Picture a race where the runners can leapfrog each other. That is the heart of this marble game. You and one opponent each start with ten marbles crammed into one tip of a star, and the first to pack every marble into the tip straight across wins. Star Halma unblocked plays on the full 121-hole board, with no captures at all.
It comes from Christopher Müller's PaperGames collection, which lists it as Chinese Checkers, though the game was actually born in Germany as a spin on the older square-board Halma.
How to play Star Halma
On each turn you move one marble. A plain move slides it into any of the six empty holes that touch it. A jump sends it over one neighboring marble, yours or the other player's, into the empty hole directly beyond.
Jumps can be strung together. If your marble lands next to another marble with a free hole behind it, it may jump again, changing direction as often as you like. You cannot mix a slide and jumps in the same turn, though.
Select a marble and every spot it can finish on lights up, even the end of a long jump chain. Just pick the last hole and the game handles the path. Marbles you jump over stay put, so the board never empties. Player 1 opens the game.
Controls
| To… | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move a marble | Arrow keys and Enter to pick a marble, then the hole it should end in | Click your marble, then the highlighted hole where it should finish | Tap your marble, then the highlighted hole where it should finish |
| Start a game against the computer | — | Click "vs Computer", pick Player 1 or 2 and a level, then click "New game" | Tap "vs Computer", pick Player 1 or 2 and a level, then tap "New game" |
| Play a friend on one screen | — | Click "2 Player (local)" | Tap "2 Player (local)" |
| Take back a move | — | Click "Undo" | Tap "Undo" |
Tips
- Keep your group together. Marbles that travel in a loose cluster create jump chains for each other. A lone runner moves one slow hole at a time.
- Bring the back marbles along. The last marble out of your home tip is the one that usually costs you the game, so don't leave it behind.
- Use the enemy as a bridge. Their marbles in the middle are just as good to jump over as your own.
- Pack the far tip from the point inward. Filling the deepest holes first leaves landing room for the marbles still on the way.
- Compare before you commit. Select a few different marbles to see whose highlighted finish is farthest forward this turn.
Star Halma questions
Can I play against the computer?
Yes. Pick vs Computer, choose to be Player 1 or Player 2, and set the level to Easy, Medium or Hard. There is also a two-player mode for a friend on the same screen.
Can I take back a bad move?
Yes. The Undo button steps back a move, which is handy for learning how the long jump chains work.
Is the game saved if I leave?
Yes. A game in progress is stored in your browser and comes back when you return on the same device.
Why are four points of the star empty?
This version is for two players only, so just two opposite tips start with marbles. Your marbles may pass through the empty tips on the way.
