sure everyone has a pencil and a sheet. 4. **Note keeper:** writes down the themes and games the group enjoyed, so the next session can build on them. Rotate the roles each week, so no single helper carries the whole hour. ## Respect and choice Respect shapes every part of the hour. Speak to each person as an adult, and let them answer for themselves. Do not correct or mark a player's card in front of others, and do not announce a mistake in a loud voice. Offer help with a question such as "Would you like me to read that line?", then wait for the answer. Keep competition gentle. Prizes can be small, and a group can choose to play without keeping score. If a player wants to stop, let them stop without comment. The aim of the hour is a pleasant activity that people choose to join, and that they are glad to come back to. ## Games in this post - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [Word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/): Word searches from 8 × 8 to 18 × 18 with easy, medium or hard directions, an answer key and a page for long lists. - [Sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/): Number puzzles from gentle 4 × 4 grids to classic 9 × 9, each with exactly one solution. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/activity-hour-with-older-adults/ ======== # Dots and boxes strategy: chains and the double-cross > Why the third side of a box is a gift, how chains decide the game, and the double-cross move that lets you keep control near the end. Dots and boxes looks like a game of quick grabs, but the end of a game is usually decided by a little counting. Once you know three ideas, the third side, the chain and the double-cross, you will see the same patterns on every board. Print a few grids from the [dots and boxes maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/) and try each idea as you read. ## The rules in one breath Players take turns drawing a line between two neighbouring dots. When your line completes the fourth side of a box, you write your initial in it and must draw again. When no lines are left, the player with more boxes wins. ## Never draw the third side A box with three sides drawn is a present for the next player: one line finishes it. Early in the game, the safe moves are the lines that do not make a third side anywhere. Draw those for as long as you can. *Two sides of a box are safe. Drawing the third side lets your opponent finish the box.* Each player avoids third sides, so the board slowly fills with boxes that have exactly two sides drawn. Eventually there are no safe moves left, and someone has to give something away. This is where the game is really decided. ## Chains When safe moves run out, the boxes with two sides usually join up into corridors called chains. Once anyone draws a line in a chain, the next player can take every box in it, one after another, because each line they draw completes a box and earns another turn. *Your opponent opens a chain of four boxes. Each of your lines completes a box, so you take all four and keep drawing.* That means the end of the game is a series of chains being handed over. The player who has to open the chains is often the one who loses, because the other player collects them. The players are, in effect, playing for control: the right to be the one who receives each chain. Short chains of one or two boxes behave differently from long chains of three or more, and good players count the long chains on the board before the safe moves run out. ## The double-cross Here is the move that keeps control. When your opponent opens a long chain, you could take every box. But then you must draw again, and if every remaining move opens another chain, you would be handing the next chain straight back. Instead, take all but the last two boxes, then draw the line at the far end of the chain. This leaves the last two boxes as a pair with one line missing between them. Your opponent takes both with that single line, and now they must move again, so they have to open the next chain for you. *You took the first two boxes. Instead of taking the last two, you close the far end. Your opponent gets both boxes with one line, then has to open the next chain.* Giving away two boxes to win a longer chain is often a good trade. In a closed loop the same idea works with four boxes: take all but the last four and leave them for your opponent. ## Counting for control Whether you can force your opponent to open the first long chain depends on the number of moves left before the safe moves run out, which is closely linked to how many long chains the board will have. Mathematicians and strong players have written whole books on the rule of thumb for this, often called the long chain rule. For a friendly game, a simpler habit goes a long way. Before the last safe moves are played, count the long chains and think about who will be forced to open the first one. If it looks like you, look for a move that changes the count, such as splitting a long chain into two short ones or joining two short ones. ## A short history Dots and boxes was published by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1889 as *la pipopipette*. You can read more about its history in the post on [dots and boxes and la pipopipette](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/dots-and-boxes-la-pipopipette/). > Tip: Play your first games on a 4 × 4 grid of dots. With only nine boxes, you can see every chain forming and try the double-cross a few times in one sitting. Paperoom's boards range from small grids to larger ones, with optional bonus boxes and a score table, so you can keep a tally across several games. ## Games in this post - [Dots and boxes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/): Square dot grids for two to four players: draw lines, claim boxes and add up the score on a printed table. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/dots-and-boxes-strategy/ ======== # Paper games for family gatherings and holidays > Paper games for big family gatherings across cultures, from Italian tombola and Indian housie to Brazilian Festa Junina bingo, with tips for every age. ## Plan for every age at the table Big family gatherings bring together toddlers, teenagers, parents and grandparents, often at the same table. Choose games that can be played in pairs or teams, so an older child can read a clue for a grandparent and a young adult can help a small child mark a card. Paperoom offers large print and black-ink-only printing, which helps when copies are shared around a crowded table. ## Tombola at Christmas in Italian families Tombola is an Italian family number game that uses numbers from 1 to 90. It is traditionally played at Christmas, especially around Naples, where each number has a traditional nickname from a set known as La Smorfia. Some families enjoy calling the numbers with those nicknames, which adds a little ceremony to the round. Print [tombala](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/) tickets, one per adult or older child. Pair each small child with an adult who marks the card for them, and let a grandparent call the numbers if they would like to. Agree on the prizes before the first round, because each family has its own habits for lines and full cards. ## Tambola and housie at festivals and parties In India the 90-number game is called tambola or housie, and it is common at parties and festivals. The same ticket style works well at a family celebration. In Britain the 90-ball game was long called housie or housey-housey. Players mark numbers on their ticket as they are called, and the first to complete a line calls it out. Rules for full houses and extra prizes vary, so explain the version you are playing before the round starts. ## Eid holiday game nights Families often gather during the Eid holidays, and an evening of games is a relaxed way to share time together. Choose games that suit a table of adults and older children. Card games are a natural fit. Tarneeb, often played in the Levant to 41 points, and baloot, which is popular in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, are both card games where a score sheet helps. In baloot, scores are written in two columns, لنا ("us") and لهم ("them"). A printed score sheet keeps the tally visible for everyone, and you can write the agreed rules across its top. ## Lunar New Year with wuziqi and xiangqi Some families spend part of a Lunar New Year gathering on board games. [Gomoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/), called wuziqi in Chinese, is simple to learn: the first player to get five marks in a row wins. Play it on squared paper with X and O, or on the intersections of a Go board. Younger children can start on squared paper, while older players can try the full game. Xiangqi, Chinese chess, suits older players who want more strategy. Its pieces stand on the intersections of a nine-by-ten board, a river crosses the middle, and red moves first. Let the youngest players watch a few moves before they join in. ## Festa Junina bingo in Brazil Festa Junina is a June festival season celebrated in many parts of Brazil. Some celebrations include quermesse-style games, the community fair games where a crowd of all ages takes part together. A [bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) card with numbers or words suits that spirit well, because everyone can follow the caller, and cards can be shared between generations. ## Adapt word lists to the occasion Word-based games become more personal when the words come from the family itself. 1. Build the list together. Use names of dishes, songs, places you visit or events from the year. 2. Keep the words in the family's own language and script. Custom words may be in any script. 3. Ask a relative who reads the language to check spelling and accents before you print. 4. Save the setup file, so the same list can be loaded again next year. ## Include grandparents and small children - Give grandparents a large-print copy, and seat them where they can hear the caller and see the page in good light. - Pair small children with a cousin or an adult who reads the card aloud. - Use dried beans, buttons or coins as markers. Beans are a traditional marker in lotería, a Mexican game of picture cards that has been played in Mexico since at least the 1800s. - For a break between rounds, [prompt cards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/) for charades or drawing suit mixed ages. An adult reads the card, and acting it out needs no reading, so small children can join the same round as their grandparents. - Give each child a small job, such as checking the caller's numbers or handing out cards. Keep the jobs short, so the game stays fun for everyone. > Ask each adult to take one role for the afternoon: caller, card checker or prize keeper. A clear role keeps the table relaxed and shares the work out. ## Games in this post - [90-ball bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/): Independent 90-ball tickets with three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers each, plus a caller sheet for the 1–90 game. - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [Gomoku and Go boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/): Five-in-a-row boards and Go boards from 9 × 9 to 19 × 19, ready for pens, coins or beans. - [Prompt cards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/): Printable prompt cards for charades, drawing or conversation, six, nine or twelve to a page, with dashed cut lines. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/family-gatherings-and-holidays/ ======== # From tic-tac-toe to gomoku: winning lines on paper > Forks in tic-tac-toe, the sending rule of ultimate tic-tac-toe and the open four of gomoku, with tips for playing each on a printed board. Three in a row, four in a row, five in a row: the same simple idea runs through a whole family of pencil games. The bigger the board and the longer the line, the more room there is for real strategy. This guide moves from the classic 3 × 3 grid to ultimate tic-tac-toe and gomoku, with one key idea for each. Boards for all three are on the [tic-tac-toe maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/) and the [gomoku and Go board maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/). ## Tic-tac-toe: the fork Two experienced players almost always draw at tic-tac-toe, because careful play from both sides is enough to prevent a line. Most wins come from a *fork*: a move that makes two threats at once. Your opponent can block only one, so the other becomes three in a row. *X has just played the bottom-left corner while blocking O's diagonal. That move makes two threats at once, up the left column and along the bottom row, and O can block only one.* Corners are useful for building forks, because each corner sits on three lines: a row, a column and a diagonal. The centre sits on four lines. When you defend, look one move ahead: block not only lines with two marks, but also moves that would let your opponent build two threats at once. ## Ultimate tic-tac-toe: where you send your opponent Ultimate tic-tac-toe is played on nine small boards arranged in a big 3 × 3 grid. You win a small board by getting three in a row on it, and you win the game by winning three small boards in a row. The twist is the sending rule. The square you play in, inside a small board, decides which small board your opponent must play in next. If you play in the top-right square of any small board, your opponent must play somewhere in the top-right small board. *X plays the top-right square of the centre board, so O must play next in the top-right board.* This turns every move into two decisions: what the move does on its own board, and where it sends your opponent. Sending them to a board they are about to win is a common mistake. When a player is sent to a board that is already won or full, a common rule lets them play on any open board instead, and players should agree on this before starting. ## Gomoku: the open four Gomoku is five in a row, usually played on the intersections of a 15 × 15 grid, the size Paperoom prints for it. It is also called *wuziqi* in Chinese. With so much space, short threats grow into long ones, and the most important shape to recognise is the *open four*. An open four is four stones in a row with an empty point at both ends. Your opponent can block one end, but you complete five at the other, so an open four wins. A four with one end already blocked is still a threat that must be answered, but it can be stopped with one stone. *Left: an open four, with empty points at both ends, cannot be stopped. Right: with one end blocked, a single stone defends.* The same thinking applies one step earlier. An open three, three in a row with space on both sides, threatens to become an open four, so it usually needs an answer at once. Strong players build two threats at the same time, the gomoku version of a fork. ## Why rules change at the top level In freestyle gomoku, the first player has a large advantage, and computer analysis in the 1990s showed that the first player can always win on a 15 × 15 board with perfect play. Tournament play therefore often uses renju, a variant that restricts some of the first player's moves, or special opening rules. For a casual game on paper, simply take turns going first. ## Playing on paper - Use two clearly different marks or colours, and check that both players can see the whole board. - On a gomoku board, players can use X and O, two pens, or coins and beans placed on the intersections. - Print boards with coordinates if you want to record a game or talk about a move, such as H8 for the centre of a 15 × 15 board. - For younger players, start with classic tic-tac-toe, then try the big 6 × 6 board where four in a row wins, before moving on to gomoku. > Tip: Keep a tally row under each board. Over a run of games, you will see whether going first really helps at each size. ## Games in this post - [Tic-tac-toe](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/): Printable boards for noughts and crosses: classic 3 × 3, a big 6 × 6 version and an ultimate board of small boards. - [Gomoku and Go boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/): Five-in-a-row boards and Go boards from 9 × 9 to 19 × 19, ready for pens, coins or beans. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/from-tic-tac-toe-to-gomoku/ ======== # How to fold a paper fortune teller > Step-by-step folding instructions for a paper fortune teller from a printed square, with tips for crisp creases and thin paper. The paper fortune teller is known as a cootie catcher or chatterbox in English, as comecocos in Spain, and as 东南西北 ("east, south, west, north") in Chinese. It is folded from a single square sheet. You can print a square template from [Paperoom's fortune teller maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/), or cut any square of paper. If your paper is not square, trim it first. You need only the square and a pen for writing the colours, numbers and fortunes. A bone folder or the back of a spoon helps press the creases flat, but it is optional. Use a pen that writes clearly on the paper you have chosen, because light pencil can be hard to read once the flaps are folded. Fold one practice sheet before the group arrives, so the steps feel familiar when it matters. ## Make the creases Lay the square flat with the printed side up. 1. Fold one diagonal: bring one corner to the opposite corner. Unfold, then fold the other diagonal the same way and unfold again. 2. Fold the square in half one way, bringing one edge to the opposite edge. Unfold. 3. Fold the square in half the other way, and unfold. You now have four creases: two diagonals and two middle lines. Keep the paper flat with the printed side up. ## Fold the corners 4. Pick up each corner in turn and fold it into the centre, so that all four corners meet at the middle point. 5. Turn the paper over. 6. Fold each of the four corners, which are now on the back, into the centre again. The paper is now a smaller square. ## Fold and open 7. Fold the small square in half, bringing one edge to the opposite edge, so that the four flaps stay on the outside. 8. Push the four square flaps up so that the middle opens into four pockets. Slide the thumb and index finger of each hand into the pockets, one finger per pocket. You are now ready to write on it. Write a colour on each of the four outer flaps. Open each flap and write a number on the inside, then write a fortune under each number. ## Ideas for the fortunes Fortunes do not have to be serious. Many groups write silly predictions, a compliment for each player, a small challenge, or a question for the next player to answer. For a classroom, a fortune can ask the reader to name something they learned that week. Keep each message short, so it fits under its flap without crowding the paper. ## How to play A common way to play goes like this. The player picks one of the colours. You open and close the fortune teller once for each letter in that colour's name. The player then picks one of the numbers showing, and you open and close it that many times. Finally, the player picks one flap, and you read out the fortune under it. Rules vary from group to group. Agree how the game works before you begin. ## Troubleshooting - **Creases look soft.** Run your fingernail, or a bone folder, along each fold before moving on. A firm crease makes the next fold much easier. - **The paper is thin.** Printer paper usually works, but very thin paper can tear at the centre or flop when you open the pockets. A slightly heavier sheet holds its shape better. - **The corners do not meet at the centre.** Check the diagonals first. They must be creased before any corner is folded in. - **The pockets collapse.** Re-press the middle folds, then push the flaps up again. A sheet that has been folded and unfolded several times often becomes easier to shape. > Tip: Fold and unfold each crease before you move to the next step. The paper then keeps the fold lines, and the corners fold neatly into the centre. ## Games in this post - [Paper fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/): Fold a cootie catcher with four colours and eight fortunes you write yourself. Each copy uses a different order. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-fold-a-paper-fortune-teller/ ======== # How to host a bingo night > Pick word or number bingo, print enough distinct cards, agree the winning patterns first, call at a steady pace and check winners fairly. Bingo is one of the easiest games to run for a crowd. It needs cards, markers and someone to call the numbers, and very little else. Lotto-style games are often traced to an Italian lottery of the 1500s. The 75-ball card with B-I-N-G-O columns (B 1-15, I 16-30, N 31-45, G 46-60, O 61-75) is the North American format, popularised in the US from around 1930. In Britain, 90-ball bingo has long been called housie or housey-housey, and in India the 90-number game is known as tambola or housie. Paperoom's [bingo maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) prints custom word bingo and 75-ball number bingo. Its tombola maker prints 90-ball tickets for the traditional Italian family game. ## Choose word bingo or number bingo Word bingo uses squares filled with words. It suits younger players and people who enjoy reading the calls aloud. Number bingo is quicker to call, so it fits a fast-moving evening. Pick one format before you print, because the cards and the caller differ between the two. ## Print more cards than players Print more distinct cards than you have players, so that every person holds a different card. Keep a few spares for late arrivals, or for a card that gets torn or marked by mistake. Write a number on the back of each card and note who holds which, so a card can be returned to the right person after a round. > Tip: Keep the spare cards face down in a separate pile, so nobody mixes them up during the game. ## Agree the winning patterns first Decide the winning patterns before the first number is called. Common choices include: - One complete row. - Two complete rows. - The four corners. - A full house, where every number on the card has been called. Write the agreed patterns and prizes on a board or on the caller sheet, so nobody changes the rules halfway through. If someone asks for a new pattern during the game, say no for this round and agree it for the next. ## Call at a steady pace 1. Draw the next number, from a set of balls or from the caller. 2. Read it aloud. For 75-ball, say the column letter first, for example "B, seven". For 90-ball, say the number alone. 3. Repeat the number once if the room is noisy. 4. Pause long enough for everyone to mark their cards, then draw the next number. 5. Keep the same pause all evening. Players who mark slowly feel rushed if the pace changes. Paperoom offers two ways to call. A printed caller sheet lets you read from paper, with no screen needed. The [on-screen number caller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/number-caller/) is useful if you would rather not keep track of called numbers by hand. ## Check the winner When someone calls bingo, stop and check the card before any prize is given. Ask the player to read out their numbers while you tick each one against the called list. Check the pattern as well as the numbers: the marked squares must form the agreed shape. If the claim is wrong, say so kindly and carry on. Keep the called numbers visible on the board or the caller sheet, so anyone can check a claim without asking the caller to remember. ## Keep prizes simple and non-cash Small prizes keep the evening friendly. Ideas include a snack, first pick at the snack table, a plant, a book, a handmade card, or the chance to call the next game. Keep the prizes similar in value so that nobody feels left out. Rules about games with prizes differ from place to place, so check them if you plan anything with real value. ## Make it comfortable for everyone Paperoom's large print option can be used for bingo cards. It helps guests who find small numbers hard to read, so keep a few large-print cards ready for them. See the [large print games guide](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/large-print-games/) for more. Other things help too. Seat players where they can see the caller, and leave room between tables for wheelchairs and walkers. Use good light and a marker with a big, clear tip. Say each number slowly enough for the back of the room to hear it, and repeat it when the room is noisy. ## Games in this post - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [90-ball bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/): Independent 90-ball tickets with three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers each, plus a caller sheet for the 1–90 game. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-host-a-bingo-night/ ======== # How to play Stop, the categories game > Learn the rules of Stop, also called Basta or Tutti Frutti, from setting up the sheet and choosing a letter to scoring 10, 5 and 0 points. Stop is a word game with many names. In Spanish-speaking countries it is often called Basta, Stop or Tutti Frutti. In Brazil it is Stop or Adedonha, and in France it is often called Le petit bac. In many Arabic-speaking countries it is named after its first columns, إنسان، حيوان، نبات، جماد، بلاد, which mean person, animal, plant, object and country. The idea is simple. A letter is chosen, everyone writes a word that starts with that letter for each category, and the first player to finish calls Stop or Basta. Answers are then read aloud and scored. A pencil and paper are enough for a first game, and [Paperoom's Stop maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/) gives you printable sheets if you want them. ## Set up the sheet 1. Draw a grid on each player's sheet. Put the categories across the top, and leave a row for each round. 2. Choose the categories before you start, and write one at the top of each column. 3. Agree how many rounds you will play. 4. Give each player a pen. Add a score column at the end of each row, and a total at the bottom. ## Play a round 1. Choose a letter, using one of the methods below. 2. Start the round. Everyone writes one word for each category, beginning with the chosen letter. 3. When a player finishes every category, they call Stop or Basta, and everyone stops writing. Agree in advance whether players get a few extra seconds, so that nobody feels cut off. 4. Each player reads one category at a time, and the group checks each answer. 