Types of marbles and their names
Marbles have had nicknames for as long as children have swapped them. These are the ones you are most likely to meet, and the ones that inspired the marble styles in the game.
Named for how they look
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cat’s eye | Clear glass with coloured vanes inside, shaped like the slit of a cat’s eye. The most common marble of the last seventy years. |
| Swirl | Glass with ribbons of colour twisting through it or across the surface. |
| Clearie | A plain, single-colour transparent marble. |
| Opaque | A solid-colour marble you cannot see into. |
| Onionskin | A handmade marble with a layer of stretched colour just under the surface, like the skin of an onion. |
| Galaxy | A dark marble flecked with glitter or tiny specks, like a night sky. |
| Oily or lustre | A marble with a shiny, rainbow-like surface finish. |
Named for what they are made of
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Aggie | Originally a marble made of agate stone; later, any glass marble made to look like one. |
| Alley | Originally made of alabaster or marble stone. The word survives as a name for a prized marble. |
| Steelie | A steel ball bearing. Heavy, and often banned from fair games. |
| Commie | A common clay marble, once the cheapest kind. |
| China | A glazed porcelain marble, often with painted lines. |
Named for their job
- Shooter or taw: the larger marble you flick.
- Mibs or ducks: the smaller target marbles.
- Peewee: an extra small marble.
- Bumbo or boulder: an extra large one.
Marble styles in Marble Rumble
The game’s marbles follow the same tradition. Everyone starts with Ribbon swirls and scene-matched marbles, then unlocks Cat’s eye after 3 games, Speckled after 5, Galaxy after 8 and Chrome, the game’s steelie, after 15. Each player can choose their own style in Settings.
Common questions
What is a cat’s eye marble?
A clear glass marble with coloured vanes in the centre that look like the pupil of a cat’s eye. It is the most familiar type of machine-made marble.
What is a steelie?
A steelie is a steel ball bearing used as a marble. It is heavier than glass, so many players do not allow it in a fair game.
What is the difference between an aggie and an alley?
An aggie was originally made of agate and an alley of alabaster or marble. Both names are now used loosely for good-quality marbles.
Ready to flick?
Marble Rumble is free, runs in the browser and needs no account or download.