Vyf Klippies is a traditional South African hand game played with five small stones. Some people call it klipgaatjie, while others know it as handjies.Â
This game has kept generations of children busy on stoeps and school playgrounds. The stones have to be picked up in increasingly demanding combinations while one special stone spends much of its time flying through the air. Drop it at the wrong moment and your turn belongs to somebody else.
What you need to play Vyf Klippies
You need five small, smooth stones.
Marbles can also be used, although stones tend to give the game that proper old-school klipgaatjie character.
You also need a hard surface. On the ground, players can make a shallow hole for the stones. On concrete, a small circle can be drawn and the stones scattered inside it.
Choose one stone as the Master Stone. This is the stone you throw into the air during each round.
The other four become your targets.
Then the finger gymnastics begin.
Level 1
This is the opening round of Vyf Klippies and a good test of those fingers.
Toss the Master Stone upwards.
While it is in the air, pick up one stone from the floor with the same hand.
Catch the Master Stone.
Put the collected stone aside.
Repeat the sequence until all four stones have been collected individually.
Level 2
Now the stones have to travel in pairs.
Scatter the four stones across the playing area.
Toss the Master Stone upwards.
Pick up two stones together before catching the Master Stone.
Put those two aside.
Repeat the move with the final two stones.
The trick here is getting the hand down and back up quickly without disturbing a neighbour. One stone behaving badly can ruin the attempt.
Level 3
Scatter the stones again.
Toss the Master Stone upwards and pick up three stones in one move.
Catch the Master Stone.
Then toss it again and collect the final stone.
Level 4
This round gives your fingers very little room for error. Scatter the four stones before throwing the Master Stone.
Throw the Master Stone upwards, then scoop up all four stones together. Catch the Master Stone before it reaches the floor.
One quick movement is all you get for this round.
Level 5
The final round introduces the gate, known as Die Hek.
Use your thumb and index finger from your other hand to make a small opening.
Scatter the four stones in front of your finger gate.
Throw the Master Stone upwards, then flick one stone through the opening.
Catch the Master Stone before making your next move.
Repeat this until all four stones have passed through the gate.
For the final move, throw the Master Stone upwards and scoop up all four stones together.
Complete that move successfully and you have finished the full vyf klippies sequence.
What makes you lose your turn?
Vyf Klippies has little sympathy for sloppy fingers.
Drop the Master Stone and your turn ends.
Pick up the wrong number of stones and your turn ends.
Knock or move another stone while reaching for your target and your turn ends.
Who wins Vyf Klippies?
The winner is the first player to complete every level successfully.
The game can take a few rounds when several players are involved, since each person keeps working through their current level while everyone else waits for their turn.
That is part of what makes Vyf Klippies such a good playground game. Five small stones create plenty of competition without requiring equipment, batteries or a screen.
And if your fingers suddenly forget how they worked five minutes earlier, you are probably playing Vyf Klippies correctly.
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