5. Score the round, then move on to the next letter. ## Choose the letter Several methods work well: - Use a [letter picker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/letters/) on screen, so everyone sees the same random choice. - Pull a slip from a folded bag of letters. - Count letters on your fingers while reciting the alphabet, and use the letter where the count stops. In Brazil, adedonha can describe this finger-counting method. Letters such as Q, X, Y and Z are hard for many categories. Many groups skip them, or agree a rule for them before the game starts. ## Set the timing Some groups set a time limit for each round, while others let the first finisher decide when it ends. Either approach works. Agree the rule first, and use a [timer](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/timer/) so that everyone can see how much time is left. ## Score the round A common scoring system gives: - 10 points for an answer nobody else wrote. - 5 points for an answer that another player also wrote. - 0 points for a blank answer or one that is judged invalid. For example, in the Fruit category with the letter M, Maya and Ali both write "mango" and Sam writes "melon". Maya and Ali each score 5 for mango, and Sam scores 10 for melon. Variations are everywhere, so agree yours before the first round. > Tip: Write each round's points on the sheet as you go, and total them at the end of every round. A running total is easier to check than a long list at the end of the evening. ## Settle disputes fairly Decide the rules before the first round. Does a word have to be in a dictionary? Are names of people or places allowed? Can a word from another language count? Decide whether small spelling mistakes are accepted, and apply the same rule to everyone. Write the decisions down, so that the group can refer back to them. When a dispute comes up, read the word aloud and let the group decide, or vote if there is no clear answer. If the host is also playing, a neutral vote is often fairer than a single decision by the host. Judge the word itself, not the neatness of the handwriting. ## Choose categories - For children: animals, colours, foods, things at school and toys. - For adults: cities, films, famous people, drinks, jobs and things in a kitchen. - For language classes: verbs, household objects, things in a supermarket, and a category such as "things you wear", with answers written in the language being learned. Mix a few easy categories with one harder one, so that the round stays lively. Many groups change the list of categories from one session to the next. ## Games in this post - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-play-stop/ ======== # How to solve a maze: wall following and dead-end filling > Two dependable ways to solve a paper maze, why keeping a hand on the wall works, and how filling in dead ends reveals the only route. A maze on paper can be solved by trial and error, but two simple methods always work on the kind of maze most puzzle books print. One is a rule you could follow with your eyes closed. The other turns the maze into a colouring job. Both are worth knowing, and both are easy to practise on a sheet from the [maze maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/maze/). ## What kind of maze is this? Many printed mazes, including Paperoom's, are *perfect mazes*. Every part of the maze can be reached, and between any two points there is exactly one route, so there are no loops and no sealed-off rooms. The walls form one connected piece that touches the outside border. These facts are what make the two methods below dependable. A maze with loops or islands of wall can still be solved, but it needs more care, and the wall-following rule can send you round in circles. ## Method 1: keep a hand on the wall Put your pencil in the entrance and imagine resting your right hand on the wall beside you. Now walk without ever lifting that hand. At each junction, take the turn that keeps your hand on the wall: turn right if you can, otherwise go straight, otherwise turn left, and if you meet a dead end, turn around. In a perfect maze this always reaches the exit. Because the walls are all connected to the border, following one wall is like tracing the outline of a single shape, and the exit is a gap somewhere on that outline. *Following the right-hand wall from the entrance. The route walks into some dead ends and back out of them, but it always reaches the exit.* The rule is reliable but not short. You will walk into dead ends and back out again, and in a big maze that can take a while. It also works with the left hand, as long as you never switch hands halfway. ## Method 2: fill the dead ends The second method looks at the whole maze at once. Find every dead end, a short corridor closed on three sides, and shade it in up to the junction where it meets the rest of the maze. Shading a dead end can create new dead ends, so keep going until there are none left except the entrance and the exit. What remains unshaded is the route. In a perfect maze it is the only one. *Dead ends shaded in until none are left. The unshaded corridor, drawn in green, is the only route from the entrance to the exit.* This method suits people who like to see the whole puzzle. It is also a good way to solve a maze together: one person shades from the top while another works from the bottom. ## Other habits that help - Look at the exit first. Working backwards from the finish, or from both ends at once, often shows which half of the maze matters. - Use the eraser rarely. Light pencil lines let you back out of a wrong turn without rubbing a hole in the paper. - For young children, a highlighter on a small maze makes the route easy to see and to talk about. - When two of you race, give both the same maze. Paperoom's repeatable seed prints the same maze again whenever you need a second copy. ## Winding and branching mazes The shape of a maze depends on how it was made. Paperoom's winding style is carved with a depth-first search, which tends to make long corridors with few junctions. That suits wall following, because there are fewer side trips. The branching style uses Prim's method, which leaves many short dead ends. That suits dead-end filling, because each dead end is quick to shade. > Tip: Try both methods on the same sheet. Print a maze twice with the same seed, then race: one player follows the wall and the other fills dead ends. Every Paperoom maze comes with an answer page where the route is drawn in colour, from small grids for young children up to huge mazes that take a long, quiet while. ## Games in this post - [Maze](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/maze/): Printable mazes with a marked entrance and exit, from small grids to huge ones, each with an answer page. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-solve-a-maze/ ======== # How to solve a nonogram, step by step > Read the clues, fill the squares every arrangement shares, mark the empty ones and let rows and columns help each other until the picture appears. A nonogram is a picture hidden in a grid. The numbers beside each row and above each column tell you how the filled squares are grouped, and pure logic tells you where they go. You never need to guess. This guide walks through the reasoning in the order most solvers use it, from a first 5 × 5 grid to the habits that make a 15 × 15 puzzle manageable. You can print practice grids with answer keys from the [nonogram maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/). ## Reading the clues Each number is a run of filled squares in that line, and the runs come in the order the numbers are written: left to right for rows, top to bottom for columns. Between two runs there is always at least one empty square. A clue of 0 means the whole line stays empty. *A 5 × 5 puzzle and its solution. The row clue 1 1 means two single squares with a gap between them; the column clue 4 means one run of four.* Use a pencil. Fill a square when you are sure it is part of the picture, and mark a square with a dot or a light cross when you are sure it is empty. Both kinds of mark are information, and the dots are often what unlocks the next step. ## Start with lines that are already decided Some lines can be filled straight away. Add up the clue numbers, then add one for every gap between runs. If the total equals the length of the line, there is only one way to place the runs. For example, a row of 10 with the clue 3 4 1 needs 3 + 4 + 1 squares plus two gaps, which is exactly 10. The row is fully decided. A clue of 0 is decided too: mark every square as empty. *The clue 3 4 1 fills a line of ten exactly, gaps included. A clue of 0 leaves the whole line empty.* ## Find the overlap Most lines are not decided at once, but a long run still gives something away. Imagine the run pushed as far left as it can go, then as far right. Any square covered in both positions must be filled. In a line of 10 with the clue 7, the run covers squares 1 to 7 when pushed left and squares 4 to 10 when pushed right. Squares 4, 5, 6 and 7 are covered either way, so you can fill them now. A quick way to count: the overlap is the run length minus the free space, here 7 − 3 = 4 squares. *Push the run of seven to the left, then to the right. The four squares in the middle are filled in both positions.* The same trick works with several runs in one line. Push all of them to the left, then all of them to the right, and compare each run with its own copy. ## Let rows and columns trade information Every square belongs to one row and one column. When you fill or mark a square while working on a row, the column it sits in now has a new fact, and that may be enough to settle more of the column. Solving a nonogram is mostly this back-and-forth. A good rhythm is: 1. Fill every decided line and every overlap you can find. 2. Go through the columns, using the squares the rows have given you. 3. Go back to the rows with what the columns have added. 4. Repeat until the picture is complete. ## Work from the edges The edges of the grid are a strong source of logic. If the first number of a row is 3 and the square touching the left edge is filled, that square must be the start of the 3, so the next two squares are filled and the square after them is empty. Filled squares near an edge also limit where a run can begin. If a run of 4 must include a square two places from the edge, the run cannot reach past a certain point on the other side, and squares beyond that point belong to later runs or stay empty. ## Mark what you rule out Once a line has all its runs in place, mark the remaining squares as empty. When a gap between filled squares is too short for any run that could still go there, mark that gap empty as well. Beginners often skip the dots, but a line full of dots shows the remaining space clearly, and it shrinks the overlaps in the crossing lines. > Tip: When you are stuck, look for the line with the least free space. Short gaps and long clues leave little room, so they are the most likely to give up another square. ## Choosing a size A 5 × 5 grid is small enough to solve in a few minutes and is a good way to learn the overlap. A 10 × 10 grid is the classic size and needs every technique above. A 15 × 15 grid takes longer and rewards keeping your dots tidy. Paperoom prints each puzzle with its clues and, if you choose, an answer key on a separate page, so you can check a finished picture or peek at one square when a grid refuses to move. ## Games in this post - [Nonogram](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/): Fill in squares to match the numbers and reveal a hidden picture. Choose 5 × 5, 10 × 10 or 15 × 15, with answer keys. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-solve-nonograms/ ======== # Icebreakers for teams and workshops > Paper icebreakers for teams and workshops, including people bingo, conversation cards, a quick scavenger hunt and team forming, with inclusive prompts. ## Make taking part optional An icebreaker works when nobody feels exposed by it. Say at the start that anyone can pass a prompt, skip a square or sit out a round, and mean it. Many people find it easier to join in when they can choose how much to share. Avoid prompts about family, relationships, health, money, religion, age, appearance or where someone comes from. Also avoid asking people to reveal anything they would not say in a normal meeting. Prompts about skills, habits, tastes and small experiences work well for almost any group. ## People bingo People bingo, sometimes called "find someone who", asks participants to move around the room and find a different person for each square. Each square names a short experience or habit. A person can sign a card only once, so each card needs as many different people as it has squares. 1. Write 16 to 25 short prompts. Keep each one short enough to read at a glance. 2. Enter the prompts in the [custom word bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) maker, print one card per participant, and check the preview before printing the whole set. 3. Set a time limit of about ten minutes with the timer. 4. Decide in advance whether there is a prize. Some groups prefer to stop when most people have a line, so that nobody feels they lost. Prompts that tend to work well: - has learned a new skill this year - has tried a dish they had never eaten before - can hum the tune of a favourite song - has used a paper map in the last year - knows how to fold a paper boat - can count to ten in another language - prefers tea to coffee ## Conversation prompt cards [Prompt cards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/) give pairs something to talk about without needing a facilitator to lead every exchange. Print one prompt per card, then follow these steps. 1. Pair people up, and let each pair draw one card at a time. 2. Each person answers in about a minute. The other person listens without interrupting, then they swap roles. 3. Change partners after three or four rounds, so people meet more colleagues. Good prompts are open and light: - What is a small thing that made your week easier? - Which book, film or song would you recommend to a stranger? - What skill would you like to learn next? - Where would you go for a one-day trip within a few hours of here? > Keep a few blank cards in the pile, so people can write their own prompt when none of the printed ones fits. ## A quick scavenger hunt A short [scavenger hunt](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/scavenger-hunt/) gets people walking and talking without much preparation. 1. Write eight items that teams can find in the shared space, such as a pen with a blue cap, something made of paper, or a window with a view outside. 2. Keep every item within the shared areas. Teams do not enter private offices, open drawers or touch other people's belongings. 3. Form teams of three or four and give each team the list and ten minutes. 4. Bring everyone back when the time is up. Each team names one find, or passes if it prefers not to speak. ## Forming teams quickly Use the [teams tool](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/teams/) to split the list of names into groups before the session starts, so nobody waits while the room sorts itself out. Mix people who do not usually work together, and offer anyone who would rather choose their own group the chance to do so. ## Timing the session An example plan for a 45-minute session might look like this. Adjust it to the size of the group and the room. - 5 minutes: opening, rules and the reminder that taking part is optional - 10 minutes: people bingo - 15 minutes: conversation cards in pairs - 10 minutes: the scavenger hunt - 5 minutes: a closing round where people name one thing they learned Test the timer and the printed cards before anyone arrives. Keep a spare set for people who join late, so they can take part without waiting for the first round to finish. ## Games in this post - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [Prompt cards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/): Printable prompt cards for charades, drawing or conversation, six, nine or twelve to a page, with dashed cut lines. - [Scavenger hunt](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/scavenger-hunt/): Printable checklists and find-and-draw sheets for parties and classrooms. One sheet per team, optionally shuffled. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/icebreakers-for-teams-and-workshops/ ======== # Keeping score on paper > How to keep score on paper for card and dice games, with tallies, running totals and notes on Truco, Baloot, Tarneeb, Belote and Generala. A paper score pad is one of the simplest tools at a game night. It needs no batteries, everyone can see the numbers, and anyone can check a total by reading down a column. Writing each round down also gives players a record they can look back on if a question comes up. ## Pick a column layout Give each player or team a column, and put one row for each round. Write the names across the top, and leave a space at the bottom for the total. A [scoreboard](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/scoreboard/) on screen can do the same job when you want a larger display for the whole table. For games with a few players, one column each is easiest to read. For team games, write the team names instead, and keep each partner's contribution in a note beside the column if the rules need it. ## Use running totals Add each round's points to the total from the previous round, rather than adding the whole column again at the end. Write the running total under each round, so you can see the state of the game at any moment. Check the final total against the column once before announcing a winner. ## Use tally marks and squares of five For points that come one at a time, tally marks are quick to make. Draw four short vertical strokes, then a fifth stroke across them. Groups of five are easy to count at a glance, and a bundle of tallies can be totalled in seconds. Some card games use the same idea with bigger shapes. In Truco, for example, points are often tallied by drawing squares of five, a method that is easy to read at a glance. ## Regional notes Scoring rules differ from place to place, and families and clubs often have their own versions. The notes below describe common practice only. **Truco.** Truco is played in Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. In Argentina and Uruguay a game is often 30 points, split into two tallies called malas and buenas. Truco Paulista, played in Brazil, is often played to 12 points. Separate columns for each side can make truco tallies easier to follow. **Baloot.** Baloot (بلوت) is popular in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf. Scores are written in two columns, لنا ("us") and لهم ("them"), and a common game ends at 152 points. Keep the columns clearly labelled, so that every round is written under the correct heading. **Tarneeb.** Tarneeb (طرنيب) is played in the Levant, often to 41 points. A simple two-column layout for the two teams works well, with a running total under each round. **Belote.** Belote is a classic French card game. It is often played to 1000 points, though 501 points is also common. Agree the target before dealing the first hand. **Generala.** Generala is a Latin American game played with five dice. Its scoring is organised by categories such as escalera, full, póker and generala. Many groups draw one row per category and write the result of each turn in the matching row. House rules vary, so agree how each category is filled before you start. ## Agree the target before you start Decide the target score before the first round. Whether the game ends at 152, 41, 501 or 1000 points, or after a fixed number of rounds, everyone should know it in advance. A target agreed at the start prevents the end of the game becoming a debate. > Tip: Write the target at the top of the score pad, next to the names. Anyone who arrives late can see at once how the game ends. Paperoom's [score pads](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/) print ready-made sheets for dice and card games, so you can start scoring without drawing a grid by hand. ## Games in this post - [Score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/): Score pads for card and tile games: a plain table for any game, or a tally board for truco, with a few common presets. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/keeping-score-on-paper/ ======== # Paper games for travel > How to build a printable travel folder of pencil-only paper games for trains, planes, waiting rooms and campsites, and use the site offline once installed. ## Build the folder before you leave A paper game folder weighs almost nothing, and it works when batteries and signal do not. Build it a few days before the trip, not on the morning you leave. 1. Check the paper size your printer uses. A4 is the usual size in most countries outside North America, and US Letter is common in the United States and Canada. Choose the size that matches the paper you will carry. 2. Print one test sheet at 100% scale and check it at real size. 3. Print one copy of each game for each traveller, plus a spare of any sheet you cannot easily reprint. 4. Keep the sheets in a clear plastic wallet or document folder, with a pencil and an eraser in a pocket. 5. Download the PDFs of the games you plan to use, so you can open and print them without a signal. > Write down the seed of any set you like. A seed recreates the same set later, so you can print a fresh copy at home. ## Pencil-only games Pencil-only games need no cards, dice or counters, so the bag stays light. These four work well with one pencil between two people. - [Battleship](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/): each player marks a grid, places a hidden fleet, and takes turns calling squares. Pencil-and-paper battleship is often said to date from the early twentieth century, before printed pads and board versions appeared. - [Hangman](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hangman/): one player picks a word, perhaps a town name from the trip, and the other guesses letters. It fits into a few spare minutes. - [Tic-tac-toe](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/): two players, a three-by-three grid and nothing else. It goes by noughts and crosses in the UK, *jogo da velha* in Brazil and *morpion* in France. - [Word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/): choose easy for a bumpy road and hard for a long wait. Easy words run right and down, medium adds diagonals, and hard allows all eight directions. Dots and boxes also works with only a pencil. Édouard Lucas published it in 1889 as *La Pipopipette*, and a grid of dots on the back of any sheet is enough to start. ## Clipboards and keeping pieces together A clipboard or stiff folder gives you a flat writing surface on a lap or a fold-down table. Clip the sheets to it with a bulldog clip, so a gust of wind or a turned page does not separate them from the pencil. Keep anything with loose parts in a small zip bag labelled with the game name. Put the bag in the front pocket of the folder, not at the bottom of a rucksack. Check the bag before you leave the table or the gate, because a single lost counter can stop a game. ## Trains, planes, waiting rooms and campsites **Trains.** Table tops are often small, so choose games that fit on one side of a sheet, such as tic-tac-toe. Sit facing the table if you can, and keep the second player's sheet on the clipboard. **Planes.** Tray tables are small and seat backs move, so use the clipboard on your knee. Carry only a few sheets, and keep the pencil within reach of the window seat. Printing before the flight means you never need a printer at the airport. **Waiting rooms.** Choose quiet games. Word searches and hangman can be played in a whisper, and battleship works well with someone sitting beside you. Let each child choose one game from the folder, so the waiting is shared out fairly. **Campsites.** Wind and damp can lift or soften paper. Hold sheets down with a stone or a clipboard, close the folder when you are not using it, and bring a lamp for the evenings. A hard word search suits a long evening by the lantern. ## Use the site offline Paperoom works offline once it has been installed or visited, and the games are generated on your device. Plan the offline part before you leave: 1. Open the site on a connection and install it as an app if your browser offers that option. 2. Visit each game you plan to use while you are still online, so it is ready when you need it. 3. Generate each set, download the PDF, and keep a copy on your phone as a backup. Once a set is printed, you do not need the site at all. Paperoom is free and needs no account, so there is nothing to sign in to on the road. ## Games in this post - [Battleship (sea battle)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/): Two grids per sheet: hide your fleet, call out squares and sink the other player's ships on paper. - [Hangman](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hangman/): Guess the secret word one letter at a time, tracing a figure for each wrong guess. Use your own words or blank rounds. - [Tic-tac-toe](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/): Printable boards for noughts and crosses: classic 3 × 3, a big 6 × 6 version and an ultimate board of small boards. - [Word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/): Word searches from 8 × 8 to 18 × 18 with easy, medium or hard directions, an answer key and a page for long lists. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/paper-games-for-travel/ ======== # How to print perfect game sheets > Pick the right paper size and scale, switch off headers and footers, test one page, and choose between a PDF download and a browser print. A game sheet is only as good as its print. A few minutes of setup before you print avoids cut-off edges, shrunken text and wasted paper. Paperoom makes sheets in A4 or US Letter, and the same steps apply to the games you print from the site. ## Choose A4 or US Letter A4 is the standard paper size in most of the world. US Letter is standard in the United States and is common in parts of North America. The two are not the same shape: A4 is narrower and taller than US Letter, so a sheet set up for one can lose a margin when printed on the other. Choose the size that matches the paper in your printer tray before you start. ## Print at 100% scale Scale is the setting most likely to ruin a print. A sheet printed at 100% keeps its real size, so the layout, margins and text are exactly as designed. "Fit to page" changes the size to suit the paper, which can shrink or enlarge the whole sheet. 1. Open the print dialog from your browser. 2. Choose the paper size that matches your setup. 3. Set the scale to 100%, or to "Actual size". 4. Turn off headers and footers. 