Two Up

Two coins, one piece of wood, and the entire national character.

Two Up is about as Australian as a game gets. A wooden paddle — the kip — two pennies, and a ring of people watching them go up. The spinner throws, the coins come down, and it is heads, tails, or odds if they disagree. Diggers played it in the trenches at Gallipoli and in the Western Desert, and it came home with them. Jenjo make the set properly: a timber kip and traditional coins rather than a printed novelty.

There is no strategy here at all, and that is the point. It is a game of watching a coin in the air with a room full of people who all care very much about which way up it lands. The atmosphere does the work, which is why it has survived a century and a half without anyone feeling the need to improve it.

Please note: Playing Two Up for money is restricted by law in most Australian states, and in many places is permitted only on ANZAC Day. This is sold as a traditional game set. Available in-store or by click-and-collect at DFO Jindalee.

Perfect for: The 25th of April, and the pub afterwards.

2 or more players | 15 minutes | Age 8+