Funskool's Topple, made in India (item 4968200)Photo: Funskool
Place a piece without tipping the towerPhoto: Funskool
The tower and the playing piecesPhoto: Funskool
The tower sways as the stacks growPhoto: Funskool
The back of the boxPhoto: Funskool
Video

Family game · Indian edition available

Topple

Roll, stack and score on a tower that tips and sways

Steady handsDice rollingPattern building

  • 2–4best with 3-4
  • 15–30 minper game
  • Under a minuteto set up
  • 6+years
  • Very easy
  • Nonereading

The Indian edition, on Amazon.in

Made in India
Buy on Amazon.in

We matched this listing to the edition made and sold in India. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.

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The game in a nutshell

Topple is a balancing game with a scoring twist. You roll a die to see which level of a wobbly tower you may place a piece on, and you score points for rows of five and tall stacks, without letting anything fall off. It's for 2 to 4 players aged 6 and up and makes a quick family game. The box we link is Funskool's made-in-India edition (item 4968200), made under licence from Goliath, which owns the Pressman brand.

Is Topple right for you?

Great if

  • Children from 6 and their parents: anyone can roll a die and place a piece, and there's nothing to read
  • Quick games after school or while the elders chat after a family lunch
  • Children who are ready for a little adding up and planning, beyond simply 'don't knock it over'
  • Families with very young players, using the simple version with no scoring

Skip it if

  • You want real strategy: the die decides where you can play, so luck plays a big part
  • Your table wobbles or small children can't resist touching it; a knock to the table counts as a topple
  • You'd rather not keep score on paper; the box has no score pad

How Topple plays

Set-up: push the stand into the base and balance the Topple tower on top. Each player picks a colour and takes all the pieces of that colour. Everyone rolls the die, the highest roll goes first, and play passes to the left. Make a score sheet and agree on a winning score; the rules suggest 100.

  • Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
  • Reading and language: There are no words on the pieces or the tower, so children who can't read yet can play. Someone keeps score with pen and paper, which needs simple adding. The rules leaflet is in English only.
The tower sways as the stacks grow · Photo: Funskool

TOPPLE - Board Games in a Minute (BGIAM) · ThinCube

Choose a video · Watch right here

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Your turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Roll

    Roll the die. The number tells you which level of the tower you may use: 1 is the centre spot, and 6 means anywhere.

  2. 2
    Place

    Put one of your pieces on an empty space or on top of a stack on that level, without touching anything else.

  3. 3
    Score

    Rows of five and stacks three or more high earn points. If anything falls off, you lose 10 points and the round ends.

  4. 4
    Win

    At the end of a round, if anyone has reached the target score (100 is suggested), the highest score wins.

Read the official rules (PDF)Topple instruction sheet (Funskool item 4968200, 2023) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Topple goes

On your turn, roll the die and place one piece. The number shows where you may put it: a 1 means only the centre spot, a 2 means any of the four spaces on level 2, and so on outwards, while a 6 lets you place anywhere. You can put your piece on an empty space or on top of a stack. Nobody may ever touch the tower or the pieces already on it.

Scoring: if your piece completes a row of five in any direction, you score 3 points, plus 1 for each of your colour on top of the other stacks in that row. Adding to a row that's already complete scores 1 point for each of your colour on top in that row. Adding to a stack that's already three or more high scores 1 point for each of your pieces in that stack. One piece can score in several ways at once.

As the pieces pile up, the tower tips and sways. If any piece falls, that's a topple, and the round ends at once. Whoever caused it loses 10 points, and if it happened while they were placing a piece, the player before them gets a 3-point bonus. Bumping the table counts too, even if it isn't your turn.

A round also ends when all the pieces have been played. Winners are checked only at the end of a round: if anyone has reached the target, the highest score wins. With two players, each takes two colours and scores them separately. For young children, skip the scoring: place pieces where the die says, and whoever causes a topple is out.

What's in the box

The tower and the playing pieces · Photo: Funskool
  • 48Playing pieces
    sturdy plastic, one colour per player (the leaflet's examples mention pink and yellow)
  • 1Topple tower
    the stepped playing board that balances on the stand; Wikipedia describes it as 25 spaces on five levels
  • 1Stand
    fits into the base and holds the tower
  • 1Base
  • 1Die
    listed as 'Game Dice'
  • 1Rules leaflet
    English, 2023, including two-player and young-children versions

Box: 27 × 26.7 cm. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

This list comes from Funskool's 2023 rules leaflet for item 4968200 ('48 Playing Pieces, Sturdy Plastic TOPPLE Tower, Stand & Base and Game Dice') and the contents graphic on Funskool's product page. There's no score pad, so you'll need paper and a pencil. The 25-space, five-level board comes from Wikipedia's description of the game.

