Fingers the game
Created | Updated Oct 11, 2012
Fingers is a children’s game that seems to have been invented in America most likely at Truman elementary school sometime around the turn of the 21st century. There are some who claim it was invented in Japan but this is most likely a story created by players to give the game a mysterious origin.
The rules
This entry will describe a two-player game of fingers, but the game could be extended to any number of participants.
- Both players start with one finger on each hand
- They take it in turns to point one of their hands at one of their opponent's hands. After this happens the player who's hand was pointed at adds the number of fingers on the pointing hand to the number on the pointed at hand. So if someone points a hand with say 3 fingers at one of your hands, you add that number of fingers to your hand
- When you have 5 fingers on one hand, you make a fist
- If one hand is a fist and the other has an even number of fingers, you can move half the fingers to the fist rather than pointing on your go. This is referred to as splitting
- You can't point with a fist
- If both your hands become fists, you lose
Variations
In some circles players can split when they have three putting two on a hand and one on the other. Also their are some groups versions that say that it is illegal to cause someone to need to display more than five and some say that when that happens the number should loop around1 It is also possible to play fingers with 3 or more players.
Uses
Fingers is a good game for adults but best for children. It is occasionally a lunch and recess game but is best on long drives like field trips.
1Under this system if three was added to four you would get two