5. Print one test page before printing the full set. > Tip: Scale is often under "More settings" or "Options" in the print dialog, next to the paper size. ## Turn off headers and footers Browsers often add the date, the web address and page numbers to the top and bottom of every page. These take up space and can push the game off the sheet. Look under "More settings" or "Options" in the print dialog, and untick headers and footers. Do this every time, because some browsers remember the last setting. ## Use black-ink mode when needed Paperoom offers a black-ink-only option. It removes colour, which can save ink on a home printer, and it suits photocopying, where colour is not needed. Check the preview to make sure that the grid lines and text remain clear in black. ## Choose large print for some groups Large print helps people with low vision, and it is often easier for anyone reading at a distance or in dim light. Large-print sheets may use more paper, so plan the number of pages. Look at the preview at arm's length and check that the longest word or number still fits in its box. See the [large print games guide](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/large-print-games/) for more on sizes. ## Test one page first A test page catches most problems in seconds. Check the margins on all four sides, the paper size, the scale and the legibility of the smallest text. If anything is wrong, change one setting and print another test. Printing a whole set with the wrong scale wastes time and paper. ## Use cardstock for boards and pieces Printer paper is fine for word searches, sheets and score pads. For boards, dominoes, tangram pieces and anything that must stand up or be handled often, cardstock is more durable. Check your printer's paper-weight setting before you print on it, because thicker sheets can jam or print faintly if the setting is wrong. Many printers have a manual feed for heavier paper. ## Cut and sort neatly Use a ruler and a craft knife on a cutting mat for straight lines, and scissors for curves. Cut along the printed lines, and make a few cuts at a time rather than rushing one long cut. Sort the pieces into labelled envelopes or bags as you go, so a set is ready for the next game. ## Save the setup and the seed Paperoom lets you save your setup to a file and load it later, and each set has a seed that recreates it exactly. Write the seed down or save the setup file with the printed sheets. Next month, you can print the same word search, or the same bingo cards, without starting again. ## PDF download or browser print Browser printing is the quickest route: choose print and check the settings above. Downloading a PDF takes one more step, but it gives you a fixed file that looks the same on any device and can be printed later from any computer. The site also works offline once it has been installed or visited, so you can prepare sheets without a connection. If you print from a PDF viewer, set the viewer's scale to "Actual size" as well, since the viewer has its own page-fitting settings. ## Games in this post - [Word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/): Word searches from 8 × 8 to 18 × 18 with easy, medium or hard directions, an answer key and a page for long lists. - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/print-perfect-sheets/ ======== # Rainy-day paper games for kids > A printable rainy-day kit for children aged 4 to 12, with mazes, tic-tac-toe, dots and boxes, an indoor scavenger hunt and paper fortune tellers. ## One kit, three age groups A rainy afternoon goes better when each child has a game that suits their reading and drawing skills. Print the kit in three groups and let each child start with the group that matches their age. Older children can help younger ones, and anyone can move up when they are ready. ### Ages 4 to 6 Start with a [maze](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/maze/). A child traces the path with a crayon from start to finish. Keep the first maze short, and offer help at a dead end without taking the crayon away. [Tic-tac-toe](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/) is a good second game. Adults can play the first few rounds to show how the turns work. If a printed grid is torn, a child can draw a new one on the back of a spare sheet. Tic-tac-toe has many names. It is noughts and crosses in the UK, *jogo da velha* in Brazil, *tres en raya* in Spain and 井字棋 in China. Asking a child what the game is called in another language is a simple way to start a conversation. ### Ages 7 to 9 [Dots and boxes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/) suits this age well. Players take turns drawing one line between neighbouring dots. A player who completes a box writes their initial inside it and takes another turn. The French mathematician Édouard Lucas published it in 1889 under the name *La Pipopipette*. An origami paper fortune teller is another good craft for this group. It has many names: cootie catcher and chatterbox in English, *comecocos* in Spain and 东南西北 ("east south west north") in Chinese. It folds from one square sheet. Children write colours on the outer flaps, numbers under them, and short fortunes or silly predictions inside. A child can fold one for a friend and let the friend choose. ### Ages 10 to 12 Older children can take on the simple sudoku sheet. Sudoku first appeared in 1979 as "Number Place" in *Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games*. Start with the rows and columns that already have the most numbers filled in. Dots and boxes rewards planning. Strong players avoid drawing the third side of a box, because that hands the next box to the other player. Late in the game, long chains decide the result. A "double-cross" gives up two boxes to keep control of a chain, so it is worth explaining to older players before the endgame starts. ## Set up a calm table 1. Clear the table and lay a plain sheet or a washable cloth underneath the printed pages. 2. Put out sharpened pencils, a rubber and a few crayons in one tray, so nobody needs to leave the table mid-game. 3. Place a folder or tray beside each child for finished pages. 4. Print one set for each child and a spare of every page, because torn or coloured pages happen. Check the print settings before you print the full kit: - Print at 100% scale. Choose "fit to page" only when your sheet is not the same size as the paper. - Turn off headers and footers in the browser's print dialog. - Match the paper size, A4 or US Letter, to the paper in the tray. - Print one test sheet before the full set. ## Indoor scavenger hunt A [scavenger hunt](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/scavenger-hunt/) works well on a wet day because it moves children around the house without any equipment. Pick six to ten items that are indoors and easy to see. Keep fragile things and private belongings off the list. For pre-readers, read each item aloud and choose things the child can name, such as a spoon, a sock or a book with a red cover. Give each child or team the list and a fixed time. Teams tick off items where they find them, and nobody moves things to complete the list. ## Take turns choosing Turn-taking keeps the afternoon fair. Use this order: 1. Write each child's name on a card and stack the cards. 2. Flip the on-screen coin to decide who chooses first. 3. The chooser picks the next game from the kit, and everyone plays it. 4. When the game ends, the next card in the stack chooses the following game. > Let the youngest child choose the first game of the afternoon, and give older children the harder games to pick. ## Games in this post - [Maze](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/maze/): Printable mazes with a marked entrance and exit, from small grids to huge ones, each with an answer page. - [Tic-tac-toe](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/): Printable boards for noughts and crosses: classic 3 × 3, a big 6 × 6 version and an ultimate board of small boards. - [Scavenger hunt](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/scavenger-hunt/): Printable checklists and find-and-draw sheets for parties and classrooms. One sheet per team, optionally shuffled. - [Dots and boxes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/): Square dot grids for two to four players: draw lines, claim boxes and add up the score on a printed table. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/rainy-day-paper-games-for-kids/ ======== # Sudoku techniques for beginners > Learn scanning, naked and hidden singles, pencil marks and naked pairs, and practise on small 4 × 4 and 6 × 6 grids before moving on. A sudoku fills a grid so that every row, column and box contains each digit exactly once. Beginners often guess, but most puzzles can be solved with a few logical techniques. The ones below are the most useful. You can practise them on [Paperoom's sudoku maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/). ## Start with a small grid A 4 × 4 grid uses 2 × 2 boxes and the digits 1 to 4. A 6 × 6 grid uses boxes of 2 rows by 3 columns and the digits 1 to 6. Smaller grids have fewer possible digits in each cell, so the techniques are easier to see. Practise on these before moving to a 9 × 9 grid. ## Scan with cross-hatching Scanning, also called cross-hatching, is the technique most players learn first. 1. Choose a digit, such as 5. 2. Choose a box that does not yet contain a 5. 3. Look at the rows and columns that cross that box. If a row or column outside the box already holds a 5, that line cannot hold a 5 inside this box. 4. If only one cell in the box is still possible, write the 5 there. 5. Repeat for each digit and each box. *Scanning for 5 in the top-right box. The 5s in the top two rows rule out those rows, and the 5s lower down rule out two columns, which leaves one cell.* ## Find naked singles A naked single is a cell where only one digit fits, after you have checked its row, column and box. It is the simplest find in sudoku. When you find one, write the digit in the cell, then erase that digit from the pencil marks in the same row, column and box. Each placed digit can reveal another single, so keep scanning after every placement. ## Find hidden singles A hidden single is a digit that fits in only one cell of a row, column or box, even if that cell also has other possibilities. Hidden singles are easy to miss because the cell looks crowded. For each missing digit, scan one row, then one column, then one box, and ask "where can this digit go?" If only one cell is left, the digit belongs there. > Tip: Look at the digit, not the cell. Checking one digit at a time across the whole grid is often easier than checking each cell in turn. ## Use pencil marks Pencil marks are small notes of the digits that could still go in a cell. Write them in pencil, and erase a mark whenever you place a digit that rules it out. Mark a few cells at a time, or work one box at a time, so the notes stay manageable. ## Spot naked pairs A naked pair is two cells in the same row, column or box that contain only the same two candidates, for example 3 and 7. One of those cells must hold 3 and the other must hold 7. That means neither digit can go in any other cell of that row, column or box, so you can erase both from the other pencil marks in that unit. *A naked pair in one row. Two cells can hold only 3 or 7, so 3 and 7 are erased from every other cell in the row.* Naked pairs take practice to spot. Start by looking for cells with only two marks in each. ## Check your work Before you finish, check each row, column and box once more. Every one should hold the digits 1 to 9 exactly once, or the digits 1 to 4 or 1 to 6 on a smaller grid. A single repeated digit is the usual sign that one earlier placement went wrong, so trace back through the last few digits you wrote. ## Know when to take a break If you are stuck, stop for a few minutes and come back with fresh eyes. Many players find they then spot a single they missed earlier. Avoid guessing. If you must try a digit, write it in pencil, and erase it if the grid later contradicts it. Working on a small grid first, then stepping up, is a sensible way to build confidence. Each technique is easier to spot once you have used it several times. ## Games in this post - [Sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/): Number puzzles from gentle 4 × 4 grids to classic 9 × 9, each with exactly one solution. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/sudoku-techniques-for-beginners/ ======== # Vocabulary games for language classes > Printable vocabulary games for teachers of any language, from word bingo and crosswords to word searches and hangman, with ways to adjust them by level. ## Start with one short word list Choose a dozen to twenty words from the unit before you open any game maker. A short list usually lets every game finish inside one lesson, and students meet each word several times in that hour. Write the list exactly as you teach it, with accents and any non-Latin script, then copy it into each game so the spelling stays consistent. Paperoom accepts custom words in any script, and the games are generated on your device, so the list does not leave your computer. The site is offered in six interface languages, including Arabic and Simplified Chinese. ## Word bingo with definitions or translations [Word bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) is the easiest game to run with a mixed class. Students fill their cards with target words, and you call something else: an English translation, a short definition in the target language, or a sentence with the word missing. Students must recall the word that matches the call. 1. Enter your list in the custom word bingo maker and print more cards than you have students, so a spare can replace a lost card. 2. Print a caller sheet for yourself. Read each call slowly and repeat it once. 3. Call translations for beginners and definitions for intermediate groups. 4. Write each called word on the board, so a student who missed a call can catch up. > Print one test sheet first and check that every accent is clear at real size before you copy the full class set. ## Crosswords with clues in the target language Arthur Wynne's "word-cross" in the New York World, published on 21 December 1913, is usually called the first crossword. A [crossword](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/crossword/) asks students to read a clue in the target language and produce the answer, practising reading and spelling together. For beginners, write clues as simple target-language sentences, such as a short description of a food or a place. For advanced learners, use synonyms, or define each word with other words from the unit. A mixed class can share one puzzle, with stronger students taking the longer clues. Keep the accents in the answer words, such as *café* or *niño*, because students will need them when they write. Print the answer key too. ## Word searches that keep accents and scripts A [word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/) suits spelling and recognition. Paperoom offers three levels: easy (words run right and down), medium (diagonals are added) and hard (all eight directions). Start beginners on easy, use medium for review and keep hard for a final check or for students who finish early. In many languages the accent is part of the spelling. In Spanish, *árbol* is written with its accent, and in French *été* keeps both of its accents. Decide the rule before play and say it aloud: a word must be found with its accents, or both forms are accepted. Words in other scripts work the same way. Arabic *مدرسة* (school) and Chinese *学校* (school) can sit in the same list as Latin words. > Small accents can fade on a tired photocopier, so check the printed page before you copy it for everyone. ## Hangman for spelling [Hangman](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hangman/) is a short game for the end of a lesson. Pick one word from the list, draw a blank for each letter, and let students call letters in turn. Each wrong letter adds a part to the figure. For languages with accents, decide before you start whether guessing *e* counts for *é*. Some teachers accept the plain letter in the guess and then ask for the full accented spelling on the board. ## The categories game for vocabulary The categories game goes by many names. It is Basta, Stop or Tutti Frutti in Spanish-speaking countries, Adedonha in Brazil and Le petit bac in France. In Arabic-speaking countries it is often named after its first columns: إنسان، حيوان، نبات، جماد، بلاد (person, animal, plant, object, country). Paperoom has a Stop maker for the categories sheet. 1. Choose four to six categories from the unit, such as food, clothes, animals, places in town and countries. 2. Pick a letter. The letter picker tool can choose one for you, or you can draw one from a bag of letter tiles. 3. Each student writes one word per category that begins with that letter. The first to finish says "Stop" or "Basta". 4. Score one common way: 10 points for an answer nobody else wrote, 5 for a shared answer and 0 for a blank or invalid one. Let the class agree on disputed answers before you score. ## Adjust the games for levels - **Beginners:** eight to ten words, an easy word search, bingo with translations, and hangman with the word bank written on the board. - **Intermediate:** a crossword with synonym clues, a medium word search and the categories game. - **Advanced:** a hard word search, target-language definitions in bingo, and crossword clues that use the new words in context. In a mixed class, pair a stronger student with a beginner and let them share one card. Keeping one list all week lets each game reinforce the same words. ## Games in this post - [Crossword](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/crossword/): A criss-cross grid built from your own answers and clues, with numbered squares, an optional word bank and an answer key. - [Word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/): Word searches from 8 × 8 to 18 × 18 with easy, medium or hard directions, an answer key and a page for long lists. - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [Hangman](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hangman/): Guess the secret word one letter at a time, tracing a figure for each wrong guess. Use your own words or blank rounds. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/vocabulary-games-for-language-classes/ ======== # A paper game night, without the fuss > A few thoughtful choices make a game easier to join. You do not need a theme for every detail or a prize for every round. ## Pick a game for the room For guests who have just met, begin with word bingo using familiar things: a cup of tea, a favourite song, a rainy day. People can play from their seats and join in at their own pace. For a more energetic group, fill prompt cards with short actions that can be acted or drawn. Let players pass without explanation. ## Make one test sheet first Choose two cards per page for compact bingo or one card per page for larger writing. Print one page before a full set. Check that the smallest words are comfortable to read in the actual room lighting. If a long word looks cramped, shorten it or use a smaller grid. You can save a setup file and make the remaining sheets later. ## Agree on a finish before you start For bingo, say whether one straight row, a column, a diagonal, or the full card wins. The free centre counts as marked when enabled. Draw from the caller sheet or use the on-screen caller; each item is called once. Check the winning card against what was called. Several players can finish together. ## Leave room for the gathering Start with one short round, then let the room decide whether to continue. Keep a shared pile of pencils and use counters large enough to handle comfortably. For charades, choose a gentle time limit together and allow a partner. For a quiet corner, put a word search and its word list on the table, with the answer key kept separately. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/party-games/ ======== # Turn this week’s words into a classroom game > A printable can give practice a different rhythm. Keep the activity tied to words and ideas learners have already encountered. ## Start with a small, familiar set Use a 3 × 3 word-bingo grid for a short warm-up. It needs nine distinct words, or eight with a free centre. A 5 × 5 grid needs 25, or 24 with a free centre. A larger word bank gives more variety between cards. Instead of reading the word, give a definition, an example sentence, or a clue that suits your lesson. ## Choose directions deliberately An easy word search places words rightward or downward. Medium adds downward diagonals; hard allows backward and upward directions too. Introduce the directions before handing out the puzzle. A large grid is not automatically a better task: a short list in a smaller grid may better match the time available. Spaces and hyphens are omitted from the grid; the word list keeps your original labels. Arabic easy mode places words leftward or downward, with the letters shown separately in the grid. Other scripts and accents in custom word lists are supported. ## Keep feedback visible Print an answer key for yourself. Its highlighted squares and starting coordinates let you help without revealing every answer. Random filler letters can create additional accidental matches; accept a correctly found word even if it is not the intended placement. Ask learners to explain or use a found word afterward. Finding a shape of letters alone does not show understanding. ## Make participation flexible Read clues aloud and offer a written copy if useful. Avoid putting student names or sensitive information in a shared game. Let a pair collaborate, use large print, or choose a seated activity. Prompt cards can hold revision questions or drawing tasks instead of charades. Check the generated sheets yourself for suitability before class. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/classroom-games/ ======== # A more comfortable game to read and handle > Large print is a starting point, not a promise that one layout suits everyone. Ask the people playing what makes the page easier for them. ## Give the words room Select large print for one bingo or tombala card per page, or six prompt cards per page. Use short, familiar words. A 3 × 3 bingo grid gives each word more room than a 5 × 5 grid. For word searches, use an 8 × 8 or 10 × 10 grid and easy directions. The larger text setting also enlarges the printed word list. ## Test a real printed page A bright screen is different from a printed sheet. Print at 100% scale with the matching A4 or Letter setting and turn browser headers and footers off. Look at the page from the distance it will be used. Black-ink mode removes decorative colour; answer squares remain marked by bold type and an outline. The game never relies on colour alone. ## Make the table comfortable Leave space between players and use counters that are easy to pick up. Call one item at a time, clearly, and repeat when asked. Keep a written record of called items available. Allow seated play and a partner who can help mark a card. Do not assume someone wants a faster or slower game based on their age. ## Choose the pace together Try a practice round without scoring, then agree on a finish everyone understands. Let people skip a prompt or stop without explaining. These are recreational activities, not medical or cognitive assessments; no therapeutic effect is claimed. A shared conversation matters as much as completing a card. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/large-print-games/ ======== # Word bingo, 75-ball bingo, and 90-ball tickets > They share the pleasure of waiting for a match, but their cards and winning patterns are different. Pick the version your group knows. ## Word bingo: a grid you make your own Each square contains a different item from your list. Paperoom supports 3 × 3, 4 × 4, and 5 × 5 grids. Odd-sized grids can have a free centre. Every card in a generated batch has a different arrangement, although cards may contain the same words. Call each word once. Agree whether a row, column, diagonal, or full card wins. ## 75-ball bingo: the B I N G O columns A number card is always 5 × 5. B uses 1–15, I 16–30, N 31–45, G 46–60, and O 61–75. The free centre is optional here. There are no repeated numbers on a card. The caller uses the 75-number pool once each. This is a different layout from 1–90 tombala; changing the interface language does not change its rules. ## 90-ball tickets: 15 numbers across three rows A ticket has nine columns and three rows. Five numbers appear in each row, with blanks in the other spaces. The first column uses 1–9, the next 10–19, through 70–79, and the last 80–90. Numbers increase from top to bottom in each column. A common game awards one completed row, then two completed rows, then all 15 numbers. Confirm the winning patterns and any house rules with your group before playing. ## What the generator guarantees Within a batch, tickets are distinct and each ticket follows its own layout rules. Paperoom makes independent 90-ball tickets; it does not promise a six-ticket strip that contains every number exactly once. The caller draws without repeats. A new generation starts a new set and resets the caller. Use the printed set code to keep cards and caller sheets together. These tools are for recreational play without wagering. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/bingo-and-tombala/ ======== # A short history of bingo > How lotto-style games grew from a 1500s Italian lottery into tombola, housie, tambola and the 75-ball card, and how word bingo followed. Bingo is one of the most widely played paper games, yet its family tree is easy to lose. Its roots run from an Italian lottery to Neapolitan family tables, British community halls and North American card tables. Each branch kept the same core idea: players mark numbers on a card, and a caller draws them one at a time until someone completes a pattern. ## An Italian lottery Lotto-style games are often traced to an Italian lottery of the 1500s, known as Lo Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia. Historians are cautious about the exact details of its early years, so it is best to treat the start date as approximate. That lottery is often cited as the starting point for the family of games that followed. ## Tombola in Naples Tombola is an Italian family number game using the numbers 1 to 90. It is traditionally played at Christmas, especially around Naples, where numbers have traditional nicknames known as La Smorfia. Part of the fun is knowing the nicknames. [Tombala](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/) on Paperoom prints 90-ball tickets in the same spirit, for families who want the traditional format at home. ## Housie, housey-housey and tambola In Britain, 90-ball bingo was long called housie or housey-housey. In India, the 90-number game is called tambola or housie, and it is common at parties and festivals. The names overlap, but the basic format is much the same: a ticket of numbers, a caller and a race to complete a row or the whole card. Prizes in these games often go to the first player to complete a row, a second row, or the full ticket. Many families agree on the prizes before the first call, so nobody argues about them later. At a party, a good caller reads each number clearly and pauses long enough for people to find it. Part of what people remember about these games is the rhythm of the call itself, with any nicknames and jokes the caller adds. ## The 90-ball ticket A 90-ball ticket has three rows and nine columns, with fifteen numbers in total. Each column covers a range of ten numbers, starting with 1 to 9 in the first column, 10 to 19 in the second, and so on up to 80 to 90 in the last. Players mark each number as it is called, and only the numbers on their own ticket count. Each row holds five numbers, and each column holds at least one, so every call falls into a known place on the ticket. *A 90-ball ticket: three rows and nine columns, five numbers in each row and one range of numbers for each column.* ## The 75-ball card The North American format uses a card with five columns labelled B, I, N, G and O, and numbers drawn from 1 to 75. Each letter has its own range: B covers 1 to 15, I covers 16 to 30, N covers 31 to 45, G covers 46 to 60 and O covers 61 to 75. The letter tells players which column a number belongs to, so a caller might say "B seven" or "N forty-two". The centre square of the N column is usually free. *A 75-ball card. Each letter has its own range of fifteen numbers, and the centre square is free.* This format was popularised in the United States from around 1930, and it is the form many people picture when they hear the word bingo. ## From numbers to words Once the card format was established, with a grid, a caller, markers and a first-to-finish rule, it could carry other things. Word bingo, where each square holds a word or a picture name instead of a number, grew from the same idea. Families and classrooms often use it for spelling, vocabulary and the names of everyday things, because the caller can read any list aloud. A single set of words can be reused for a new round simply by changing the list, so the same paper game can cover animals one week and kitchen words the next. If you want to make your own, [word bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) on Paperoom can produce custom cards, and it also prints 75-ball number cards with a caller sheet. Print one test sheet first, at 100% scale, so the squares come out the size you expect. ## Games in this post - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [90-ball bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/): Independent 90-ball tickets with three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers each, plus a caller sheet for the 1–90 game. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/a-short-history-of-bingo/ ======== # Alquerque: the ancestor of checkers > Alquerque, the 5 by 5 board game from the Arabic al-qirq, its mention in Alfonso X's 1283 Book of Games, its basic rules and its link to draughts. Alquerque is an old board game with a simple grid and a lively set of jumps. Its name comes from the Arabic *al-qirq*. The game is mentioned in the 10th-century Arabic *Kitab al-Aghani* (*Book of Songs*). It is also described in the *Libro de los juegos* (*Book of Games*), made for King Alfonso X of Castile in 1283. That book covers many games, including chess and dice. It is known for the illustrations that accompany its text, which is one reason historians study it closely. Alquerque is widely considered an ancestor of draughts, which is also called checkers. It is a good example of how games travelled between cultures and changed along the way. ## The board and the pieces Alquerque is played on a 5 × 5 grid of points, with diagonal lines crossing the board. Each player has twelve pieces. The usual setup places pieces on the two rows nearest each player, plus the two outer points of the middle row, which leaves the centre empty. The empty centre means the first moves open up the middle of the board, where most early contact happens. *The starting position: twelve pieces each, with the centre point left empty.