Types of Tag Games and How to Play Them
Tag, that simple game where the person who’s “it” touches someone to pass on the role, is something just about everyone has played.
It’s said that if you trace it back, its origins lie in Heian-period rituals for driving away demons.
Today, it has evolved into many different variations.
This time, we’ll introduce some of those diverse forms of tag.
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Types of Tag/Oni Games and How to Play (31–40)
High Tag
Depending on the region, it’s also called takataka or takataka tōban, and it’s a variation of tag.
In addition to the normal rules of tag, it adds a rule that if you’re in a high place you can’t be caught by the chaser.
I think it’s especially fun to play in places like parks where there’s lots of playground equipment.
Moving House Tag
@kidschallengeclub♪ Odoru Pompokolin (Chibi Maruko-chan) – soyoco.nico.moco
Let’s move from cone house to cone house! Here’s a fun tag game idea for moving day.
It’s a game that builds reflexes and strategic thinking while keeping everyone active! Arrange traffic cones in a circle; the rules are simple and easy to understand: the tagger chases friends within the circle and tries to tag them.
However, the runners must quickly move to an empty cone while avoiding the tagger’s gaze, which tests their focus and agility.
Time your moves well and keep dodging so you don’t get tagged!
lecher; sex maniac; satyr
As the name suggests, “Color Tag” is a game of tag that uses colors.
The tagger calls out an easy-to-understand color, and anyone touching that color cannot be tagged—simple as that.
Once everyone has found the color and can’t be tagged, the game moves on to the next color.
It’s a great version of tag for young children who are learning colors.
Dribble Tag
This is a game of tag played while dribbling a soccer ball within an area marked off with cones or similar boundaries.
There are various rules for dribble-tag, but the type where both the chaser and the chased have to dribble is recommended, as it gets both sides really fired up.
Sport Tag
It’s a pretty serious, competition-style version of tag.
It’s a team sport with seven players per team, and the side that collects more treasures from the opponent’s area within the time limit wins.
You can only tag an opponent when they enter your own territory, and tags must be done with both hands, not just one.
There are also tournaments, so if you’re interested, check it out.
9-square tag
Nine-Square Tag is a quirky twist on tag played in an area divided into nine squares.
At a cue, everyone on the grid moves one square at the same time.
If the chaser (“it”) lands in the same square as someone else, that person is out.
If the chaser can’t catch anyone within ten turns, they lose.
It’s perfect for camps or indoor gatherings because it works even in small spaces.
Kids and adults can enjoy it, and although simple, it engages both mind and body—great as a lively brain workout.
Give it a try!
kotoro-kotoro (onomatopoeic; a light rattling/rolling sound)
This is a game of tag where players line up in a row, and the parent at the front protects the child at the very back from the chaser.
The chaser can only tag the child at the end of the line.
The parent spreads their arms to shield the child from being tagged.
When the chaser tags the child, the chaser becomes the parent, and the tagged child becomes the chaser.
It’s quite a surprisingly deep version of tag, isn’t it?
Freeze tag
Kori-oni is a children’s game that adds extra rules to a regular game of tag.
Players are divided into taggers and runners; anyone who gets tagged must freeze on the spot, and the game continues until everyone has been caught.
Beyond these basic rules, there are some regional variations, so adapting the rules to your environment can make it more fun.
Cops and Robbers
Names vary by region, and while Keidoro is the most widely used name nationwide, there are many others such as Dorokei, Doro-jun, and Jun-doro.
There are also various local rules depending on the area, so you can get creative with how you play.
Desert Tag
As the name suggests, it’s a game of tag played in sandy places like sandboxes or beaches.
Both the runners and the chaser can’t run fast because their feet get bogged down in the sand, which makes it thrilling.
Since the handicap is significant for both sides, it seems fun to come up with various rules to play with!