- Set-up
- About 2 min
- Reading
- None
The quick verdict
Full verdict ↓Great for Children from 7 who already play checkers and are ready for a twist on it
Think twice if You need a game for three or more; it is strictly two players
How we rate it
Learning curve. The rules fit on one page, but two kinds of piece, jumps in any direction and the Underling swap give more to think about than checkers.
Luck & skill. No dice, no cards and nothing hidden: every token is in plain view, so the better planner usually wins.
Interaction. Every turn is about attacking your opponent's tokens or protecting your own.
Set-up. Each player lines up 8 Overlings and 8 Underlings on their side of the board; white goes first.
Reading. Tokens and a board only; the rules sheet is in English.
Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.
Is Backlash right for you?
Great if
- Children from 7 who already play checkers and are ready for a twist on it
- A parent and child, or two siblings, on a quiet afternoon at home
- Learning to plan a move ahead: one long chain of jumps can turn the game round
- Families with mixed languages, since there is nothing to read once you know the rules
Skip it if
- You need a game for three or more; it is strictly two players
- Your child gets upset at losing pieces, because capturing is the whole game
- You want some luck so a younger child can win now and then; there are no dice or cards
How Backlash plays
Each player picks a colour, black or white, and lines up 8 Overling tokens along their own back edge with 8 Underling tokens in front of them, facing the other player's tokens across the board. White moves first, and players take turns moving one token each.
- Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
- Reading and language: Nothing to read during play: only black and white tokens on a board. The two-page rules sheet is in English, with worked examples.
How to play - Backlash? · FUNSKOOL · Official
If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.
A turn, step by step
- 1Move
Move one of your tokens one space in any direction.
- 2Jump
Or jump an Overling over tokens in any direction, as many times as you can; every opponent's token it jumps comes off.
- 3Sneak
Underlings capture only by stepping diagonally onto a token, and one that reaches the far side brings back a lost Overling.
- 4Win
Clear all of your opponent's tokens off the board to win.
The full explanation: how a game of Backlash goes
An Overling has two choices. It can step one space in any direction, or it can jump over a neighbouring token, in any direction, onto an empty space beyond, and keep jumping in the same turn if it can. It may jump over your own tokens as well as your opponent's, and every opponent's token it jumps over comes off the board.
An Underling is the slow, sneaky piece. It moves only one space at a time, in any direction, and it can take an opponent's token only by stepping diagonally onto the square that token is on. If an Underling reaches the far side of the board, you can swap it for one of your Overlings that was taken earlier and put that Overling on the same square.
The first player to remove all of the other player's tokens wins. Funskool's box promises simple rules with surprising outcomes, and that comes from the Overlings: a single chain of jumps across the board can clear away several tokens at once.
A tip: because an Overling can hop over your own tokens too, a tightly packed group is not safe. Leave no empty squares behind your tokens for an enemy Overling to land on, and keep an Underling close to the far edge to bring a lost Overling back.
What's in the box
- 1Gameboard
- 8Black Overling tokens
the jumping pieces - 8Black Underling tokens
the one-step pieces - 8White Overling tokens
- 8White Underling tokens
Box: 0.4 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.
From the contents list on Funskool's rules sheet (gameboard; 8 black Underling, 8 black Overling, 8 white Underling and 8 white Overling tokens). The two-page rules sheet comes in the box. Funskool's product page doesn't list the contents.
Where to buy
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.
What reviewers and players say
No independent reviews or forum threads about Backlash could be found, so this rests on the makers' own material. Funskool sells it as a tactical game of take or be taken, with simple rules and surprising outcomes, and its box teases checkers players by asking whether it is checkers or draughts. The surprise comes from the Overlings, which can chain jumps in any direction and even hop over their own side, while the slow Underlings capture only on the diagonal and can win back a lost Overling. It should suit children who already enjoy checkers and want a little more to think about; families wanting a game for more than two should look elsewhere.
What people love
- Rules short enough to teach in a few minutes
- Two kinds of piece make it more varied than checkers
- One clever chain of jumps can turn a losing game round
- No luck and nothing to read, so it works across ages and languages
Common complaints
- Strictly two players
- Losing many tokens in one move can upset a younger child
- No independent reviews yet, so long-term replay value is untested
Based on 4 reviews and discussions
- Reference Backlash (Funskool, read October 2026) · Funskool
- Reference Backlash instructions (Funskool, 2020, read October 2026) · Funskool
- Reference Backlash (Becker Associates, read October 2026) · Becker Associates
- Reference How to play - Backlash? (FUNSKOOL, October 2023) · YouTube
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why consider it | This game Leap with Overlings, sneak with Underlings, and wipe out your rival | A different fit The classic jump-and-capture duel that Backlash builds on, with kings instead of Overlings | A different fit Two-player strategy again, where each kind of piece has its own way of moving | A different fit Another quick two-player game from Funskool with black and white pieces and no luck |
| Players | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Best with | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Play time | 15–30 min | 15–30 min | 10–60 min | 15–30 min |
| Age | 7+ | 7+ | 7+ | 8+ |
| Rules | Easy | Easy | Medium | Easy |
| Indian edition | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| On this page | Explore Checkers | Explore Chess | Explore Othello |
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Questions people ask about Backlash
How do you play Backlash?
Each player has 8 Overlings and 8 Underlings. Overlings step one space or jump over tokens in any direction, removing every opponent's token they jump; Underlings step one space and capture only by moving diagonally onto an opponent's token. The first player to clear the other side's tokens off the board wins.
How is Backlash different from checkers?
The jumping and capturing will feel familiar, but Backlash has two kinds of piece from the start. Overlings can jump in any direction and even over your own tokens, while Underlings capture only by stepping diagonally onto a token. Reaching the far side brings back a lost Overling instead of crowning a king.
What happens when an Underling reaches the other side in Backlash?
You can swap it for one of your Overlings that was taken earlier and place that Overling on the same square. It is the only way to get a lost Overling back, so it is worth pushing an Underling forward.
How many players and what age is Backlash for?
Exactly two players. Funskool says ages 7 and up; a younger child who knows checkers may manage with help.
Who makes Backlash?
Funskool makes it in India under licence from Becker Associates, a licensing agency that represents game inventors. The rules sheet carries a 2020 copyright line for Anjar Co. and Becker Associates.
Game facts
- Publisher
- Funskool, under licence from Becker Associates LLC (the rules sheet reads '© 2020 Anjar Co. LLC & Becker Associates LLC')
- In India
- Funskool (India) Ltd, Chennai, which makes it in India under licence from Becker Associates LLC
- First published
- 2020
- Players
- 2
- Language
- No reading – Nothing to read during play: only black and white tokens on a board. The two-page rules sheet is in English, with worked examples.
- Box size and weight
- 0.4 kg
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.