Spinball

About this board game

Spinball is a two-player dexterity game played in about 20 minutes, where you use backspin and English to maneuver a ping-pong ball into your opponent’s goal.

Each player shoots from behind a barrier that separates the two sides. The sidewalls become part of the challenge: with careful control, you can reflect the ball off the rails and curve it around the barrier. The aim is to apply just enough speed and spin to send the ball toward the other end without losing control.

As long as the ball keeps returning to you, you have up to five attempts to get a goal. There is no backstop, so too much speed can send the ball flying off the opposite side. A particularly skillful shot can curl all the way into the opponent’s end zone and return into the goal, earning two points.

Spinball also gives you an alternative to scoring. Instead of taking a point, you can set up a blocker to help protect your goal. This adds a defensive choice to the game, letting you decide whether to press for points or make future shots more difficult.

• For 2 players
• Approximately 20 minutes of play
• Ping-pong ball shooting and bank-shot dexterity
• Choice between taking a point and setting up a blocker

The game comes with a yoke-like ball holder and a rubber shooting implement with a small wooden handle for each player. Spinball’s one-of-a-kind designs come from Charbanova Studio, the home of Aaron Weissblum, and each piece is hand-painted and unique.