Where to buy

Amazon.inIndian edition

The Indian edition, on Amazon.in

We matched this listing to the edition made and sold in India. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.

Buy on Amazon.in

Opens Amazon.in in a new tab.

Buy Funskool's box. Funskool makes Topple in India under licence: the 2023 rules leaflet carries the Goliath and Pressman names and says 'Made in India', and Funskool gives India as the country of origin. Our Amazon.in button goes to this Funskool box (item 4968200). Imported Pressman boxes play the same game but cost much more.

How to make sure you get a genuine copyA little care before you click.
  • The front should show 'Topple' with the Pressman logo, 'For 2 to 4 Players' and 'Ages 6 and Up'
  • The back should list 48 playing pieces, the Topple tower, stand and base, dice and complete instructions, and name Goliath (Hattem, Netherlands) and Pressman (USA) with 'Made in India'
  • Funskool's item code is 4968200
  • Inside you get a stepped plastic tower that balances on a stand. A stack of wooden blocks is a different 'tumbling tower' game.

We link to one Amazon.in listing that we've checked against the maker's own information. We don't show prices: Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery. Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

What reviewers and players say

Topple mixes a wobbly balancing tower with real scoring, so it's more than a 'don't knock it over' game. Reviewers like that the die keeps turns quick and that nobody is knocked out when the tower tips. They also find the scoring clever for a dexterity game. The downsides: the die adds a lot of luck, the scoring encourages everyone to keep piling onto the same rows, and the pieces are plain. It works best as a light family game for children from 6, with the no-scoring version for younger ones.

What people love

  • A clever mix of balancing and scoring for points
  • Quick turns, because the die tells you where to play and there's no long thinking
  • In the full game, no one is knocked out by a topple; you just lose points
  • The tension builds as the tower starts to lean

Common complaints

  • The die adds a lot of luck and limits real strategy
  • The scoring rewards adding to the same completed rows again and again
  • The pieces are sturdy but plain, and you need your own pen and paper to keep score
Based on 5 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

More like Topple

Our picks if Topple isn't quite right

Feature
Topple box Topple
 Jenga box Jenga Rhino Hero box Rhino Hero Sequence box Sequence
Players2–41–82–52–12
Best with3-43-53-54-6 in two teams
Play time15–30 min5–15 min5–15 min20–40 min
Age6+6+5+7+
RulesEasyEasyEasyEasy
Indian editionYesYesImportYes
Why look at itThis pageThe best-known steady-hands tower game, with no scoringA card-building tower game for children from 5, with a little hero climbing upMaking rows of five again, but with cards and a board, for 2 to 12 players

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Questions people ask about Topple

How do you score points in Topple?

You score 3 points for completing a row of five, plus 1 point for each of your colour on top in that row. You also score for adding to a completed row, and for adding to a stack three or more high. If you make anything fall off, you lose 10 points and the round ends.

How is Topple different from Jenga?

Jenga is pure balance: you pull blocks out and stack them on top until the tower falls. Topple adds a die and scoring, so the die limits where you can place a piece and you score for rows and tall stacks. That gives it a little planning as well as a steady hand, and it suits children from 6 who can add up small numbers.

Can two people play Topple?

Yes. With two players, each takes two colours and scores them separately, and on each turn you choose which colour to play. Topple is for 2 to 4 players.

What age is Topple suitable for?

Funskool says 6 and up. The leaflet includes a version for young children with no scoring: whoever causes a topple is out. The pieces are small, so keep them away from children under 3.

Who makes Topple in India?

Funskool makes it in India under licence. Topple is a Pressman game, and Pressman is now owned by Goliath. The 2023 leaflet in Funskool's box names both and says 'Made in India'.

Game facts

Publisher
Pressman (now part of Goliath Games)
In India
Funskool (India) Ltd, Chennai, which makes it in India under licence
Players
2–4
Language
No reading – There are no words on the pieces or the tower, so children who can't read yet can play. Someone keeps score with pen and paper, which needs simple adding. The rules leaflet is in English only.
Box size and weight
27 × 26.7 cm
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.