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Korean Childhood Game
A Korean children's game of flipping folded paper tiles
Ddakjichigi is a children's game where a folded paper tile is laid on the ground and the other player slams their own tile down to flip it or drive it out of a line, winning it. It was called ttaegichigi or pyochigi depending on the region, and ppajingchigi on Jeju Island.
Nobody knows exactly when it began, but it is thought to have spread among children around the 1920s. When paper was scarce, tiles were cut from book covers or old flooring paper; later, calendars and fertiliser sacks were folded into huge king tiles. Printed picture tiles appeared in the 1960s.
Every tile differs in size, material, weight and centre of gravity. The closer you strike to the point diagonally opposite the centre of gravity, the better it flips. You cannot see your opponent's centre of gravity, but the side that stays down and the side that lifts first after a hit narrow it down.
online Ddakji starts right in your browser with nothing to install. Invite a friend, or practise alone against the Haetae bot.
Play DdakjiThe history and traditional play above are summarised from the public sources below. Names and rules vary a little from region to region.