Shell Game Games

In shell games an object is hidden under one of several cups (or a card among three). They shuffle them fast, swap them around, and at the end you have to say where it is. It's a small section, about eleven games, and all are played with just the mouse or a finger.

How it works

First they show you where the ball is, then the cups are covered and start to move. When they stop, you click the one you think hides it. Each game decides what happens when you're right or wrong, and in many the difficulty rises over time. Trileros is the most direct cup setup, and Droplet Shuffle and Cupsaga follow the same idea in a different style. Three Card Monte and 3 Card Monte swap the cups for three cards, and you have to follow one of them, usually the queen.

If a game uses wagers, like Wager, the money is play money and has no value outside the game. Frankenbrain, Tricky Juggler and Wood Dice Merge can stray from the cup format, so read their instructions.

How not to lose the ball

• Watch the cups, not the hands moving them. It's the most repeated trick.
• Don't try to chase the cups with your head: keep your eyes nearly still, in the center, and take in the whole set.
• If you lose track, it's better to guess quickly than to keep hesitating, because going round in circles won't help.

There's a training element: regular players notice they get better the more they repeat. But no trick works when the cups move very fast: there you have to accept that you'll sometimes miss.

Why the street version is a scam

On the street, the shell game and three-card monte are played by hustlers with three cups or three cards, and it's a scam: the play is rigged so you never guess right. In these games there's no cheating: it's only reflexes and attention. But it's worth being clear on that and never betting on the street.