Nim

About Nim

Nim is one of the oldest strategy games there is, and one of the few with a perfect strategy hiding inside it. Rows of balls sit on the table; on your turn you take as many as you like — but only from one row. Whoever takes the very last ball wins. It looks like luck at first, and then one day a child spots the pattern and starts winning every time. Every layout here is one a good player can win from.

Nim is one of our free board & strategy games for kids — play it right here in your browser, or browse all our free online games.

How to Play

• Tap a ball to take it and every ball to its right in that row.
• You must take at least one, and only from a single row.
• Then the computer takes its turn.
• Whoever takes the very last ball wins.

Tips & Tricks

• Try to leave the rows balanced — two equal rows are strong.
• Think about what you're leaving behind, not what you're taking.
• On Hard the computer plays perfectly, so you have to be exact.

What Kids Learn

Nim is more than fun — it helps build real skills:

• Thinking a move ahead
• Finding a pattern in a game
• Working backwards from the goal

Nim — Frequently Asked Questions