Nim Rush

The two-player stick game where the last stick loses.

Play now, it's free

The whole game in 4 pictures

That's it. You're ready.

  1. Start with a pile

    Every game starts with 10–30 sticks on the table.

  2. Take 1, 2 or 3

    On your turn, remove 1, 2 or 3 sticks. Your choice.

  3. Swap turns

    Your opponent does the same. The pile shrinks fast.

  4. Last stick loses

    Whoever has to take the final stick loses the game.

Fine print: You must take at least one stick on your turn. You cannot take more sticks than remain in the pile.

Winning Strategy

There's a trick that wins every time.

Nim is a solved game, meaning there is a known perfect strategy. Can you spot it before you peek?

Reveal the trick
  • 1
  • 5
  • 9
  • 13
  • 17
  • 21
  • 25
  • 29

The Key to Winning: Try to leave your opponent with a pile size of 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, or 29 sticks.

The winning positions are numbers that are one more than a multiple of 4. These positions are called "safe positions" because they guarantee a win with perfect play.

  1. If you can leave your opponent with a multiple of 4 plus 1 sticks, do so.
  2. If you can't achieve this position, take 1 stick and hope your opponent makes a mistake.
  3. Always think one move ahead to anticipate your opponent's options.

Game Variations

There are several variations of Nim played around the world:

  • Standard Nim (normal play)

    The player who takes the last stick wins.

  • Misère Nim

    The player who takes the last stick loses. This is the version Nim Rush plays.

  • Multi-pile Nim

    The game starts with multiple piles, and players can take any number of sticks from a single pile.

History of Nim

Nim has a rich history dating back centuries:

  1. Ancient

    Ancient Origins

    Similar games have been played in China, Japan, and Europe for thousands of years.

  2. 1901

    Modern Name

    The name "Nim" was coined by mathematician Charles L. Bouton in 1901, who also published the complete mathematical solution to the game.

  3. 1951

    First Computer Game

    In 1951, the NIMROD computer was built specifically to play Nim, becoming one of the first electronic games ever created.

  4. Today

    Mathematical Significance

    Nim holds an important place in combinatorial game theory and has been studied extensively by mathematicians.

Today, Nim remains popular as both a recreational game and a teaching tool for mathematical concepts.

Ready for your first round?

We'll match you with someone online. Nobody around? Play the bot.

Find an opponent