Board games
Tock
- players
- 4–6
- minutes
- 60
- years
- 8+
In the box
1 wooden board with tracks · 4 marbles per player · 1 52-card deck
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- Team-BasedHand ManagementRaceCapture
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
In teams of two, bring your four pawns home, then help your partner bring theirs home. On your turn, play a card and move a pawn that many spaces, some cards having a special effect (bringing a pawn out, moving back, swapping); ending your move on a pawn sends it back to its base. The first team with all eight pawns home wins.
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 teams face to face, 4 pawns each, 52-card deck
- Played by four, in two teams; partners sit opposite each other. With six, three teams of two.
- Each player has four pawns in their base, a starting space on the track and a home of four spaces.
- A 52-card deck is used. House rules vary a lot: agree on them before starting.
How to play
Ace or King to come out, 4 to move back, Jack to swap
- The most common deal: 5 cards, then 4, then 4, which uses the whole deck with four players.
- At each deal, partners exchange one card, face down.
- On your turn, play a card and move a pawn that many spaces. If you cannot play anything, fold until the next deal.
- Ace or King: bring a pawn out of your base onto your starting space. The Ace can also move one space.
- Queen: 12 spaces. Cards from 2 to 10 count their value, except the special ones.
- 4: move four spaces backwards.
- 7: the seven steps can be split between several pawns.
- Jack: swap the place of one of your pawns with another pawn on the track.
- Ending your move on a pawn "eats" it: it goes back to its base.
- A pawn on its own starting space is protected: it can be neither eaten nor passed.
Scoring
No points, Game won by the team
- No points: simply record the game won by the team.
End of the game
Exact count to get home, 8 pawns home
- To enter your home, you need the exact count; you cannot jump over your own pawns.
- Once a player has brought their four pawns home, they play their cards to move their partner's pawns.
- The first team with all eight pawns home wins.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
My family's rules are different — who is right?
Nobody: toc is a traditional game, with no single official rulebook. The role of the 10, the King or the jokers changes from one table to another.
Can you eat your partner's pawn?
Yes, at most tables: a pawn is a pawn. It is rarely a good idea.