* ## Basic rules These are the common rules, as the game is usually played: 1. **Moving.** A piece moves along a line to an adjacent empty point. Diagonal moves are allowed only where diagonal lines exist. 2. **Capturing.** A piece captures an enemy piece by jumping over it along a line, landing on the empty point directly beyond. 3. **Multiple jumps.** If the landing point allows another jump, the same piece may keep jumping in the same turn, removing more enemy pieces. 4. **Compulsory captures.** Some versions require a capture whenever one is available. Others leave it optional. Agree on this before you start. 5. **Winning.** A player wins when the opponent has no pieces left or cannot move. ## Tips for a first game Keep your pieces together. A piece with a friendly piece directly behind it cannot be jumped from the front along that line, because the landing point is occupied. Before each move, check which of your pieces become exposed and which empty points your opponent could use to jump. Because multiple jumps are allowed, a single capture can open a path for several more. Look at where a jump would land and whether the same piece could go on jumping from there, before you start a sequence of your own. A jump is not always the best move, so compare it with the position it leaves behind before you take it. ## The link to draughts Draughts is played on an 8 × 8 board, and its pieces move diagonally and capture by jumping. Alquerque shares that jumping idea and its use of diagonal lines, which helps explain why it is so often linked to draughts. The two games are not identical, and the rules of each have changed over time, but the family resemblance is clear to anyone who plays both. Players who already know draughts will recognise the shape of a capture quickly, which makes alquerque an easy second game to learn. ## Playing on a printed board You can draw a 5 × 5 grid with its diagonals, or print the board from [Paperoom's alquerque maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/). Use two colours of coins, buttons or bottle caps, with twelve of each, and leave the centre point empty. A sheet of paper is enough for a game at a kitchen table. Keep the spare pieces in a small dish so they do not roll off the table. Print at 100% scale, match the paper size to your printer, turn off the browser's headers and footers, and check one test sheet first. This is especially useful for alquerque, because the diagonal lines must meet the points exactly for the jumps to look right. A printed grid also suits other old games. [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/) uses a different board shape, but it is another game that rewards careful reading of lines. Try both on the same afternoon and compare how each one feels to play. ## Games in this post - [Alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/): A two-player game of moving and jumping on a five-by-five board, with a starting-position diagram and 24 counters to cut out. - [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/): Choose a morris variant, print one or two boards per page, and cut out counters for two players. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/alquerque-the-ancestor-of-checkers/ ======== # Battleship on Paper: Hunting, Spacing and Salvoes > How pencil-and-paper Battleship is played, how to set up two grids and a fleet that fits, and real strategy for searching, hunting and placing ships. ## A game that started on paper Many people know Battleship as a board game. It is often said to have been played with pencil and paper in the early twentieth century, long before printed pads and board versions. The earliest history is hard to pin down, so treat that story as a common account rather than a firm record. Whatever its origin, the paper version needs nothing but two grids and a pencil, and it works just as well at a kitchen table as anywhere else. ## Two grids each Each player needs two grids. A classic grid is 10 squares by 10. The first grid is your fleet, and it stays hidden from the other player. The second grid is your record of shots, where you mark misses and hits. Label the rows with letters down the side and the columns with numbers across the top. A shot is then a coordinate such as B7. ## A fleet that fits A common fleet has five ships, with lengths of 5, 4, 3, 3 and 2 squares. Ships are placed in straight lines, horizontally or vertically, and they may not overlap. Agree before you start whether ships may touch, because that changes how tight the game feels. If you use a smaller grid, shorten the ships so they still fit. Each player draws the fleet on the hidden grid and keeps it out of sight, behind a folded sheet or a book. ## Calling shots Players take turns calling a coordinate. The opponent checks their fleet grid and answers "miss" or "hit". When every square of a ship has been hit, they name the ship that has sunk. The caller marks each result on their shot grid, using a dot for a miss and a cross for a hit. Once the game begins, the fleet is fixed. Keep your fleet grid folded away, and never move a ship to dodge a shot. The game ends when one player has sunk every ship in the other fleet. ## Real strategy ### Search on a checkerboard Imagine your grid coloured like a chessboard. If you fire only at the squares of one colour, you will hit every ship that is at least two squares long. A ship of that length runs across both colours, so it must cover at least one square you are firing at. This does not make the search fastest, but it does mean you will not miss a ship. Once you have hit something, switch to finding the rest of that ship. ### Hunt around a hit After a hit, the next shots should be the four neighbouring squares, one at a time. Once two hits line up, keep firing along that line, in both directions, until the ship sinks. Ships are straight, so a line of hits shows you the direction. ### Space your own ships Do not cluster your fleet in one corner, and avoid placing ships touching one another. A spread-out fleet makes your opponent search more. Vary your placements from game to game, so that the other player cannot learn your habits. > Tip: keep your shot grid neat. A dot for a miss and a cross for a hit make the pattern easy to read at a glance, and the pattern is often where the strategy lives. ## Variations - **Salvo.** Each player fires one shot for every ship still afloat. This changes the tempo of the game, because a player with a full fleet can take several shots in one turn. - **Larger grid.** Use a bigger grid and more ships for a longer, slower game. - **Smaller grid.** A 6 by 6 grid with two or three ships makes a quick game for young players. For fresh printed grids, you can look in Paperoom's [Battleship maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/). Whatever you use, print one test page at 100 per cent scale first, so the squares come out the right size for your pencil. ## Games in this post - [Battleship (sea battle)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/): Two grids per sheet: hide your fleet, call out squares and sink the other player's ships on paper. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/battleship-on-paper/ ======== # Dots and Boxes: La Pipopipette and the Art of the Chain > How Édouard Lucas published La Pipopipette in 1889, how to play dots and boxes, and the strategy of safe moves, chains and the double-cross. ## A French mathematician's pencil game In 1889 the French mathematician Édouard Lucas published a game called *La Pipopipette*. Today many people know the same idea as dots and boxes. It needs only paper and two pencils, and it is still played in many classrooms and kitchens. ## The rules Draw a grid of dots. A grid of five dots by five makes sixteen boxes, which is a good first game. Players take turns: 1. Draw one horizontal or vertical line joining two neighbouring dots. 2. If that line completes the fourth side of one or more boxes, write your initial in each of them and draw again. 3. If it completes no box, your turn ends. The game ends when every line has been drawn. The player with more boxes wins. Most games are for two players. With more, give each player a different pencil colour so the initials are easy to read. ## Do not draw the third side Early in the game almost any line is safe. A move is *unsafe* when it leaves a box with three sides drawn, because your opponent can then complete that box and move again. The first rule of strategy follows from this: do not draw the third side of a box. Keep safe moves for as long as you can. Every safe line you draw is one fewer that your opponent can use, and once the safe lines run out, someone has to give something away. ## Counting chains As the board fills, the safe lines run out. Boxes with two sides drawn start to link into chains: rows of boxes where each box leads to the next through an undrawn line. A chain can be short (one or two boxes) or long (three or more). Whoever has to draw a line that opens a chain gives the opponent the chance to take its boxes. To find the chains, look at each box with exactly two sides drawn and follow its undrawn sides to the next box. Trace the path with a finger or the tip of a pencil. A closed ring of boxes is a loop rather than a chain, and it plays a little differently, so count loops separately. So in the endgame, count. Note how many chains remain, how long each one is, and who will have to move when the safe lines are gone. Opening a short chain costs little. Opening a long one can cost many boxes, unless you have a way to keep control. > Tip: do not spend effort on chain counting early in the game. Keep the board safe, and count once only a few safe lines remain. ## The double-cross Here is the trick that keeps control. Suppose your opponent opens a two-box chain by drawing its outer edge. Box A now has three sides. Box B, beside it, has two. If you simply take A, by drawing the line between A and B, box B gets its third side and you can take it too. But then you must draw again, and you may be the one forced to open the next chain. Instead, you can decline both boxes. Draw the outer edge of box B. Now both boxes have three sides and share one undrawn line between them. Your opponent draws that line, which completes both boxes with a single stroke. That single line is the *double-cross*. Your opponent gets two boxes, but must draw again, so control passes back to you. Try it with pencil on paper as you read, and it becomes clear quickly. The same idea works on a long chain. You take all but its last two boxes, then decline the final pair with a double-cross. Giving up two boxes can be worth it when the next chain is long. ## A short checklist - Keep safe lines while they last. - Count the chains as the safe lines run out. - When you must open something, open the shortest chain you can. - Use a double-cross when your opponent opens a long chain and you want to keep control. If you would rather not draw the grid by hand, you can look for a printable one in Paperoom's [dots and boxes maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/). ## Games in this post - [Dots and boxes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/): Square dot grids for two to four players: draw lines, claim boxes and add up the score on a printed table. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/dots-and-boxes-la-pipopipette/ ======== # Exquisite Corpse: The Surrealist Game of Hidden Drawings > How Paris Surrealists turned chance into a game, where the name comes from, and how to play the folded drawing and sentence versions at home or in class. ## Chance in Paris In the mid-1920s a group of artists and writers in Paris, known as the Surrealists, were fascinated by dreams, chance and the unexpected. Among them were André Breton, Yves Tanguy, Marcel Duhamel and Jacques Prévert. They played a game in which each person adds a part to a shared creation without seeing what the others have added. The results were often odd, and the oddness was part of the fun. ## Where the name comes from The game is called *cadavre exquis*, after an early sentence it produced: "Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau", which means "The exquisite corpse will drink the new wine." Each player wrote their part without seeing the others, folding the paper to hide it, so the sentence was made by chance rather than by plan. ## Setting up a group Sit in a circle or around a table so the paper can travel easily. Give each person a pencil of a different colour. When the drawing is finished, the colours show who drew which part, which can start a good conversation. For a large group, use one sheet for every four or five players, so that no sheet passes through too many hands. ## Playing the drawing version You need one sheet of paper for each group and a pencil for each player. 1. Fold the sheet into equal sections, for example three strips for a head, a body and legs. Unfold it so the fold lines are visible. 2. The first player draws a head in the top section. Let a few lines run a little past the fold line, as short connecting marks. 3. Fold the top section back so the drawing is hidden. Only the small marks should show at the edge of the fold. 4. Pass the paper on. The next player sees only the marks, draws the middle section that continues from them, then folds it away and leaves new marks. 5. The last player draws the legs. Unfold the whole sheet and look at the result together. Because each player sees only the edge of what came before, every choice is local, and the surprises are real. The first attempt is often messy, and that is part of the point. > Tip: decide at the start whether every player may draw freely or must follow a theme. Both work, and the difference shows in the final picture. ## Playing the sentence version The sentence version needs no drawing, so it suits anyone who can write. 1. Agree on a pattern before you start, such as adjective, noun, verb, place. 2. Each player writes one word of the pattern on a sheet of paper, then folds the sheet so the writing is hidden except for a small edge. 3. Pass the sheet on, and repeat until every part has been written. 4. Unfold and read the sentence aloud. Some results will make no sense, and others will be surprisingly good. With the pattern above, one sheet might end up reading: "The silver teapot sings beneath the bridge." Nobody planned that sentence, and that is exactly how the original game worked. ## Ideas for classrooms and families - **Parts of speech.** Use a pattern in a grammar lesson, then talk about why some combinations sound odd and others work. - **Storytelling.** Give each sheet a first line, then read the finished story aloud. - **Mixed ages.** Pair a younger child with an older one. Both can draw or write, and the surprise works for everyone. - **Language learning.** Players write in the language being learned, so the sentence becomes a shared exercise. - **Family evenings.** Keep the rounds short, and let a different person choose the theme each time. The [exquisite corpse maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/exquisite-corpse/) on Paperoom gives you a printable sheet to start from. For a related game, try the [telephone game](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/telephone/), where players write and draw in turn and the message changes as it passes around the group. For more ideas for groups, see [classroom games](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/classroom-games/). ## Games in this post - [Exquisite corpse](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/exquisite-corpse/): A folded drawing or story where each player adds one part without seeing the others. - [Telephone: write and draw](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/telephone/): A whisper-style game on paper: each booklet passes from writing to drawing and back, then the last panel is compared with the first. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/exquisite-corpse-surrealist-drawing-game/ ======== # Hex: the game that can never end in a draw > Invented twice in the 1940s, Hex has one of the cleanest rule sets of any board game. Why someone always wins, and the bridge, its first trick. Hex has almost no rules. Two players take turns colouring hexagons on a rhombus-shaped board, and each tries to connect their own two opposite edges. There are no captures, no moves after placement and no special cases. Yet the game has fascinated mathematicians for decades, and it has a property few games share: it can never end in a draw. Print a board in any of four sizes from the [Hex maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/) and play along. ## Invented twice Hex was invented by the Danish designer and poet Piet Hein, who introduced it in 1942. Around 1948, the American mathematician John Nash, then a student at Princeton, came up with the same game independently, and it became a favourite in the university's common room. A commercial version later appeared in the United States under the name Hex, which is the name the game kept. ## The rules The board is a rhombus of hexagons, often 11 × 11. One player takes red and owns the top and bottom edges; the other takes blue and owns the left and right edges. Players take turns colouring one empty hexagon. The first player to join their two edges with an unbroken chain of their own hexagons wins. Two hexagons are connected only when they share a side. *Red has joined the top edge to the bottom edge with an unbroken chain. The chain may bend, as long as every step crosses a shared side.* ## Why there is never a draw Imagine the board completely filled in. Either red has a chain from top to bottom, or blue has a chain from left to right, and never both. The shape of the board makes this unavoidable: a red chain from top to bottom blocks every blue path from left to right, and if red has no such chain, the blue hexagons that stop red must themselves join left to right. Mathematicians have shown that this simple fact is closely related to the Brouwer fixed-point theorem, a well-known result in topology. Since a full board always has exactly one winner, the game cannot end without a winner. In practice someone completes a chain long before the board fills. ## The first player has the advantage A classic argument, called strategy stealing, shows that the first player always has a winning strategy in Hex, on a board of any size. The argument shows only that such a strategy exists; it does not say what it is, and for large boards nobody knows it. Even so, starting first is a real advantage, especially with a central opening move. Many players balance this with the swap rule, sometimes called the pie rule. After the first move, the second player may choose to take that move as their own. The first player then has every reason to open with a move that is neither too strong nor too weak. ## The bridge The first trick most Hex players learn is the bridge. Two of your hexagons that do not touch, but share two empty neighbours, are as good as connected. If your opponent fills one of the shared neighbours, you fill the other. *A bridge: two red hexagons share two empty neighbours (left). Blue takes one, red takes the other, and the two red hexagons are joined (right).* Bridges let you cover the board twice as fast as a chain of touching hexagons. A good early plan is to stretch a line of bridges across the board, then defend each one as your opponent attacks it. ## Sizes for paper play A 7 × 7 board makes a quick game and is good for learning the bridge. The 11 × 11 board is the traditional size and gives a full game. A 13 × 13 board takes longer and leaves more room for planning. Paperoom prints all of these, with optional coordinates so you can write down an interesting game and replay it later. > Tip: Use two pencils or felt-tips in clearly different colours. A thick mark in the centre of each hexagon is easier to read than shading the whole cell. ## Games in this post - [Hex](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/): A rhombus of hexagons where each player joins their own pair of edges. A game of Hex can never end in a draw. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/hex-the-game-that-never-draws/ ======== # Lotería: Mexican picture bingo > How the Mexican picture game Lotería works, from its boards and caller's rhymes to a family version you can make with a 4 × 4 word bingo card. Lotería is widely played in Mexico, and it has a lot in common with bingo while looking nothing like it. The cards carry pictures instead of numbers, and the caller does not simply read a number out. Instead, the caller often recites a short rhyme or riddle for each card. Many players remember the rhymes as clearly as the pictures. ## How the game works Each player has a board called a tabla, which is a 4 × 4 grid of pictures. Every player's board is different, so the same card drawn by the caller may be on some boards and missing from others. The caller shuffles a deck and draws cards one at a time, calling out each one. When a player has the picture on the card they cover it with a marker. Traditional markers are beans, although small counters such as dried beans, buttons or coins do the same job. The first player to cover a complete line shouts "Lotería" and wins the round. The winning pattern varies from family to family, but a straight line in any direction is common. The game came to Mexico from Europe and has been played there since at least the 1800s. It is often played at family gatherings and at fairs. ## The caller and the rhymes The caller is the heart of the game. Each card has a short rhyme or riddle, which the caller recites before or after showing it. The rhyme gives players a clue to the picture, and it turns every call into a small performance. Callers often vary their tone and speed. If you play with children, let them take turns as caller. Reading a rhyme aloud is a good job for a child who likes to perform, and it gives the other players time to find the picture on their board. ## Making a family version You do not need a commercial deck to enjoy this game. A family version can be made from words and pictures that your own household knows well, and Paperoom's [word bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) can build the cards for you. 1. Choose sixteen names. A 4 × 4 grid has sixteen squares and no free centre, unlike many 5 × 5 bingo cards, so every square needs a real name. Good choices are things everyone in the family can recognise, such as objects from the kitchen, animals in the garden or places you visit each year. 2. Draw or find your own picture for each name. Make the artwork yourself, or use simple drawings and photographs that you have the right to use. Do not copy the artwork from a commercial deck. 3. Create the cards with the word bingo maker. Generate enough cards so that every player has a different arrangement, and print on A4 or US Letter. 4. Print the caller sheet, which lets the caller read out the names and cross them off as they come up. Keep the sheet away from the players so that the surprise is kept. 5. Write one short rhyme for each name. Two lines are enough. Keep the rhymes simple and playful, so the game moves along at a good pace. 6. Agree on the winning pattern before the first call. A line in any direction, or a full card, is a good choice. > Keep a note of the seed, if the maker shows one. You can then print the same set of cards again next time, and the family can play the same game with new players. ## Playing it well Print one test sheet first, at 100% scale, with headers and footers turned off. Check that the paper size matches your printer, so the grid does not shrink or spill onto a second page. Once the cards look right, print the rest and keep a spare set for guests. Use beans as markers if you have them. A small pile of dried beans on the table looks lovely and gives the game the feel of the original. Keep a few spares for anyone who loses one under the table. Lotería works because the pictures are familiar and the rhymes make the calls memorable. A home version lets you build both from the people and things that matter most in your own house. ## Games in this post - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/loteria-mexican-picture-bingo/ ======== # Mancala: the count-and-capture family > How the mancala family of seed-sowing games works, where its names come from, and how to play a basic Kalah-style game on a printed board. Mancala is not one game but a family of them. Players move seeds or stones through rows of pits, and the aim is usually to finish with more seeds than your opponent. These count-and-capture games have been played across Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, and many families keep a version of their own. The name is often linked to the Arabic verb *naqala*, "to move", which suits a game built on moving seeds from pit to pit. ## Names from many places The same basic idea goes by many names. *Oware* is associated with Ghana, *Ayo* is played in Nigeria, *Awalé* in Côte d'Ivoire, and *Bao* is found in East Africa. Each has its own rules and customs, so two players who both say "mancala" may still need to agree on a version before they start. *Kalah* is a simpler variant from the 20th century, and many English-speaking players learn it first. The rules below describe a basic Kalah-style game. ## One turn, step by step Each player has a row of pits along their side and a larger store pit at one end of the board. Many sets start with the same number of seeds in every pit, often four. 1. Choose one of your own pits that contains seeds. 2. Pick up all the seeds from that pit. 3. Sow them one at a time, moving counter-clockwise: one seed into each following pit. Your store takes a seed when your sowing reaches it. You skip the opponent's store. 4. Look at where the last seed landed. - If it landed in your store, you take another turn. - If it landed in an empty pit on your side and the pit opposite has seeds, you capture. Put the seeds from the opposite pit, plus your last seed, into your store. - In any other case, your turn ends. For example, suppose the fourth pit on your side holds three seeds. You pick them up and sow one into the fifth pit, one into the sixth pit and one into your store. The last seed landed in your store, so you take another turn. *The three seeds from the fourth pit go one each into the fifth pit, the sixth pit and the store. The last seed lands in the store, so the player takes another turn.* The game ends when one side has no seeds left. In most versions, the other player's remaining seeds then go into their own store, and the player with more seeds in their store wins. ## How Oware differs Oware and several other African count-and-capture games differ from Kalah in important ways. Many of them have no store pit on the board. Each player sets captured seeds aside, and the capture rules are often different. If you know Kalah, read the rules again before you play Oware, and agree on how captures are counted. ## Strategy for a first game Look first for moves that finish in your store, because they give you another turn. Then check which of your full pits sit opposite an empty pit on the other side. A sowing that ends in that empty pit captures your seeds, so those pits need watching. Many new players look only at their own move. Looking one move ahead at the opponent's options is where much of the skill lies, and it is worth practising slowly before you try to play quickly. ## Playing on a printed board You do not need a carved wooden board. Draw two rows of six pits on paper, add a larger store at each end, and use beans, dried lentils, buttons or small coins as seeds. Choose items that are roughly the same size, so every pit looks alike. A printed board is quick to set up. [Paperoom's mancala maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/) can make a printable version on A4 or US Letter paper, and you can also download it as a PDF. For a clean result, print at 100% scale, turn off the browser's headers and footers, and print one test sheet first. Take turns, say each seed count aloud, and keep the store totals visible on the table. A few rounds are enough to learn the rhythm. Many players find the first game the slowest, because most of the time goes into checking which captures are possible. ## Games in this post - [Mancala (Oware, Kalah, Congkak)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/): Two rows of pits and a handful of seeds. Print oware, kalah or congkak boards, with optional seed tokens to cut out. