Funskool's Triple Cross (item 9774500), the box our link goes toPhoto: Funskool
The tower with red and yellow discsPhoto: Funskool
The back of the box: push discs in, score lines of threePhoto: Funskool
The box from the sidePhoto: Funskool
Video

Two-player game

Triple Cross

Push, pop and block discs to make lines of three

2players · best with 2
15–25 minplaying time
6+recommended age
Learning curve
Easy2 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Pure skill, no luck
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Two players who like Connect 4 and want more to think about

Think twice if You need a game for three or more; it is strictly two players

How we rate it

Learning curve. The rules are only a little longer than Connect 4's, but pushing, popping and blockers make it harder to plan a move ahead, because every push moves other discs.

Luck & skill. No dice, no cards and no hidden information: every disc is in plain view, so the better planner usually wins.

Interaction. You constantly push your opponent's discs around, knock them out of full rows and race to lock rows before they do.

Set-up. Set the grid on its base and give each player their 12 discs and 4 blockers.

Reading. Discs and blockers only; the rules sheet is in English with pictures.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

Is Triple Cross right for you?

Great if

  • Two players who like Connect 4 and want more to think about
  • A parent and child from 6: the rules fit on one sheet, but every push changes the board
  • Quick head-to-head games on a holiday afternoon, about 15 to 25 minutes each
  • 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 when their pieces are knocked out, because popping discs is the heart of the game
  • You want some luck to help a younger child win now and then; there are no dice or cards

How Triple Cross plays

Set the grid on its base. Each player takes 12 discs and 4 blockers in one colour, red or yellow. The tower has eight rows, and each row holds three discs: one at each end and one in a raised middle spot.

  • Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
  • Reading and language: Nothing to read during play: only discs and blockers. The rules sheet is in English, with pictures for each step.

How to play Triple Cross? · FUNSKOOL · Official

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Push

    Push one of your discs into any of the eight rows from either side; it shoves other discs along, and a full row pops one out of the far side.

  2. 2
    Lock

    If a row is full, you may also put one blocker at its end to lock it for the rest of the game.

  3. 3
    Score

    When a player runs out of discs and both have had the same number of turns, count your up-and-down and diagonal lines of three; the most lines wins.

Read the official rules (PDF)Triple Cross instructions (Funskool, PDF) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Triple Cross goes

On your turn, push one disc into any row from either side. If a disc is already sitting in the first spot, yours shoves it up into the middle. If the row is full, you can still push a disc in: one disc pops out of the far side and goes back to its owner.

Once a row is full, you may also put one of your blockers at either end of it during your turn. A blocker stays for the rest of the game and locks that row, so nobody can push its discs out. You can play only one blocker a turn, and you must still place a disc.

You score a point for every line of three discs of your colour running up and down or diagonally; lines across a row don't count, and one disc can be part of several lines. The game ends when a player has no discs left and both players have had the same number of turns. The most lines wins, and a tie means a rematch.

A tip from Funskool's rules: save your blockers for rows that hold discs in your scoring lines, because once a row is locked your opponent can't break those lines by pushing.

What's in the box

The tower with red and yellow discs · Photo: Funskool
  • 1Triple Cross tower unit with base
    eight rows, each with room for three discs
  • 24Discs
    12 red and 12 yellow
  • 8Blockers
    4 red and 4 yellow
  • 1Instructions
    one illustrated sheet in English

Box: 38 × 28 cm, 0.61 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

From the contents list on Funskool's box back and rules sheet ('1 x Triple Cross Tower Unit with base, 24 x discs (12 red & 12 yellow), 8 x blockers (4 red & 4 yellow), Instructions'). Funskool's product page doesn't list the contents. The rules published for the US edition describe discs in other colours.

Where to buy

Check price on Amazon.in
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Buy Funskool's box. Funskool sells Triple Cross in India under licence from Seven Towns, and its product page gives India as the country of origin. Our Amazon.in link goes to this Funskool box. The US edition from Winning Moves Games has the same rules, so there is no reason to look for an import.

Before you choose

  • The box should show the Triple Cross logo with 'The Shape Shifting Strategy Game' and Funskool named as licensee
  • The back should say '© Seven Towns Ltd, 2018' and that the game is made for and distributed under licence by Funskool (India) Ltd
  • Inside you should find one tower unit with base, 12 red and 12 yellow discs and 8 blockers, 4 in each colour
  • Funskool's product code for the game is 9774500

What reviewers and players say

Little has been written about Triple Cross and no forum threads could be found, so this rests on two short pieces by The Toy Insider from its 2018 US launch and on the makers' own material. The Toy Insider's reviewer found the head-to-head battle intense, enjoyed the ruthless move of popping an opponent's disc out of a full row, and said it takes enough quick thinking and planning to keep older children and adults playing round after round. A second Toy Insider piece singled out the tower's inner mechanism as what sets it apart from other line-up games. The blockers carry the big decisions: once placed they can't move, so the reviewer warns to use them very carefully.

What people love

  • Short rules but real planning: each push moves other discs, so you have to think ahead
  • Popping an opponent's disc out of a full row makes for tense, close games
  • Blockers add a choice of when to lock in your lines
  • Rounds are quick, so it's easy to play best of three

Common complaints

  • Strictly two players
  • Blockers can't be moved once placed, so one hasty blocker can cost the game
  • Interaction is direct, and a young child may not enjoy having their discs knocked out
Based on 5 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Players2222
Best with2222
Play time15–25 min5–15 min5–15 min1–5 min
Age6+6+6+5+
RulesEasyEasyEasyEasy
Indian editionAvailableAvailableAvailableAvailable
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Questions people ask about Triple Cross

How do you play Triple Cross?

Players take turns pushing a disc of their colour into one of the tower's eight rows from either side, shoving other discs along and sometimes popping one out. You score a point for each up-and-down or diagonal line of three in your colour, and the player with the most lines at the end wins.

How many players can play Triple Cross?

Exactly two. Each player has 12 discs and 4 blockers in one colour, and Funskool says ages 6 and up.

What are the blockers for in Triple Cross?

A blocker locks a full row so its discs can't be pushed out for the rest of the game. Each player has four, can use only one a turn and must still place a disc that turn.

Is Triple Cross like Connect 4?

Both put discs in an upright grid, but in Triple Cross you push discs in from the sides, need only three in a line and can knock your opponent's discs out. Lines across a row don't count; only up-and-down and diagonal lines score.

Who makes Triple Cross?

The game belongs to Seven Towns Ltd and was first sold in the US by Winning Moves Games in 2018. In India, Funskool sells it under licence as product 9774500.

Game facts

Publisher
Funskool, under licence from Seven Towns Ltd (first sold in the US by Winning Moves Games in 2018)
In India
Funskool (India) Ltd, Chennai, which has it made and distributes it in India under licence from Seven Towns Ltd
First published
2018
Players
2
Language
No reading – Nothing to read during play: only discs and blockers. The rules sheet is in English, with pictures for each step.
Box size and weight
38 × 28 cm, 0.61 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.