Pen fight: the rules, and how to play online
The classroom pen fight game explained: classic rules, house rules, tips for real desks, and how to play a pen fight online with friends.
A pen fight is one of the simplest table games there is: a desk, a few pens and a finger. Players take turns pushing their own pen into the others, and whoever keeps a pen on the desk the longest wins. It is played in classrooms all over the world, under many names: pen fight, pen battle, pen fighting or pen war.
Classic pen fight rules
- Set up. Every player puts one pen on the desk, usually near their own side.
- Take turns. On your turn you get one flick: press your finger against your own pen and push or flick it.
- Hit the others. Aim your pen at rival pens to knock them off the edge of the desk.
- Fall off, you're out. A pen that leaves the desk is out of the game, even if its own player flicked it off.
- Last pen standing wins. The last player with a pen on the desk wins the round.
Popular house rules
- Hanging pens stay in: a pen sticking out over the edge is still in play until it actually drops.
- No touching rivals: your finger may only touch your own pen. Touching another pen costs you a turn.
- Flick from where it lies: you may not pick up or turn your pen before the flick.
- Pen tuning: some groups allow taping erasers or coins to a pen to make it heavier; others ban it.
Tips for real-desk pen fights
- Hit a rival pen near one end to spin it off the desk; a hit in the middle only pushes it.
- Heavy pens are hard to move and hit hard; light pens are quick but get knocked off easily.
- Keep your pen away from the edge after your flick: the next player will aim for it.
- Round pens roll far; pens with a clip or flat sides stop sooner and are easier to control.
How to play a pen fight online
PenBlow Simulator takes the pen fight to PC, with one twist: you blow your pen instead of flicking it. Hold right mouse to breathe in, aim just behind your pen and hold left mouse to blow. Simulated air pushes the pen across the table, so how deep you breathe, how you shape your lips and how close you lean decide how hard it hits.
- Same spirit, same goal: one blow per turn, knock rival pens off the table, last pen standing wins.
- Fair play built in: your air may only move your own pen. If it moves a rival's pen, that player gets a free hit on yours.
- Play your way: 1 against 3 bots, private online rooms with friends (6-letter code), or ranked matchmaking with voice chat. 2 to 4 players.
- 12 real pens: from a 2.4 g mini pen to a heavy novelty pen, each with its own weight and grip. See the pen guide.
Pen fight FAQ
What is a pen fight?
A pen fight is a table game usually played in classrooms: players put their pens on a desk and take turns flicking their own pen into the others. A pen that falls off the desk is out, and the last pen left on the desk wins.
How do you play pen fight?
Put every pen on the desk. On your turn, flick your own pen once with your finger. Hit rival pens to push them off the edge, but keep your own pen on the desk. The last pen standing wins.
Can I play pen fight online?
Yes. PenBlow Simulator is a pen fight game for PC with online rooms for friends, ranked matchmaking and voice chat, for 2 to 4 players. It is free until November 15.
What is the best pen for a pen fight?
Heavy pens are harder to push off the desk and hit hard, while light pens are fast and easy to control. In PenBlow Simulator every pen has its own real weight and grip outside ranked; in ranked every pen plays the same.
What is the difference between pen fight and PenBlow Simulator?
In a classic pen fight you flick your pen. In PenBlow Simulator you blow it: you breathe in, aim and shape your lips, and simulated air pushes the pen across the table.