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/mancala-count-and-capture/ ======== # Nine men's morris: a board game carved in stone > The history of nine men's morris, from stone benches to schoolyards, with its two phases, mills, flying and tips for printing a board. Nine men's morris has a very long history. It was played in Roman times and across medieval Europe, where players scratched its board into stone benches and paving. Shakespeare mentions "the nine men's morris" in *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, which suggests the game was familiar to his audience in England. The game has many names. It is called *Trilha* in Brazil, *Molino* in Spanish and *jeu du moulin* in French. Its family includes twelve men's morris and *morabaraba*, a related game from South Africa. ## The board The board is three squares, one inside the next, with lines joining the middles of their sides. The men sit on the points where the lines meet or end, 24 points in all. Each player has nine men, usually in two clearly different colours or shapes. ## The placement phase Players take turns placing one man on any empty point. Nothing moves yet, so early choices matter. A good placement can prepare a mill, and a good block can stop your opponent's plan. Placement continues until both players have put all nine men on the board. A useful habit is to check after each placement whether the opponent has two men in a line with the third point empty. If so, you must block it or make a mill of your own. Many players also prefer the midpoints of the middle square, because each one connects to four neighbouring points and so offers more moves later. ## The movement phase Once all the men are placed, players take turns sliding one of their own men along a line to an adjacent empty point. Men cannot jump. A common rule says that a player with no legal move loses. Many players find this phase the most tactical, because one move can open a line while another closes it. Blocking matters as much as building. Moving a man onto an empty point that your opponent needs for a mill can end their plan without any capture at all, so keep an eye on the points your opponent could reach next. ## Forming a mill A mill is three of your men in a row along one line. When you complete a mill, you remove one of your opponent's men from the board. A common rule protects men that already belong to a mill, so they may be taken only when no other men are available. *A mill along the top of the outer square. Completing it lets the player remove one of the opponent's men.* A popular tactic is to move a man out of a mill and back in on a later turn, forming the same mill again and removing another piece. Watch for this, because it can come quickly if a gap in the opponent's line stays open. ## Flying In many versions, a player who is down to three men may fly. On their turn, they can move any man to any empty point, rather than only to a neighbouring point. Flying changes the game quickly, so a player with three men often looks for a mill on every move, while the opponent works to block every line. ## Related games Twelve men's morris gives each player twelve men and adds diagonal lines to the board. Morabaraba is a related game from South Africa. If you enjoy an old board game with a grid, another with a long history is [alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/), which is also worth a read on this site. ## Printing a board You can draw the three squares and their connecting lines yourself, or print a board from [Paperoom's nine men's morris maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/). Use stones, pebbles, bottle caps or coins as men, and make the two sets easy to tell apart. A printed sheet lets you play almost anywhere, including at a café table. For a clean print, use A4 or US Letter paper that matches your printer tray, print at 100% scale and turn off the browser's headers and footers. Print one test sheet first so you can check the size of the points against your counters before printing a full set of boards. ## Games in this post - [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/): Choose a morris variant, print one or two boards per page, and cut out counters for two players. - [Alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/): A two-player game of moving and jumping on a five-by-five board, with a starting-position diagram and 24 counters to cut out. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/nine-mens-morris-trilha-molino/ ======== # Paper Fortune Tellers: A Folding Craft That Is Also a Game > The folded paper fortune teller and its many names, how to play it with friends, and kind or funny fortunes to write inside. ## One sheet, many names The paper fortune teller is folded from a single square of paper. In English it is often called a cootie catcher or a chatterbox. In Spain it is known as *comecocos*, and in Chinese it is called 东南西北, which means "east, south, west, north". The shape travels easily from hand to hand, so it has picked up a good number of names along the way. ## Folding one Use a square sheet, or cut one from a rectangle. Follow a folding diagram for your first one, because the steps are simple but a little fiddly. Crease each fold firmly and bring the corners together neatly. When it is finished, you have a shape with four corners that open and close. Make two while you are at it, one to keep and one to give away. ## How to play Two people take part: one folds the fortune teller and reads, and the other chooses. Many players use this order: 1. The chooser picks one of the colours printed on the outside. The reader spells it aloud, one letter at a time, opening and closing the shape once for each letter. 2. The chooser picks one of the numbers showing. The reader opens and closes the shape that many times, counting as they go. 3. The chooser picks one of the flaps. The reader lifts it and reads the fortune written underneath. The reader can read the fortune aloud, or the chooser can read it silently. Either way, lifting the flap gives the game its small moment of suspense. > Tip: write the fortunes before you play, and keep each one short enough to read at a glance. ## Writing your own fortunes Each flap underneath can hold one fortune. Keep them short, specific and easy to read aloud. Mix kind and funny ones, so that no single flap sets the mood. You can also leave a blank for the reader to fill in, such as "You will visit ______ before the year ends", which lets players add their own names and places. For reading practice, ask each child to write one fortune using a new word. In a care home or a family group, invite each person to write a fortune for the person beside them. The results can be warm and personal. Test each fortune by reading it aloud before you fold the shape, because a line that reads well in your head can sound awkward at the table. ## Kind fortunes Kind fortunes suit a classroom, a family evening or a care home activity. Some ideas: - A small kindness you offer today will come back to you in a way you did not expect. - You will notice when a friend needs a seat, and you will offer one. - Someone at this table has a good story to tell, and tonight is the night to hear it. ## Funny fortunes Funny fortunes work best when everyone can laugh along: - You will lose one sock this week and find it exactly where you already looked. - Your next guess will be wrong, but it will be a confident guess. - A stranger will admire your shoes. Wear them with pride. Keep the teasing gentle. Avoid jokes about a player's looks, body, accent, family or religion, because a fortune that stings can end a good game. ## A craft and a game Making a fortune teller is a craft in its own right, and it suits children and adults alike. Once it is folded, it becomes a game. It also makes a gentle icebreaker at the start of a gathering, because everyone is watching the same small shape open and close. Make one with a group, write fortunes that match the people in the room, and write them in whatever language your players read. You can print a [fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/) from Paperoom's maker, or fold one by hand from a square of paper. Either way, the best fortunes are the ones that make the table laugh and then look up. ## Games in this post - [Paper fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/): Fold a cootie catcher with four colours and eight fortunes you write yourself. Each copy uses a different order. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/paper-fortune-tellers/ ======== # A world tour of paper games > A short tour of paper games from around the world, from Stop and tombola to xiangqi, mancala and nine men's morris, with notes on where each is played. Some of the games people print for a rainy afternoon are very old. Nine men's morris was played in Roman times, and in medieval Europe its boards were scratched into stone benches. Mancala, played with seeds or stones in rows of pits, has been a favourite across Africa and Asia for generations. Paper simply makes these games easy to share. This tour visits a few favourites, grouped loosely by region. ## Europe and the Mediterranean Nine men's morris is very old, and Shakespeare mentions "the nine men's morris" in *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. In Brazil it is called Trilha, in Spanish it is Molino and in French it is jeu du moulin. Each player has nine pieces. Players take turns placing them on the points of the board, then slide them along the lines, and try to make a "mill", three pieces in a row, to remove one of the opponent's pieces. A [printable nine men's morris board](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/) is a simple way to try it at the kitchen table. The game of the goose is a race game played on a spiral of 63 squares. Landing on a goose lets you move again. Other squares are hazards: the bridge, the inn, the well, the maze, the prison, and death, which sends you back to the start. Records of the game go back to the late 1500s, and Francesco de' Medici is said to have sent a set to Philip II of Spain. It is especially popular in France, where it is called *jeu de l'oie*, and in Spain, where it is *juego de la oca*. Spanish players sometimes chant "de oca a oca y tiro porque me toca", which roughly means "from goose to goose, and I roll again because it is my turn." Dots and boxes was published by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1889 under the name "La Pipopipette". Players take turns drawing a line between two neighbouring dots. Whoever completes the fourth side of a box claims it and plays again. A common strategy is to avoid drawing the third side of any box, because that gives your opponent a box to claim. ## Words and lists The categories game is played under many names. In Spanish-speaking countries it is often called Basta, Stop or Tutti Frutti. In Brazil it is Stop or Adedonha, in France it is usually Le petit bac, or Baccalauréat, and in many Arabic-speaking countries it takes its name from its first columns: person, animal, plant, object and country, written as إنسان، حيوان، نبات، جماد، بلاد. Players choose a letter, write a word beginning with it in every category, and the first to finish ends the round. The [Stop maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/) on Paperoom is a free place to start. Tombola is an Italian family number game using the numbers 1 to 90. It is traditionally played at Christmas, especially around Naples, where numbers have traditional nicknames known as La Smorfia. In Britain the same 90-ball format was long called housie or housey-housey. In India, the 90-number game is called tambola or housie and is common at parties and festivals. Lotería is a Mexican game of chance with picture cards. A caller draws cards and recites a short rhyme or riddle for each one, while players cover the pictures on their boards with markers, traditionally beans. The game came to Mexico from Europe and has been played there since at least the 1800s. ## Strategy games from Asia and Africa [Xiangqi](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/), often called Chinese chess, is played on the intersections of a board of nine lines by ten. A river crosses the middle, marked with the words 楚河 漢界, "Chu River, Han border". Each general stays inside a 3 × 3 palace marked with diagonals, and the two generals may never face each other on an open line. Cannons capture by jumping over exactly one piece, and red moves first. A close cousin is gomoku, or wuziqi in Chinese, where players try to get five in a row. It is played on the intersections of a Go board or with X and O on squared paper, and it is called gomoku in Japan. A tournament variant called renju limits the first player. [Mancala](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/) is a family of count-and-capture games played with seeds or stones in rows of pits. It is played across Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, under names such as Oware in Ghana, Ayo in Nigeria, Awalé in Côte d'Ivoire and Bao in East Africa. Kalah is a simpler variant from the 20th century. The word is often linked to the Arabic verb *naqala*, "to move". ## Trying a few at home Choose games by the people at the table. Race games such as the goose suit a crowd of mixed ages, quieter strategy games suit an evening with two or three players, and number games fit a party. Many of these boards need only a grid or a few lines, so an A4 or US Letter sheet is usually enough. Paperoom offers free, printable makers for several of these games, in the browser and without an account. Print one test sheet first at 100% scale, with headers and footers turned off. ## Games in this post - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. - [Xiangqi](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/): Chinese chess on a printed 9 × 10 board, with 32 cut-out pieces and a legend for the seven kinds of piece. - [Mancala (Oware, Kalah, Congkak)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/): Two rows of pits and a handful of seeds. Print oware, kalah or congkak boards, with optional seed tokens to cut out. - [90-ball bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/): Independent 90-ball tickets with three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers each, plus a caller sheet for the 1–90 game. - [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/): Choose a morris variant, print one or two boards per page, and cut out counters for two players. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/paper-games-around-the-world/ ======== # Sudoku: From Number Place to the World > How a 1979 American number puzzle became sudoku in Japan and then a worldwide favourite, and how to make simple 4 × 4 and 6 × 6 versions. ## An American pencil puzzle The puzzle most people now call sudoku is generally credited to Howard Garns. It first appeared in 1979 in *Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games*, under the name "Number Place". The grid is 9 by 9, and the rule is short: every row, every column and every 3 × 3 box must contain the digits 1 to 9, each exactly once. It did not begin as a headline. It sat among crosswords and other pencil puzzles, the kind people solve with a pencil and an eraser, one square at a time. ## Japan gives it a name In 1984 the Japanese publisher Nikoli, known for its puzzle magazines, introduced the puzzle to its readers and named it sudoku. From there the puzzle began to travel. ## The Times and the world The puzzle spread worldwide after *The Times* in London began printing it in 2004. Newspapers and puzzle books in many countries followed, and the grid became familiar to solvers across the world. ## Why a good puzzle has one answer A well-made sudoku has exactly one solution. That matters because every move can be justified by logic rather than luck. If a puzzle had two possible answers, a solver who reached a tricky point would have to guess, and the satisfaction of working out the next square would be lost. Here is a simple way to see it. Suppose a row already has eight digits filled in. The one digit left must go in the one empty square, so no guessing is needed. Puzzle makers remove clues only while the answer stays unique, which is why a well-made puzzle can be solved step by step. > Tip: when you reach a dead end, look at the row, column and box you filled most recently. A repeated digit there usually points to the mistake. ## A 4 × 4 walk-through A 4 × 4 grid is a good place to practise. Work through it in three kinds of pass: 1. Find any row, column or box with only one empty square. The missing digit is whichever digit the other three squares lack. 2. Where a square could hold several digits, pencil in the small candidates so you can see them. 3. Look for a digit that fits in only one square of a row, column or box, and place it there. Repeat until the grid is full. If you get stuck, check your earlier placements, because one wrong digit often causes every later dead end. Erase candidates as soon as you rule them out, and keep your pencil marks small so the grid stays readable. Many solvers find that the first real breakthrough is a digit that can go in only one square of a row. Once you spot one, the puzzle tends to open up, and several more digits can follow. ## Simpler versions for beginners and children Sudoku scales down well. Two smaller sizes suit beginners and children: - **4 × 4**: digits 1 to 4, with 2 × 2 boxes. It takes minutes to finish and teaches the three rules: each row, column and box holds every digit once. - **6 × 6**: digits 1 to 6, with boxes two rows high and three columns wide. The boxes are no longer square, but the logic is the same, so it is a comfortable next step. Start with a grid where about half the squares are filled in. Ask the child why each new digit must go where it does. That explanation is often where the learning happens. Paperoom's [sudoku maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/) prints puzzles with answer keys, so you can check a child's work without a second book. Before you print a full set, print one test sheet at 100 per cent scale with browser headers and footers turned off, so the boxes come out the right size. Choose A4 or US Letter to match the paper in your printer. If your player enjoys the logic but wants a picture at the end, try a [nonogram](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/). Nonograms were devised in Japan in the late 1980s, and they are solved with similar row-and-column reasoning. The numbers beside each row and column give the lengths of the filled runs, and the picture appears as you work. ## Games in this post - [Sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/): Number puzzles from gentle 4 × 4 grids to classic 9 × 9, each with exactly one solution. - [Nonogram](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/): Fill in squares to match the numbers and reveal a hidden picture. Choose 5 × 5, 10 × 10 or 15 × 15, with answer keys. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/sudoku-from-number-place-to-the-world/ ======== # The Game of the Goose: a spiral race with geese > The 63-square spiral race with geese: its traditional hazard squares, a Spanish counting rhyme, a way to teach counting and house rules. The Game of the Goose is a race around a spiral of 63 squares. Players move their pieces according to their throws, hoping to reach the end first. Records of the game go back to the late 1500s. Francesco de' Medici is said to have sent a set to Philip II of Spain. The game is especially popular in France, where it is called *jeu de l'oie*, and in Spain, where it is called *juego de la oca*. ## The spiral and the geese The squares wind around in a spiral. Many versions use two dice, and each player moves the total thrown. On most traditional boards, the finishing square sits at the centre of the spiral. If you have no dice, the [on-screen dice tool](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/dice/) gives you a quick throw. Some squares show a goose. Landing on one lets you move again, so a lucky throw can carry you a long way. Those geese give the game its rhythm, because a single good turn can change the whole race. ## Hazard squares Traditional boards mark a few squares as hazards. In many versions: - **The bridge (6)** moves you ahead to square 12. - **The inn (19)** means you miss turns while you rest. - **The well (31)** keeps you waiting until another player lands on it. - **The maze (42)** sends you back to square 30. - **The prison (52)** holds you until another player lands on the same square. - **Death (58)** sends you back to the start. Hazards add tension to the middle of the race. A player who is close to the finish may suddenly lose ground, while a player far behind may leap ahead over a bridge. ## A Spanish counting rhyme Spanish players say a short rhyme when they land on a goose: *"De oca a oca y tiro porque me toca"*. Roughly, it means "from goose to goose, and I throw because it is my turn." The rhyme turns a lucky landing into a small celebration, and everyone at the table can join in. ## Teaching counting with the board Every square has a number, so the board works well for counting practice. Try these with young children: 1. Ask them to read the number of the square where their piece lands. 2. Ask how many squares they need to reach the next goose. 3. Let them count aloud as they move their piece one square at a time. Older children can work out the distance between two pieces, such as how many squares separate square 27 from square 42. Once each child can say the number of their square without hesitation, the game becomes steady counting practice that feels like play. For more ideas, see the [classroom games guide](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/classroom-games/). ## House rules Families and classes often agree on rules before they start, because versions vary. Decide these points first: - Whether you must land exactly on square 63 to finish, or may overshoot and come back. - How long a player waits at the well or in the prison, and whether another player's landing frees them. - Whether two pieces may share a square. - What happens after a double throw, if your version uses doubles. Write the agreed rules on the back of the printed board, so nobody has to remember them during a close finish. ## If you like races with shortcuts If your group enjoys a race with shortcuts and setbacks, try [snakes and ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/). It descends from Indian board games known as Moksha Patam or Gyan Chaupar, in which ladders and snakes stood for virtues and vices. The game reached England in the late nineteenth century. ## Printing the board Paperoom can make a printable [Game of the Goose](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/) on A4 or US Letter paper, and you can print it or download it as a PDF. If players need larger text, the large print option helps, and black-ink-only printing is available too. Print at 100% scale, turn off the browser's headers and footers, and print one test sheet first so you can check the spiral before printing a full set. ## Games in this post - [Game of the Goose](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/): A printable 63-square Game of the Goose with classic special squares, or your own challenges on every square. - [Snakes and ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/): A fresh board every time: choose the number of snakes and ladders, then print counters and a fold-up die. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/the-game-of-the-goose/ ======== # The many names of Stop > The categories game under its many names, with how a round works, ways to pick the letter, 10, 5 and 0 scoring, and variations to try. Few paper games travel as easily as the categories game. Give it a letter and a list of subjects, and nearly anyone can join in, whatever language they speak at home. It goes by many names around the world, and the rules shift a little from table to table, but the core idea stays the same: write fast, write something real, and finish first. ## One game, many names In Spanish-speaking countries the game is often called Basta, Stop or Tutti Frutti. In Brazil it is Stop or Adedonha, and in France it is usually Le petit bac, also written Baccalauréat. In many Arabic-speaking countries it takes its name from its first columns, which are person, animal, plant, object and country: إنسان، حيوان، نبات، جماد، بلاد. The name changes, but the parts do not. There is a letter, a set of categories and a moment when somebody calls the round to a halt. ## How a round works 1. Each player draws a grid with one column for each category, such as animal, country or food. 2. Choose a letter of the alphabet. 3. Everyone writes one word that begins with that letter in every column, as quickly as they can. 4. The first player to fill every column calls "Stop" or "Basta", and everyone else puts down their pen. 5. Read the answers aloud, check them together and score the round. Many groups let everyone finish the word they are already writing once someone calls stop. Agree on that before you start, because it changes how the last few seconds feel. ## Ways to choose the letter There are several fair ways to pick the letter, and each one suits a different kind of group. - Use a [letter picker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/letters/), which chooses a letter at random and keeps the surprise for everyone. - Pull a folded slip from a bag or bowl, with one letter written on each slip. - Count on your fingers. In Brazil, adedonha can also refer to choosing the letter by counting, though each family has its own way of doing it. - Agree on letters to skip in advance. Many groups leave out hard letters such as W or X, because it is difficult to find a word for every category. ## Scoring with 10, 5 and 0 A common scoring system gives 10 points for an answer that nobody else wrote, 5 points for an answer that someone else also wrote, and 0 points for a blank or invalid answer. Suppose the letter is M and the category is animal. Ana writes "monkey", and nobody else does, so she scores 10. Ben and Chloe both write "mouse", so each scores 5. Dan leaves the box empty and scores 0. This scoring rewards less obvious words, and it means a shared answer still earns something. Agree on how to judge doubtful answers, such as place names or words from another language, before the first round begins. ## Categories that suit the table Categories depend on who is playing. A list that works for a family dinner may not suit a school class, and a set for a party may be too silly for a quiet evening. A familiar set uses names, countries, animals and foods, while the Arabic set above covers living things and everyday objects. Other groups add cities, colours or sports, so the best list is the one everyone at your table recognises and enjoys. Categories are only words, so you can write them in any language or script. A bilingual household can keep one list in both languages, and everyone can play together. ## Variations to try Once everyone knows the basic game, a few changes can keep it fresh. - **Themed rounds.** Every category in the round belongs to one subject, such as school subjects or things you find in a kitchen. - **Time limits.** Set a [timer](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/timer/) for two minutes or so, so that rounds keep moving. - **Bonus categories.** Add one surprise category to each round, chosen by the player whose turn it is to pick the letter. - **Rotating scorer.** Let a different player read the answers each round, so no one is always the judge. > Keep a pencil and a spare sheet at the table. Someone may want to add a category halfway through. The categories game asks very little of its players. It needs paper, a pencil and a sense of humour, and it suits a small group of friends as well as a big family gathering. Whatever you call it at your table, the game is always the same: a letter, a list and a race to finish. ## Games in this post - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/the-many-names-of-stop/ ======== # The Royal Game of Ur: a race game from ancient Mesopotamia > How boards found at Ur and a Babylonian clay tablet let people play a 4,500-year-old race game again, with its route, rosettes and odds explained. Some of the oldest known game boards in the world were found in a royal cemetery in southern Mesopotamia. They belong to a race game that is now called the Royal Game of Ur, after the city where they were dug up. Thanks to those boards and a much later clay tablet, people can play the game again today, and it takes only a few minutes to learn. You can print a board with routes and pieces from the [Royal Game of Ur maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/royal-ur/). ## Boards from a royal cemetery In the 1920s, the archaeologist Leonard Woolley excavated the Royal Cemetery at Ur, in present-day southern Iraq. Among the finds were several game boards with the same layout of twenty squares, some richly decorated with shell and coloured stone. They date to roughly 4,500 years ago. One of the finest is in the British Museum. Boards with the same layout have been found far beyond Ur, and the game seems to have been played across the ancient Middle East for a very long time. ## How the rules came back The boards survived, but their rules did not travel with them. Much later, around 177 BC, a Babylonian scribe wrote a cuneiform tablet describing a game on the same board. Irving Finkel of the British Museum studied that tablet and published a reconstruction of the rules. Most modern ways of playing follow his reconstruction or simplify it, so it is fair to say that today's rules are a careful modern interpretation rather than a certain record of how the game was played at Ur. ## The board and the route The board has three rows. The middle row is shared and eight squares long. The outer rows belong to one player each and are broken into a block of four squares and a block of two, with a gap between them. Five squares carry a rosette. Each player's pieces enter their own row, move along it to the end, cross the whole shared middle row, then come back along their own short row and leave the board. That makes a route of fourteen squares. *One player's route: four squares along their own row, eight across the shared middle row, then two more before leaving. The rosettes mark the special squares.* The middle row is where the action is. Pieces from both sides pass through it, and that is the only place where they can capture each other. ## Rosettes and captures In the common modern rules, landing on a rosette gives you another throw. In the middle row, landing on an opponent's piece sends it back off the board to start again. The rosette in the middle of the shared row is safe: a piece standing there cannot be sent back. These two rules make the central rosette the most valuable square on the board, and a lot of the game is about reaching it and staying there. ## Throwing four coins The game was played with four small pyramid-shaped dice, each with two marked tips. On a printed board, four coins do the same job: count the heads. Because each coin is heads or tails with equal chance, the totals are far from equal. *The chance of each throw with four coins. A throw of 2 is the most common; 0 and 4 come up once in sixteen throws on average.* There are sixteen equally likely ways for four coins to land, and six of them give exactly two heads. A throw of 2 is therefore the most likely result, and planning around it is the beginning of strategy. On Paperoom's version, a throw of 0 means you miss your turn. ## Playing a first game Each player has seven pieces. Take turns throwing and moving one piece by the number thrown. You must land exactly, a square holds only one piece, and you leave the board with an exact throw. The first player to bring all seven pieces home wins. > Tip: Early on, try to keep one piece on the central rosette. It is safe there, it blocks your opponent from using the square, and it gives you an extra throw whenever you land on it. The printed board shows each player's route as a dashed line, so new players can see where their pieces go, and the cut-out pieces mean the whole game fits on a couple of sheets of paper. ## Games in this post - [Royal Game of Ur](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/royal-ur/): A race game from ancient Mesopotamia: a 20-square board with rosettes, each player's route and pieces to cut out. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/the-royal-game-of-ur/ ======== # The story of Snakes and Ladders > From Moksha Patam and Gyan Chaupar to England, the story of Snakes and Ladders, why it suits young children, and two common house rules. Snakes and Ladders looks simple, and that simplicity is part of its appeal. A board of numbered squares, a die and a few sudden climbs and slides make a game that a four-year-old and a grandparent can enjoy together. Behind it is a long line of older games, some of which carried moral lessons as well as offering a pastime. ## Moksha Patam and Gyan Chaupar Snakes and Ladders descends from Indian board games known as Moksha Patam or Gyan Chaupar. In these games the ladders and snakes stood for virtues and vices. Good conduct carried a player upward, and a fault sent them back down. The details varied from board to board, but the idea of a path through a moral life was the point of the game. ## Arrival in England The game reached England in the late nineteenth century, where it became a familiar part of family play. Today most players know the board mainly as a race. The ladders still lift you and the snakes still drop you, and the older moral picture sits quietly behind them. ## A game of pure luck Snakes and Ladders is a game of pure chance. No decisions are made, and every move is decided by the roll of the die. That is one reason many families use it with young children. Everyone has an equal chance, the turns are short, and nobody needs to learn a strategy before joining in. A young child can beat an adult, because one lucky roll can change the whole race. On most printed boards the numbers run in rows that alternate direction, so players must follow the path with their eyes rather than reading straight across. A young player can trace the path with a finger, one square at a time. Because the game is so simple, it can be played at any moment. Keep a copy of the board in a drawer for rainy afternoons, or bring it to a family gathering where people of different ages want to play together. ## Ludo and its relatives Ludo is a simplified version of Pachisi, the cross-shaped race game from India that was traditionally played with cowrie shells. Ludo was patented in England in 1896. Related games include Parchís in Spain, *Mensch ärgere Dich nicht* in Germany, and 飞行棋, "aeroplane chess", in China. Players of these games move pieces around a track, and the rules differ in many small ways. Ludo adds choice to the race. Each turn, a player decides which piece to move, which gives the game more decisions than Snakes and Ladders. If you enjoy the race but want a little more say in the outcome, [Ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/) on Paperoom is a good next step. ## Two common house rules There is no single set of rules that every family follows. Many families agree on their own house rules, and two are especially common. - **Exact roll to finish.** The final square is 100, and you must land on it exactly. If your roll would take you past 100, you stay where you are until a roll fits. - **Extra turn on six.** Rolling a six lets you roll again straight away, which gives younger players a welcome bonus. Roll with the [dice](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/dice/) tool on screen, or use a real die if you have one. Either way, make sure everyone agrees on the house rules before the first roll. Writing them on a card beside the board saves arguments later, because everyone can check the wording for themselves. > Agree on house rules before the game starts, so nobody has to argue about them halfway through. Snakes and Ladders has travelled a long way from the Indian boards that inspired it. A family can play it with a child on their lap, with a group of teenagers on a long holiday, or with grandparents who remember the board from their own childhood. It still carries the same basic shape, a path, a few surprises and a finish line, and that shape is easy to share across generations. ## Games in this post - [Snakes and ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/): A fresh board every time: choose the number of snakes and ladders, then print counters and a fold-up die. - [Ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/): Four coloured yards and a race round the cross. Print the board, counters and a paper die, then roll for a six. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/the-story-of-snakes-and-ladders/ ======== # Why Paper Games Still Matter > An essay on why printed games still gather people at one table: shared attention, no logins, room for in-jokes, large print and the calm of paper. ## Attention in the middle of the table When a game is laid out on a table, everyone looks at the same thing. Cards lie face up, a bingo card sits beside each person, and a sheet for the categories game is passed from hand to hand. Nobody is staring at a separate screen. That shared focus is simple, and it is easy to underrate. Take a round of [prompt cards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/). One player draws a card and reads it out, and the others respond. The cards are small enough to hold and large enough to share, and most of the game happens in conversation. ## No logins, no updates Paper games do not ask for an account, a password or a software update. Nobody has to find a charger or accept a new permission before the fun can start. A printed sheet works in the same way on a rainy afternoon, at a cottage with a poor signal, or a year later from the bottom of a drawer. Paper also makes it easy to pause. A game can be set aside after a cup of tea and picked up again later, with the cards in the same order and the score still written on the sheet. Paperoom follows the same idea. It is free, needs no account, runs in a browser and works offline once it has been installed. The game is generated on the visitor's own device, and you print it or download a PDF. ## Anyone can join A bingo card asks only that you can hear numbers or see words. In Italy, tombola is traditionally played at Christmas. In India, the 90-number game is called tambola or housie and is common at parties and festivals. The 75-ball game, with its B-I-N-G-O columns, is the North American format, popularised in the United States from around 1930. These are different games with a shared idea: listen, mark and wait for the call. Custom word bingo takes that idea further. A group can fill the cards with its own words, from place names to the phrases its members always repeat. ## Games that fit the room Printed games can be shaped by the people who play them. [Stop](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/), the categories game, is a clear example. It goes by Basta or Stop in Spanish-speaking countries, Adedonha in Brazil and Le petit bac in France. Players choose a letter, write a word for each category, and the first to finish calls the round. The categories are the part you can change. A family can choose foods from its own kitchen, a class can choose places from its town, and a team can add a category built from its own jokes. Paperoom accepts custom words in any script, so a group can play in its own language as well. ## Large print and plain ink Large print is one of the most practical features of a printed game. A host can print the same game with bigger type, so it can be read across a table or at a comfortable distance. That can make text easier to read for many people, including those who prefer or need larger type. The [large-print guide](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/large-print-games/) explains how to set this up. Black-ink-only printing suits a home printer with no colour left in the cartridge, and it keeps the sheets simple to copy. Neither feature is dramatic, but both are practical details that let a group sit down and play without fuss. ## Paper as a calm object A printed sheet is slow in a good way. You can fold it, write on it, pass it around and set it down. You can see how much is left on the page. Many people find that calm. Nothing buzzes, and nothing asks for attention from the side of the table. > Tip: print one test sheet first at 100 per cent scale, with browser headers and footers turned off. Then you know the size is right before the whole set goes to the printer. Paper games are a practical way for people in the same room to look at the same thing, take turns, and laugh together. Clear a space, print a sheet, and see who wants to play. ## Games in this post - [Prompt cards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/): Printable prompt cards for charades, drawing or conversation, six, nine or twelve to a page, with dashed cut lines. - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/why-paper-games-still-matter/ ======== # Xiangqi for beginners: Chinese chess from the first move > A complete beginner's guide to xiangqi: the river and palace, how each piece moves, the facing-generals rule, checkmate and printing a board. Xiangqi, often called Chinese chess, is a strategy game for two players. It is widely played in China and in Chinese communities elsewhere. The rules are short, and a beginner can learn them in one sitting, then spend years getting better at the game. This guide covers the board, the pieces, the rules you need for a first game, and how to print a set at home. ## The board A xiangqi board has nine vertical lines and ten horizontal lines. Pieces stand on the intersections of the lines, not in the squares. A river crosses the middle of the board. Its Chinese label, 楚河 漢界, reads "Chu River, Han border". At each end sits a palace, a 3 × 3 area marked with diagonal lines. The general from each side stays inside its palace. *The xiangqi board: nine lines by ten, the river across the middle and a palace marked with diagonal lines at each end.* Each side has either red or black pieces. Red moves first. ## How each piece moves Each piece has a name written in Chinese characters. Red and black pieces use different characters for the same piece, so check which side each piece belongs to. - **General (帥/將)** moves one point up, down or sideways, and must stay inside its palace. - **Advisor (仕/士)** moves one point diagonally, and must stay inside its palace. - **Elephant (相/象)** moves two points diagonally. It cannot cross the river, and it is blocked if the point between its start and end is occupied. - **Horse (傌/馬)** moves one point straight, then one point diagonally, like an L. It is blocked if a piece stands next to it in the direction of its first step. - **Chariot (俥/車)** moves any distance in a straight line, as long as the path is clear. - **Cannon (炮/砲)** moves like a chariot when it is not capturing. To capture, it must jump over exactly one piece. - **Soldier (兵/卒)** moves one point forward. After it crosses the river, it may also move sideways. It never moves backward. ## The facing-generals rule The two generals may never face each other on an open line, meaning the same vertical file with no piece between them. A move that leaves the generals facing each other is not legal. This rule surprises many new players, so before you move a piece, check whether it is the only thing standing between the two generals. ## Checkmate A general under attack is in check, and the opponent must respond at once. A check can be answered by moving the general, by blocking the attacking line, or by capturing the attacking piece. Checkmate happens when no answer is possible. In most rule sets, a player who has no legal move loses the game. > Tip: Before each move, check two things. Does the move leave your general exposed on an open line? Was the piece you are moving guarding something important? Many beginners find that these two questions prevent most early losses. Beginners often do well by bringing chariots and cannons into play early and keeping the general safe inside its palace. ## Printing a board with cut-out pieces Xiangqi needs a board and a set of pieces, and both can be printed. [Paperoom's xiangqi maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/) can make a printable version on A4 or US Letter paper, and you can download it as a PDF. Print at 100% scale, match the paper size to your printer tray, turn off the browser's headers and footers, and print one test sheet before using good paper. For sturdier pieces, glue the printed sheet to thin card, let it dry, and then cut out the pieces along their edges. Keep each side's pieces in a separate envelope or small bag, so you do not mix them up during a long game. If you want a shorter game on a similar grid, try [gomoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/). Players take turns placing marks on the intersections, and the first to make five in a row wins. It is a good way to practise reading a board before you return to xiangqi. ## Games in this post - [Xiangqi](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/): Chinese chess on a printed 9 × 10 board, with 32 cut-out pieces and a legend for the seven kinds of piece. - [Gomoku and Go boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/): Five-in-a-row boards and Go boards from 9 × 9 to 19 × 19, ready for pens, coins or beans. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/xiangqi-for-beginners/ ======== # Africa's sowing games and morris boards > The count-and-capture mancala family across Africa, with a note on nine men's morris and its South African relative, and how to print them with Paperoom. ## Count, sow and capture Mancala is a family of count-and-capture games, sometimes called sowing games. Players move seeds or stones around rows of pits, and a move can end with a capture. The family is played across Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Across Africa you may hear it called Oware in Ghana, Ayo in Nigeria, Awalé in Côte d'Ivoire and Bao in parts of East Africa. Each version has its own rules, so agree on yours before the first move. Kalah is a simpler variant from the twentieth century. You can try one on a printed board with [mancala](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/). ## Morris boards and their relatives Nine men's morris is an old strategy game on a board of lines and points. Players aim to form a "mill", a row of three of their own pieces, and remove an opponent's piece when they make one. It was played in Roman times and in medieval Europe, and Shakespeare mentions it in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Twelve men's morris adds diagonals, and Morabaraba is a related game from South Africa. You can print a [nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/) sheet and compare the variants with your group. ## Playing across the continent Africa is large and varied, and no single game represents it. Ask the people at your table which rules they know, and write the agreed version on the sheet before you start. ## Printing and playing with Paperoom Paperoom is free, works in your browser and needs no account. Choose A4 or US Letter to match your printer, print at 100% scale with headers and footers off, and print one test sheet to check the size of the pits or points. The interface is available in six languages, and you can save the setup file to print the same board again. ## Games from this region - [Mancala (Oware, Kalah, Congkak)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/): Two rows of pits and a handful of seeds. Print oware, kalah or congkak boards, with optional seed tokens to cut out. - [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/): Choose a morris variant, print one or two boards per page, and cut out counters for two players. - [Alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/): A two-player game of moving and jumping on a five-by-five board, with a starting-position diagram and 24 counters to cut out. - [Checkers, draughts and chess boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/checkers/): Hatched dark squares for checkers, international draughts or chess, with coordinates and pieces to cut out. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/africa/ ======== # East Asia's river boards, five-in-a-row and folded fortunes > Paper and board games from East Asia, including xiangqi, gomoku, tangram, nonograms and origami fortune tellers, and how to print them with Paperoom. ## Xiangqi and the river Xiangqi, often called Chinese chess, is played on the intersections of a board of 9 × 10 lines. A river (楚河 漢界, "Chu River, Han border") crosses the middle. Each general stays inside a 3 × 3 palace, and the two generals may not face each other on an open line. Red moves first, and cannons capture by jumping over exactly one piece. You can print a [xiangqi](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/) board for a table game. ## Five in a row Gomoku, known in China as wuziqi (五子棋), is a game of getting five in a row. It is played on the intersections of a Go board, or with X and O on squared paper, and it is called gomoku in Japan. Its core rule is simple, which makes [gomoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/) easy to teach to a newcomer. ## Tangram and nonograms Tangram (七巧板) is cut from a square into seven pieces: five triangles, a square and a parallelogram. Chinese books described it in the early 1800s, and it became a craze in Europe and America around 1817. Nonograms are picture logic puzzles devised in Japan in the late 1980s. The numbers beside each row and column give the lengths of the filled runs, and the solver works out the picture square by square. You can print a [nonogram](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/) puzzle to try the method. ## Folded fortunes The paper fortune teller is an origami game with many names, including cootie catcher in English, comecocos in Spain and 东南西北 ("east south west north") in Chinese. It is folded from one square sheet, and players choose numbers or colours to reveal a message. You can make one from a [fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/) sheet. ## Printing and playing with Paperoom Paperoom is free, works in your browser and needs no account. The interface is available in Simplified Chinese and five other languages, and you can type your own words in any script. Choose A4 or US Letter, print at 100% scale with headers and footers off, and print one test sheet before a large batch. ## Games from this region - [Xiangqi](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/): Chinese chess on a printed 9 × 10 board, with 32 cut-out pieces and a legend for the seven kinds of piece. - [Gomoku and Go boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/): Five-in-a-row boards and Go boards from 9 × 9 to 19 × 19, ready for pens, coins or beans. - [Sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/): Number puzzles from gentle 4 × 4 grids to classic 9 × 9, each with exactly one solution. - [Nonogram](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/): Fill in squares to match the numbers and reveal a hidden picture. Choose 5 × 5, 10 × 10 or 15 × 15, with answer keys. - [Paper fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/): Fold a cootie catcher with four colours and eight fortunes you write yourself. Each copy uses a different order. - [Bulls and cows](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bulls-and-cows/): A code-breaking game for two: guess your partner's secret number from the A and B clues, with optional solo practice. - [Dominoes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/): Dotted double-six or double-nine tiles, or word-loop tiles that teach any question and answer pair. - [Ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/): Four coloured yards and a race round the cross. Print the board, counters and a paper die, then roll for a six. - [Score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/): Score pads for card and tile games: a plain table for any game, or a tally board for truco, with a few common presets. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/east-asia/ ======== # Europe's old boards and new paper games > Paper games with long roots across Europe, from nine men's morris and the Game of the Goose to dots and boxes, hex and paper soccer. ## Boards that have been played for centuries Several paper and board games have travelled across Europe's borders. Nine men's morris is very old. It was played in Roman times, and in medieval Europe its board was scratched into stone benches. It is known as Trilha in Brazil, Molino in Spanish and Jeu du moulin in French. ## Race games and the goose The [Game of the Goose](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/) is a race on a spiral of 63 squares, where landing on a goose lets you move again. Its hazards include the bridge, the inn, the well, the maze, the prison and death, which sends you back to the start. It is very popular in France, where it is called jeu de l'oie, and in Spain, where players chant "de oca a oca y tiro porque me toca". ## Lines, boxes and chains [Dots and boxes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/) was published by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1889 as "La Pipopipette". Players draw one line at a time, and whoever completes a box claims it. The classic advice is to avoid drawing the third side of a box, and in the endgame to control the long chains. ## Drawings passed from hand to hand Exquisite corpse was developed by Surrealist artists in Paris in the mid-1920s, including André Breton and Jacques Prévert. Each player adds a part without seeing the others, folding the paper to hide what they drew. ## Paper soccer and hex In Poland [paper soccer](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-soccer/) is called piłkarzyki na kartce. The ball moves from dot to dot along the lines of squared paper, and bounces when it reaches a point already used. [Hex](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/), invented by Piet Hein in Denmark in 1942, is played on a rhombus of hexagons where each player connects their two sides. A game of Hex can never end in a draw. ## Printing and playing with Paperoom Paperoom is free, works in your browser and needs no account. Choose A4, the usual size across much of Europe, or US Letter. Print at 100% scale with headers and footers off, and try one test sheet first. The interface is also available in French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. ## Games from this region - [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/): Choose a morris variant, print one or two boards per page, and cut out counters for two players. - [Game of the Goose](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/): A printable 63-square Game of the Goose with classic special squares, or your own challenges on every square. - [Dots and boxes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/): Square dot grids for two to four players: draw lines, claim boxes and add up the score on a printed table. - [Exquisite corpse](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/exquisite-corpse/): A folded drawing or story where each player adds one part without seeing the others. - [Paper soccer](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-soccer/): A pencil game on squared paper: draw lines from dot to dot, aim for the goal and never reuse a line. - [Hex](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/): A rhombus of hexagons where each player joins their own pair of edges. A game of Hex can never end in a draw. - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [90-ball bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/): Independent 90-ball tickets with three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers each, plus a caller sheet for the 1–90 game. - [Alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/): A two-player game of moving and jumping on a five-by-five board, with a starting-position diagram and 24 counters to cut out. - [Checkers, draughts and chess boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/checkers/): Hatched dark squares for checkers, international draughts or chess, with coordinates and pieces to cut out. - [Dice score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dice-scores/): Score sheets for five-dice games (Generala, Yams, a yacht card) and Ten Thousand. Up to eight players, typical points. - [Dominoes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/): Dotted double-six or double-nine tiles, or word-loop tiles that teach any question and answer pair. - [Paper fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/): Fold a cootie catcher with four colours and eight fortunes you write yourself. Each copy uses a different order. - [Ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/): Four coloured yards and a race round the cross. Print the board, counters and a paper die, then roll for a six. - [Raffle tickets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/raffle-tickets/): Numbered raffle tickets with stubs for the draw. Set the first number, how many tickets and your prize. - [Score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/): Score pads for card and tile games: a plain table for any game, or a tally board for truco, with a few common presets. - [Snakes and ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/): A fresh board every time: choose the number of snakes and ladders, then print counters and a fold-up die. - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/europe/ ======== # Latin America at the card table and the paper pad > The paper games loved across Latin America, from the categories game Stop to lotería, dominoes and score pads, and how to print them. ## Stop, Basta and Adedonha In many Spanish-speaking countries the categories game is called Basta, Stop or Tutti Frutti. In Brazil it is Stop or Adedonha. A letter is picked, and everyone writes one word starting with it for each category, such as a name, a food or a city. The first to finish calls "Stop" or "Basta", and the round ends. A common scoring gives 10 points for an answer nobody else wrote, 5 for a shared answer and nothing for a blank or invalid one. Variations are everywhere, so agree on the rules first. A [Stop sheet](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/) gives the whole table its columns. ## Lotería and its picture cards Lotería is a Mexican game of chance with picture cards. Each player has a 4 × 4 board called a tabla, and a caller often recites a short rhyme or riddle for each card. It has been played in Mexico since at least the 1800s, and beans are a traditional marker. A [bingo maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) can build cards from your own words, so a family or class can use vocabulary it already knows. ## Dominoes at the table Dominoes are very popular across Latin America and the Caribbean. A double-six set has 28 tiles, and a double-nine set has 55. You can make a paper version of the [dominoes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/) game for a table. ## Truco and the scoring pad In Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, Truco scores are often tallied with matchsticks or drawn squares of five. In Argentina and Uruguay a game is often 30 points, split into malas and buenas. Generala, a Latin American five-dice game, has categories such as escalera, full, póker and generala. A [score pad](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/) keeps each category tidy. ## Printing and playing with Paperoom Paperoom is free, works in your browser and needs no account. Choose A4 or US Letter to match your printer, print at 100% scale with headers and footers off, and print one test sheet first. The interface is available in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese as well as English, and accented letters in your own words can be used as you type them. ## Games from this region - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [Dominoes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/): Dotted double-six or double-nine tiles, or word-loop tiles that teach any question and answer pair. - [Score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/): Score pads for card and tile games: a plain table for any game, or a tally board for truco, with a few common presets. - [Dice score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dice-scores/): Score sheets for five-dice games (Generala, Yams, a yacht card) and Ten Thousand. Up to eight players, typical points. - [Paper fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/): Fold a cootie catcher with four colours and eight fortunes you write yourself. Each copy uses a different order. - [Game of the Goose](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/): A printable 63-square Game of the Goose with classic special squares, or your own challenges on every square. - [Lotería](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/loteria/): Mexican lotería for your own names: print tablas of 16 with a numbered caller's deck, then play with beans. - [Memory pairs](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/memory/): Matching cards for every age: write your own pairs, print them with matching backs, then mix them face down and play. - [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/): Choose a morris variant, print one or two boards per page, and cut out counters for two players. - [Raffle tickets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/raffle-tickets/): Numbered raffle tickets with stubs for the draw. Set the first number, how many tickets and your prize. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/latin-america/ ======== # Cafés, card tables and the categories game across the Arab world > Paper games loved across the Arab world, from the categories game Stop to dominoes, Baloot scoring, alquerque and mancala, and how to print them. ## The categories game with Arabic columns In Arabic-speaking countries the categories game it is often named after its first columns, إنسان، حيوان، نبات، جماد، بلاد, meaning person, animal, plant, object and country. A letter is chosen, and everyone writes a word starting with it in each column. The first to finish stops the round. A common scoring gives 10 points for an answer nobody else wrote, 5 for a shared answer and nothing for a blank or invalid one. A [Stop sheet](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/) is a quick way to start a round at the table. ## Baloot and two score columns Baloot (بلوت) is popular in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf. Its scores are written in two columns, لنا ("us") and لهم ("them"), and a common game ends at 152 points. Tarneeb (طرنيب), played in the Levant, is often played to 41 points. A [score pad](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/) with two clear columns keeps the running total easy to follow. ## Dominoes in the café Dominoes is a familiar sight in many cafés across the Arab world. A double-six set has 28 tiles, and a double-nine set has 55. ## Alquerque and mancala Alquerque takes its name from the Arabic al-qirq. It is mentioned in the 10th-century Arabic Book of Songs and described in the Book of Games made for King Alfonso X of Castile in 1283. It is widely considered an ancestor of draughts. Each player starts with 12 pieces on a 5 × 5 grid of points with diagonals, and you can play [alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/) on paper with coins as pieces. Mancala is a family of count-and-capture games played across the Middle East, Africa, South and Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. The word is often linked to the Arabic verb naqala, "to move". You can try the family with [mancala](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/). ## Printing and playing with Paperoom Paperoom is free, works in your browser and needs no account. The interface is available in Arabic, with right-to-left pages while number and coordinate grids stay left-to-right. Choose A4 or US Letter, print at 100% scale with headers and footers off, and print one test sheet before a family evening. ## Games from this region - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. - [Score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/): Score pads for card and tile games: a plain table for any game, or a tally board for truco, with a few common presets. - [Dominoes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/): Dotted double-six or double-nine tiles, or word-loop tiles that teach any question and answer pair. - [Alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/): A two-player game of moving and jumping on a five-by-five board, with a starting-position diagram and 24 counters to cut out. - [Mancala (Oware, Kalah, Congkak)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/): Two rows of pits and a handful of seeds. Print oware, kalah or congkak boards, with optional seed tokens to cut out. - [Ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/): Four coloured yards and a race round the cross. Print the board, counters and a paper die, then roll for a six. - [Royal Game of Ur](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/royal-ur/): A race game from ancient Mesopotamia: a 20-square board with rosettes, each player's route and pieces to cut out. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/middle-east/ ======== # North America with a pencil, a grid and a bingo card > The paper games many people in North America know well, from 75-ball bingo to crosswords, sudoku and battleship, and how to print them. ## The 75-ball bingo card Many people in North America know bingo as the 75-ball game. Its card has five columns labelled B, I, N, G and O, holding numbers 1 to 15, 16 to 30, 31 to 45, 46 to 60 and 61 to 75. This format was popularised in the United States from around 1930. A [bingo maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/) can print 75-ball cards, or build cards from your own words. ## Crosswords and sudoku Arthur Wynne's "word-cross" appeared in the New York World on 21 December 1913, and it is usually called the first crossword. Solvers fill a grid from clues, and answers cross at shared letters. You can print a [crossword](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/crossword/) for a quiet evening. The modern sudoku puzzle is generally credited to Howard Garns, whose version appeared as "Number Place" in Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games in 1979. The Japanese publisher Nikoli gave it the name sudoku in 1984, and The Times in London began printing it in 2004. You can print a [sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/) puzzle and keep the answer key for checking. ## Battleship with pencil and paper Battleship is often said to have been played with pencil and paper in the early twentieth century. Each player hides ships on a grid and calls out coordinates to find the other player's fleet. Two sheets of squared paper are enough, or you can print a [battleship](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/) sheet. ## Printing and playing with Paperoom Paperoom is free and needs no account. Choose A4 or US Letter to match your printer, print at 100% scale with headers and footers off, and print one test sheet, especially for bingo, so you can check the numbers. Large print and black-ink-only options are available, and a PDF lets you print later or at a shop. ## Games from this region - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [Crossword](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/crossword/): A criss-cross grid built from your own answers and clues, with numbered squares, an optional word bank and an answer key. - [Battleship (sea battle)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/): Two grids per sheet: hide your fleet, call out squares and sink the other player's ships on paper. - [Sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/): Number puzzles from gentle 4 × 4 grids to classic 9 × 9, each with exactly one solution. - [Hex](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/): A rhombus of hexagons where each player joins their own pair of edges. A game of Hex can never end in a draw. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/north-america/ ======== # South Asia's ladders, ludo and 90-number tickets > The paper games loved across South Asia, from snakes and ladders with its Indian roots to ludo, tambola and housie, and how to print them. ## Snakes and ladders with a moral Snakes and ladders descends from Indian board games known as Moksha Patam or Gyan Chaupar, in which ladders and snakes stood for virtues and vices. The game reached England in the late nineteenth century, and it has since been played in many forms across the world. Each player rolls in turn, moves that many squares and follows any ladder or snake they land on. You can print a [snakes and ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/) board for a family afternoon. ## Ludo and the cowrie shell Pachisi is a cross-shaped race game from India, traditionally played with cowrie shells. Ludo is a simplified version of that tradition, and it was patented in England in 1896. Related games include Parchís in Spain and Mensch ärgere Dich nicht in Germany. A [ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/) board is ready to print for a party or a long afternoon. ## Tambola and housie at the party The 90-number game is called tambola or housie in India, where it is common at parties and festivals. Each player holds tickets numbered 1 to 90, and a caller reads out numbers one at a time. Players mark the numbers they hear, and the first to complete a pattern calls out. You can use the [tombala](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/) maker to print 90-ball tickets, and each ticket stands on its own. ## Printing and playing with Paperoom Paperoom is free, works in your browser and needs no account. The interface is available in Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and English. Choose A4 or US Letter, print at 100% scale with headers and footers off, and print one test sheet, especially for a ticket set. You can also download a PDF to print at a shop. ## Games from this region - [Snakes and ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/): A fresh board every time: choose the number of snakes and ladders, then print counters and a fold-up die. - [Ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/): Four coloured yards and a race round the cross. Print the board, counters and a paper die, then roll for a six. - [90-ball bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/): Independent 90-ball tickets with three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers each, plus a caller sheet for the 1–90 game. - [Mancala (Oware, Kalah, Congkak)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/): Two rows of pits and a handful of seeds. Print oware, kalah or congkak boards, with optional seed tokens to cut out. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/south-asia/ ======== # All printable games > Every free printable game maker on Paperoom: bingo, puzzles, pencil games, board games and cards from around the world, in six languages. Each maker runs in your browser and builds a fresh set every time. Filter by type or by where a game comes from. ## Bingo & calling games Word and number bingo, 90-ball tickets and lotería, with caller sheets. - [Bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/): Word bingo on 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 cards, or classic 75-ball number cards, with a caller sheet for each set. - [90-ball bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tombala/): Independent 90-ball tickets with three rows, nine columns and 15 numbers each, plus a caller sheet for the 1–90 game. - [Lotería](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/loteria/): Mexican lotería for your own names: print tablas of 16 with a numbered caller's deck, then play with beans. ## Puzzles with answers Sudoku, mazes, nonograms, crosswords, word searches and codes, each with its solutions. - [Word search](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-search/): Word searches from 8 × 8 to 18 × 18 with easy, medium or hard directions, an answer key and a page for long lists. - [Crossword](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/crossword/): A criss-cross grid built from your own answers and clues, with numbered squares, an optional word bank and an answer key. - [Maze](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/maze/): Printable mazes with a marked entrance and exit, from small grids to huge ones, each with an answer page. - [Nonogram](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nonogram/): Fill in squares to match the numbers and reveal a hidden picture. Choose 5 × 5, 10 × 10 or 15 × 15, with answer keys. - [Secret code](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/secret-code/): A cryptogram for your own phrases: every letter becomes a number or a symbol, with a few letters given to start. - [Sudoku](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/sudoku/): Number puzzles from gentle 4 × 4 grids to classic 9 × 9, each with exactly one solution. - [Word scramble](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/word-scramble/): Shuffled letters for every word or phrase, with answer boxes, optional hints and a numbered answer key. ## Pencil & paper games Quick games for two or more: sea battle, dots and boxes, Stop, gomoku and score pads. - [Battleship (sea battle)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/battleship/): Two grids per sheet: hide your fleet, call out squares and sink the other player's ships on paper. - [Bulls and cows](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bulls-and-cows/): A code-breaking game for two: guess your partner's secret number from the A and B clues, with optional solo practice. - [Dice score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dice-scores/): Score sheets for five-dice games (Generala, Yams, a yacht card) and Ten Thousand. Up to eight players, typical points. - [Dots and boxes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dots-and-boxes/): Square dot grids for two to four players: draw lines, claim boxes and add up the score on a printed table. - [Exquisite corpse](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/exquisite-corpse/): A folded drawing or story where each player adds one part without seeing the others. - [Hangman](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hangman/): Guess the secret word one letter at a time, tracing a figure for each wrong guess. Use your own words or blank rounds. - [Letter grid](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/letter-grid/): Find words by linking neighbouring letters in a square grid. Choose the size, the shortest word and a points box. - [Paper soccer](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-soccer/): A pencil game on squared paper: draw lines from dot to dot, aim for the goal and never reuse a line. - [Stop (categories game)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/stop/): Pick a letter, write one word for each category, and score points for answers nobody else wrote. - [Tic-tac-toe](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tic-tac-toe/): Printable boards for noughts and crosses: classic 3 × 3, a big 6 × 6 version and an ultimate board of small boards. ## Board games to print Snakes and ladders, the goose game, ludo, mancala, morris, draughts and ancient boards, with pieces and paper dice. - [Alquerque](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/alquerque/): A two-player game of moving and jumping on a five-by-five board, with a starting-position diagram and 24 counters to cut out. - [Checkers, draughts and chess boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/checkers/): Hatched dark squares for checkers, international draughts or chess, with coordinates and pieces to cut out. - [Gomoku and Go boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/gomoku/): Five-in-a-row boards and Go boards from 9 × 9 to 19 × 19, ready for pens, coins or beans. - [Game of the Goose](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/goose/): A printable 63-square Game of the Goose with classic special squares, or your own challenges on every square. - [Hex](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/hex/): A rhombus of hexagons where each player joins their own pair of edges. A game of Hex can never end in a draw. - [Ludo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/ludo/): Four coloured yards and a race round the cross. Print the board, counters and a paper die, then roll for a six. - [Mancala (Oware, Kalah, Congkak)](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/mancala/): Two rows of pits and a handful of seeds. Print oware, kalah or congkak boards, with optional seed tokens to cut out. - [Nine men's morris](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/nine-mens-morris/): Choose a morris variant, print one or two boards per page, and cut out counters for two players. - [Royal Game of Ur](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/royal-ur/): A race game from ancient Mesopotamia: a 20-square board with rosettes, each player's route and pieces to cut out. - [Snakes and ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/snakes-and-ladders/): A fresh board every time: choose the number of snakes and ladders, then print counters and a fold-up die. - [Xiangqi](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/xiangqi/): Chinese chess on a printed 9 × 10 board, with 32 cut-out pieces and a legend for the seven kinds of piece. ## Cards & paper crafts Prompt cards, memory pairs, dominoes, fortune tellers, raffle tickets and more to cut out. - [Prompt cards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/cards/): Printable prompt cards for charades, drawing or conversation, six, nine or twelve to a page, with dashed cut lines. - [Dominoes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/dominoes/): Dotted double-six or double-nine tiles, or word-loop tiles that teach any question and answer pair. - [Paper fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/fortune-teller/): Fold a cootie catcher with four colours and eight fortunes you write yourself. Each copy uses a different order. - [Memory pairs](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/memory/): Matching cards for every age: write your own pairs, print them with matching backs, then mix them face down and play. - [Paper dice](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/paper-dice/): Cut out cube nets and fold your own dice: classic dots, numbers, or any words you choose, from 1 to 24 dice. - [Raffle tickets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/raffle-tickets/): Numbered raffle tickets with stubs for the draw. Set the first number, how many tickets and your prize. - [Scavenger hunt](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/scavenger-hunt/): Printable checklists and find-and-draw sheets for parties and classrooms. One sheet per team, optionally shuffled. - [Score sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/score-sheets/): Score pads for card and tile games: a plain table for any game, or a tally board for truco, with a few common presets. - [Telephone: write and draw](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/telephone/): A whisper-style game on paper: each booklet passes from writing to drawing and back, then the last panel is compared with the first. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/games/ ======== # Table tools > Free table tools for paper games: dice roller, sand timer, random letters for Stop, a number caller, team maker, scoreboard and spinner. Small helpers that sit beside your printed games. They run on your device, need no account and work offline once installed. - [Coin flip](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/coin/): Flip a coin on screen and keep a tally of heads, tails and streaks. - [Dice roller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/dice/): Roll up to six dice, from d4 to d20, and hold the ones you want to keep. - [Letter picker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/letters/): Pick a letter for Stop, Basta or Le petit bac, with letters you can include or leave out. - [Number caller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/number-caller/): Call bingo numbers at random, 75-ball or 90-ball or any range, with no repeats and a board to mark. - [Scoreboard](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/scoreboard/): Keep score for up to 12 players, with quick +1 and +5 buttons, custom amounts, round history and undo. - [Spinner](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/spinner/): Spin a wheel to pick a person, a category or a forfeit from your own list. - [Team maker](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/teams/): Paste a list of names and split it into random teams, by number of teams or people per team. - [Round timer](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/timer/): A countdown for game rounds, with presets, a custom time and a gentle chime. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/tools/ ======== # The Paperoom blog > Stories and ideas about paper games from around the world: their history, their many names and how to play them today. The stories behind the games we print, and ideas for playing them well. - [A short history of bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/a-short-history-of-bingo/): How lotto-style games grew from a 1500s Italian lottery into tombola, housie, tambola and the 75-ball card, and how word bingo followed. - [Alquerque: the ancestor of checkers](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/alquerque-the-ancestor-of-checkers/): Alquerque, the 5 by 5 board game from the Arabic al-qirq, its mention in Alfonso X's 1283 Book of Games, its basic rules and its link to draughts. - [Battleship on Paper: Hunting, Spacing and Salvoes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/battleship-on-paper/): How pencil-and-paper Battleship is played, how to set up two grids and a fleet that fits, and real strategy for searching, hunting and placing ships. - [Dots and Boxes: La Pipopipette and the Art of the Chain](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/dots-and-boxes-la-pipopipette/): How Édouard Lucas published La Pipopipette in 1889, how to play dots and boxes, and the strategy of safe moves, chains and the double-cross. - [Exquisite Corpse: The Surrealist Game of Hidden Drawings](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/exquisite-corpse-surrealist-drawing-game/): How Paris Surrealists turned chance into a game, where the name comes from, and how to play the folded drawing and sentence versions at home or in class. - [Hex: the game that can never end in a draw](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/hex-the-game-that-never-draws/): Invented twice in the 1940s, Hex has one of the cleanest rule sets of any board game. Why someone always wins, and the bridge, its first trick. - [Lotería: Mexican picture bingo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/loteria-mexican-picture-bingo/): How the Mexican picture game Lotería works, from its boards and caller's rhymes to a family version you can make with a 4 × 4 word bingo card. - [Mancala: the count-and-capture family](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/mancala-count-and-capture/): How the mancala family of seed-sowing games works, where its names come from, and how to play a basic Kalah-style game on a printed board. - [Nine men's morris: a board game carved in stone](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/nine-mens-morris-trilha-molino/): The history of nine men's morris, from stone benches to schoolyards, with its two phases, mills, flying and tips for printing a board. - [Paper Fortune Tellers: A Folding Craft That Is Also a Game](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/paper-fortune-tellers/): The folded paper fortune teller and its many names, how to play it with friends, and kind or funny fortunes to write inside. - [A world tour of paper games](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/paper-games-around-the-world/): A short tour of paper games from around the world, from Stop and tombola to xiangqi, mancala and nine men's morris, with notes on where each is played. - [Sudoku: From Number Place to the World](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/sudoku-from-number-place-to-the-world/): How a 1979 American number puzzle became sudoku in Japan and then a worldwide favourite, and how to make simple 4 × 4 and 6 × 6 versions. - [The Game of the Goose: a spiral race with geese](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/the-game-of-the-goose/): The 63-square spiral race with geese: its traditional hazard squares, a Spanish counting rhyme, a way to teach counting and house rules. - [The many names of Stop](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/the-many-names-of-stop/): The categories game under its many names, with how a round works, ways to pick the letter, 10, 5 and 0 scoring, and variations to try. - [The Royal Game of Ur: a race game from ancient Mesopotamia](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/the-royal-game-of-ur/): How boards found at Ur and a Babylonian clay tablet let people play a 4,500-year-old race game again, with its route, rosettes and odds explained. - [The story of Snakes and Ladders](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/the-story-of-snakes-and-ladders/): From Moksha Patam and Gyan Chaupar to England, the story of Snakes and Ladders, why it suits young children, and two common house rules. - [Why Paper Games Still Matter](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/why-paper-games-still-matter/): An essay on why printed games still gather people at one table: shared attention, no logins, room for in-jokes, large print and the calm of paper. - [Xiangqi for beginners: Chinese chess from the first move](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/xiangqi-for-beginners/): A complete beginner's guide to xiangqi: the river and palace, how each piece moves, the facing-generals rule, checkmate and printing a board. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/blog/ ======== # Guides > Practical guides for hosting game nights, teaching with paper games, printing perfect sheets and playing with every age. Practical help for game nights, classrooms, care homes, journeys and rainy days. - [Planning an activity hour with older adults](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/activity-hour-with-older-adults/): How to plan a regular activity hour for older adults in care homes, libraries or community centres, with large print, familiar themes and mixed games. - [Dots and boxes strategy: chains and the double-cross](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/dots-and-boxes-strategy/): Why the third side of a box is a gift, how chains decide the game, and the double-cross move that lets you keep control near the end. - [Paper games for family gatherings and holidays](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/family-gatherings-and-holidays/): Paper games for big family gatherings across cultures, from Italian tombola and Indian housie to Brazilian Festa Junina bingo, with tips for every age. - [From tic-tac-toe to gomoku: winning lines on paper](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/from-tic-tac-toe-to-gomoku/): Forks in tic-tac-toe, the sending rule of ultimate tic-tac-toe and the open four of gomoku, with tips for playing each on a printed board. - [How to fold a paper fortune teller](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-fold-a-paper-fortune-teller/): Step-by-step folding instructions for a paper fortune teller from a printed square, with tips for crisp creases and thin paper. - [How to host a bingo night](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-host-a-bingo-night/): Pick word or number bingo, print enough distinct cards, agree the winning patterns first, call at a steady pace and check winners fairly. - [How to play Stop, the categories game](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-play-stop/): Learn the rules of Stop, also called Basta or Tutti Frutti, from setting up the sheet and choosing a letter to scoring 10, 5 and 0 points. - [How to solve a maze: wall following and dead-end filling](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-solve-a-maze/): Two dependable ways to solve a paper maze, why keeping a hand on the wall works, and how filling in dead ends reveals the only route. - [How to solve a nonogram, step by step](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/how-to-solve-nonograms/): Read the clues, fill the squares every arrangement shares, mark the empty ones and let rows and columns help each other until the picture appears. - [Icebreakers for teams and workshops](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/icebreakers-for-teams-and-workshops/): Paper icebreakers for teams and workshops, including people bingo, conversation cards, a quick scavenger hunt and team forming, with inclusive prompts. - [Keeping score on paper](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/keeping-score-on-paper/): How to keep score on paper for card and dice games, with tallies, running totals and notes on Truco, Baloot, Tarneeb, Belote and Generala. - [Paper games for travel](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/paper-games-for-travel/): How to build a printable travel folder of pencil-only paper games for trains, planes, waiting rooms and campsites, and use the site offline once installed. - [How to print perfect game sheets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/print-perfect-sheets/): Pick the right paper size and scale, switch off headers and footers, test one page, and choose between a PDF download and a browser print. - [Rainy-day paper games for kids](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/rainy-day-paper-games-for-kids/): A printable rainy-day kit for children aged 4 to 12, with mazes, tic-tac-toe, dots and boxes, an indoor scavenger hunt and paper fortune tellers. - [Sudoku techniques for beginners](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/sudoku-techniques-for-beginners/): Learn scanning, naked and hidden singles, pencil marks and naked pairs, and practise on small 4 × 4 and 6 × 6 grids before moving on. - [Vocabulary games for language classes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/vocabulary-games-for-language-classes/): Printable vocabulary games for teachers of any language, from word bingo and crosswords to word searches and hangman, with ways to adjust them by level. - [A paper game night, without the fuss](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/party-games/): A few thoughtful choices make a game easier to join. You do not need a theme for every detail or a prize for every round. - [Turn this week’s words into a classroom game](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/classroom-games/): A printable can give practice a different rhythm. Keep the activity tied to words and ideas learners have already encountered. - [A more comfortable game to read and handle](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/large-print-games/): Large print is a starting point, not a promise that one layout suits everyone. Ask the people playing what makes the page easier for them. - [Word bingo, 75-ball bingo, and 90-ball tickets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/bingo-and-tombala/): They share the pleasure of waiting for a match, but their cards and winning patterns are different. Pick the version your group knows. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/guides/ ======== # Games around the world > Discover paper and board games by region: East Asia, South Asia, the Arab world, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America. The same game often travels under many names. Pick a region to see where its favourites come from and print them in your language. - [Africa's sowing games and morris boards](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/africa/): The count-and-capture mancala family across Africa, with a note on nine men's morris and its South African relative, and how to print them with Paperoom. - [East Asia's river boards, five-in-a-row and folded fortunes](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/east-asia/): Paper and board games from East Asia, including xiangqi, gomoku, tangram, nonograms and origami fortune tellers, and how to print them with Paperoom. - [Europe's old boards and new paper games](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/europe/): Paper games with long roots across Europe, from nine men's morris and the Game of the Goose to dots and boxes, hex and paper soccer. - [Latin America at the card table and the paper pad](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/latin-america/): The paper games loved across Latin America, from the categories game Stop to lotería, dominoes and score pads, and how to print them. - [Cafés, card tables and the categories game across the Arab world](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/middle-east/): Paper games loved across the Arab world, from the categories game Stop to dominoes, Baloot scoring, alquerque and mancala, and how to print them. - [North America with a pencil, a grid and a bingo card](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/north-america/): The paper games many people in North America know well, from 75-ball bingo to crosswords, sudoku and battleship, and how to print them. - [South Asia's ladders, ludo and 90-number tickets](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/south-asia/): The paper games loved across South Asia, from snakes and ladders with its Indian roots to ludo, tambola and housie, and how to print them. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/world/ ======== # Questions and answers > Answers about free printing, paper sizes, languages, privacy, offline use, game rules, classroom sharing and the developer interface. Short answers about making, printing and playing games with Paperoom. Everything runs in your browser, so most answers come down to your device, your printer and your table. ## Using Paperoom ### Is Paperoom free? Yes. Paperoom is a free website, and you can customise, preview, print and download games without paying. ### Do I need an account? No. Paperoom works in your browser without an account, so you can start a game straight away. ### Which games can I make? The current list of game makers is on the [games page](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/games/). Each game has its own settings, which you can change before you preview the result. ### How do I start? Open a game, adjust its settings and add any content you want, such as your own words. Preview the result, then print it or download it as a PDF. ### Can I save my settings for next time? Yes. Paperoom can save a setup file and load it later, so you can reopen the same settings and content without typing them again. ### How do I recreate the same set? Use a repeatable seed. Enter the same seed with the same game and settings, and Paperoom recreates the same set. The seed is optional, and changing it gives you a new set. ## Printing and PDFs ### Should I choose A4 or US Letter? Choose the paper size that matches the paper loaded in your printer. Paperoom offers both A4 and US Letter, so pick the one you have before you print. ### What print settings should I use? Print at 100% scale rather than "fit to page", as long as the sheet matches your paper size. Turn off the browser's headers and footers, and print one test sheet before you print a full set. ### Can I print in large print? Yes. Large print is one of the print options, which is useful when players need bigger text. Print one test sheet to check that the size suits your group. ### Can I print in black ink only? Yes. Paperoom offers a black-ink-only option, which is useful when you want to save colour ink. ### Should I print or download a PDF? Print directly when your printer is ready. Download a PDF when you want to keep a copy, print it later or take the file to a print shop. ### What paper works for game boards? Thicker paper or cardstock suits boards and pieces that will be handled often. Ordinary printer paper is fine for word searches, score sheets and a single session of play. ### Why do PDF fonts download the first time? The first PDF download fetches the fonts it needs from this site. Once they have loaded, they are saved on your device for offline use, and your game content stays on the device throughout. ## Languages and your own words ### Which languages is Paperoom in? The interface is available in six languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and French. ### Can I type my own words in any script? Yes. Custom words can be written in any script, and accented letters such as é, ñ and ç can be used as you type them. ### How do Arabic pages work? Arabic pages are right-to-left, so menus and text read from the right. Number grids and coordinate grids stay left-to-right, so rows and columns are easy to follow. ### Can I use Chinese characters in a word search? Yes. Chinese characters can be entered as custom words in a word search, in the same way as words in other scripts. ### What happens to duplicate words? Duplicates are removed, so a word you enter twice appears only once in the puzzle or list. ## Privacy and offline ### Does my content leave my device? No. Word lists, titles, prompts and generated games stay on your device. They are not sent to a server or to an AI service. ### Is there analytics? Analytics is optional and opt-in, so it runs only if you consent. It never includes game content, and the games work without it. ### Can I install Paperoom as an app? Yes. Paperoom is an installable web app, so you can add it to your device from your browser's install option. ### Does it work offline? Yes, once Paperoom has been installed or visited on your device. Games and PDF fonts are then saved on the device for offline use. ### What happens if I clear site data? Clearing the site's data in your browser removes what Paperoom saved on that device, including the offline copy. Visit the site again while you are online to set it up once more. ## Games and rules ### Who decides which pattern wins in bingo? The players do. Agree on the winning patterns before the game starts, such as a line, a corner or a full card. ### Can more than one person win? Yes. Several winners can happen in the same round, so agree in advance how a prize is shared or whether the first call counts. ### Do 90-ball tickets come in strips? No. Paperoom's 90-ball tickets are independent, not six-ticket strips, so each ticket stands on its own. ### Can a word search contain words I did not place? Yes. The filler letters are random, so they can form an extra match by accident. If a player finds an unexpected word, check it against the list before you count it as an error. ### Do puzzles come with answer keys? Yes. Puzzles include answer keys, so you can check solutions quickly or give players a copy after the game. ## Teachers and groups ### Can I use Paperoom sheets in a classroom? Yes. You may print and share sheets for personal, family, classroom and community activities without charge. ### Can I use the games for betting or paid draws? No. Printed sheets are for play, so do not use them for wagering or paid draws. ### How do I give every class the same set? Use the same game, settings and seed for each class. Paperoom recreates the same set each time you enter those values, so every class gets identical sheets. ## Developers and AI agents ### Is there a developer interface? Yes. The developer page at /developers/ documents a deterministic JavaScript interface that runs on your device, and the visible game makers use the same code. ### Does it run on a server? No. It is a local library rather than an HTTP generation service, so it runs on the caller's device. Generated content never needs to be sent to a server. ### Is there a summary for AI assistants? Yes. The file /llms.txt summarises the site for AI assistants. An agent that uses the local interface also keeps all generated content on the device. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/faq/ ======== # Free printable PDF packs > Download free printable PDF packs: puzzles with answers, board games with pieces, party games and classroom activities. A4 and US Letter. Each pack combines several Paperoom games in one PDF, ready to print. Want different words or sizes? Open the maker and make your own. - [Puzzle pack](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/printables/): Sudoku, mazes, nonograms and word puzzles, with answer keys at the back. - [Board games pack](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/printables/): Snakes and ladders, the goose game, ludo, mancala and more, with counters and paper dice. - [Party pack](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/printables/): Lotería, memory pairs, a fortune teller, Stop sheets and a scavenger hunt. - [Classroom pack](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/printables/): Crossword, word scramble, secret code, word-loop dominoes and sudoku for learners. - [Travel pack](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/printables/): Pencil games for two: dots and boxes, sea battle, tic-tac-toe and gomoku. Make your own: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/games/ Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/printables/ ======== # From the maker's bookshelf > Ebooks and a free printable workbook from Yunus Emre Vurgun's The Knowledge Project shop on Gumroad: AI and work, music theory and factories. Paperoom is free. If you would like to support it, these ebooks and workbooks are sold in the maker's Gumroad shop. They are in English; current prices and details are shown on Gumroad. ## The Paperoom Game Night Kit New · printable kit · 52 pages 52 print-ready pages for one great evening: party bingo, puzzles with answers, four board games and pencil-and-paper battles, plus a planner, invitations, a scoreboard and awards. [View on Gumroad](https://theknowledgeproject.gumroad.com/l/game-night-kit) ## How to Remain Valuable When Intelligence Becomes Cheap 224-page ebook · 224 pages Which human, economic and strategic advantages stay valuable when AI can do most cognitive work? [View on Gumroad](https://theknowledgeproject.gumroad.com/l/remainvaluable) ## AI-Era Starter Shelf Three-ebook bundle Three practical ebooks for understanding AI, work and the history of machine learning. [View on Gumroad](https://theknowledgeproject.gumroad.com/l/ai-era-starter-shelf) ## The AI-Proof Career Self-Audit Free 20-page PDF workbook · 20 pages Score six career advantages and turn the evidence into a 90-day plan. Print it like any Paperoom sheet. [Get the free PDF](https://theknowledgeproject.gumroad.com/l/ai-proof-career-self-audit) ## Music Theory 78-page ebook · 78 pages How music works, and how it came to work that way: intervals, keys, harmony, rhythm and form. [View on Gumroad](https://theknowledgeproject.gumroad.com/l/honov) ## Understanding the Shop Floor 76-page ebook · 76 pages How factories actually work, from production flow and PLCs to quality, lean and Industry 4.0. [View on Gumroad](https://theknowledgeproject.gumroad.com/l/shopfloor) English-language titles sold on Gumroad. Current details and prices are shown there. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/books/ ======== # The Paperoom Game Night Kit > A 52-page printable kit for one great evening: bingo, puzzles with answers, four board games, party extras, a planner, invitations and awards. Everything for one evening of games, ready to print: party bingo, puzzles with answers, four board games with pieces, pencil-and-paper battles, party extras and pages designed for the night itself. 52 pages · A4 and US Letter PDFs · In English ## What is in the 52 pages The pages are ordered for the evening, from planning and invitations to the games, the scores and the awards. - **Party bingo**: Eight 75-ball bingo cards and a caller sheet - **Puzzles with answers**: Easy and hard sudoku, mazes, a crossword and a word scramble - **Board games with pieces**: Snakes and ladders, the Game of the Goose, ludo and an oware board, with pieces to cut out - **Pencil-and-paper battles**: Dots and boxes, sea battle, ultimate tic-tac-toe and Stop - **Party extras**: A scavenger hunt, paper fortune tellers, paper dice and raffle tickets - **Designed for the night**: A planner, invitations, a scoreboard, a tournament bracket and four award certificates ## How it works 1. **Get it on Gumroad**: The kit is sold in the maker's Gumroad shop, where the current price is shown. 2. **Download two PDFs**: One file is laid out for A4 paper and one for US Letter, so every page prints at the right size. 3. **Print what you need**: Print the whole kit or only tonight's pages. Boards look best on thicker paper or card. ## Paperoom stays free Every game maker on this site stays free, with no account. The kit gathers a ready-made evening into one ordered file and adds pages made only for it: the planner, invitations, scoreboard, bracket and awards. ## Questions about the kit ### What language is the kit in? English. The games use few words, and the rules on each sheet are short. ### Which paper sizes are included? Both: one PDF for A4 and one for US Letter. ### How much does it cost? The current price is shown on Gumroad. Paperoom does not list prices on this site. ### How is it different from the free makers? The game pages come from the same engine as the site's PDFs, chosen and ordered for one evening. The planner, invitations, scoreboard, bracket and awards are designed only for the kit. ### Who can use it? The kit is made for personal, family and classroom use. [Get the kit on Gumroad](https://theknowledgeproject.gumroad.com/l/game-night-kit) English-language kit sold on Gumroad. Current details and price are shown there. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/kit/ ======== # For developers & agents > A deterministic interface that runs on your device. The visible game makers call the same code. [JSON Schema · v1](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/api/schema.json) · [JSON examples](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/api/examples.json) · [JSON result](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/api/sample-word-search.json) · [ES module](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/assets/api.mjs) ## How to use it Import the public ES module in a browser module, or download api.mjs, generators.mjs and locales.mjs together for a JavaScript runtime with Intl.Segmenter. No key, account, paid inference or server request is required to generate a game. ```js import {generate} from '/assets/api.mjs'; const result = generate({ tool: 'word-search', language: 'en', seed: 'garden-42', settings: {text: 'GARDEN\nFLOWER\nTREE', size: 12, difficulty: 'easy', includeKey: true} }); console.log(result.pack.grid, result.pack.placements); ``` ## Inputs and output tool: bingo, tombala, word-search or cards. language: en, es, ar, pt, zh or fr. seed: 1–64 characters. settings: optional overrides; see the schema and examples. Numbers may use JSON numbers. Booleans must be true/false. Defaults are localized. The result includes the resolved settings, stable set id and pack: cards/caller, or grid/placements/words. Placement r and c are zero-based; dr and dc are row/column steps. GameError exposes code and data. Invalid input fails without silently dropping words. ## Reproducibility and stable links The same v1 code, seed, language and settings produce the same result. Keep the version and inputs with saved output; future algorithm versions may differ. Stable links accept seed and scalar controls only. Custom words never need to enter a URL. Use JSON setup files for custom content. The library processes supplied content as data, with the same limits as the form. [BINGO · seed=paperoom-demo](https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/bingo/?mode=75&count=8&seed=paperoom-demo) ## Local PDF export In a browser, import createPDF from /assets/pdf.mjs and locales from /assets/locales.mjs. Pass {pack:result.pack, current:{...result.settings,id:result.id}, tool:result.tool,t:locales[result.language]}, then call doc.save("games.pdf"). It downloads self-hosted PDF code and font files on demand. It sends no game content. Print output and PDF layout are separate renderers of the same pack. ## Every printable game The same generate() call covers every game on the site. Read tools for the list, fields(tool) for a game's settings and text(tool, language) for its labels. For every game except the original four makers, layout(result) returns vector pages in millimetres and toSVG(page) draws one as SVG. A machine-readable catalog of every game, with its categories, regions and pages in six languages, is at /api/games.json. Plain-text guides for language models are at /llms.txt and /llms-full.txt, and every page links a Markdown version (index.md) from its head. `tool`: `bingo`, `tombala`, `word-search`, `cards`, `alquerque`, `battleship`, `bulls-and-cows`, `checkers`, `crossword`, `dice-scores`, `dominoes`, `dots-and-boxes`, `exquisite-corpse`, `fortune-teller`, `gomoku`, `goose`, `hangman`, `hex`, `letter-grid`, `loteria`, `ludo`, `mancala`, `maze`, `memory`, `nine-mens-morris`, `nonogram`, `paper-dice`, `paper-soccer`, `raffle-tickets`, `royal-ur`, `scavenger-hunt`, `score-sheets`, `secret-code`, `snakes-and-ladders`, `stop`, `sudoku`, `telephone`, `tic-tac-toe`, `word-scramble`, `xiangqi` ```js import {generate,layout,toSVG} from 'https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/assets/api.mjs'; const result=generate({tool:'sudoku',language:'en',seed:'demo',settings:{size:9,difficulty:'easy'}}); const svg=layout(result).map(toSVG); // vector pages, millimetres ``` Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/developers/ ======== # About Paperoom > Who makes Paperoom, how its printable games are generated on your device, and how it handles languages, privacy and accessibility. Paperoom is a free collection of printable games made by Yunus Emre Vurgun, a software developer. It began with bingo cards and a word search and grew into a print room for games from many cultures. ## Made in your browser Every sheet is generated by code that runs on your device. Your word lists, titles and prompts are not uploaded. A repeatable seed recreates the same set whenever you need it. ## Six languages, any script The interface is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and French. Your own content can use any script: accents, Arabic, Chinese and other writing systems are kept as you type them. ## Printing that works Sheets are laid out for A4 and US Letter, with large-print and black-ink options. PDFs embed their fonts, so text looks the same on any computer; make a test print to check your printer. ## Accurate rules, honest history Rules pages describe common ways to play and say where customs differ. Histories are kept to what can be checked, and uncertain origins are described as uncertain. ## Free, without accounts There are no accounts, paywalls or game-content tracking. Optional analytics loads only with your consent. The maker's ebooks are advertised on some pages and are entirely optional. Source: https://paperoom.yunusemrevurgun.com/about/