Kuti Kuti is a traditional children’s game in which two opposing players take turns to deftly flip colourful plastic tokens on top of those of their opponent. If a player’s token lands on top of an opponent’s token, the player then claims the opponent’s token as his own. Requiring skill and accuracy, the game was popular among children in Singapore in the mid-twentieth century, but has declined in popularity with the advent of electronic games in more recent decades.1
History of the game
The origins of the term kuti kuti are uncertain, but it is possibly the Malay term for the flipping action used in the game. The game has been played by local children since the late 1940s. The earliest versions of kuti kuti pieces were simple, round discs with a limited number of colours. Later versions of the kuti kuti pieces were made of brightly coloured transparent plastic shaped as objects or animals such as elephants, monkeys and birds.2
In the past, kuti kuti pieces were often sold in packets at mamak shops (Indian shops). Today, kuti kuti is still manufactured and sold in shops in Singapore and Malaysia.3
Variations of the game are also played using bottle caps and rubber bands instead of plastic pieces. These variants of the game feature players flipping bottle caps or rubber bands instead but retaining similar rules.4
Playing the game
A player begins by facing his opponent, and they flip their pieces until they draw close enough to strike the other player’s piece. Each player then attempts to land his piece on top of the other. The kuti kuti piece thus defeated would be added to the winner’s collection of pieces. Larger pieces were much sought after as they were more likely to win a game. The game ends when a player loses all his pieces.5
Author
Bonny Tan
References
1. Ang, V. (2007). Singapore HeritageFest 2007 (Part 2): Childhood memories. [Web log post]. Retrieved from Sparkelette website: http://sparklette.net/travel/singapore/singapore-heritagefest-2007-part-2-childhood-memories/
2. Ang, V. (2007). Singapore HeritageFest 2007 (Part 2): Childhood memories. [Web log post]. Retrieved from Sparkelette website: http://sparklette.net/travel/singapore/singapore-heritagefest-2007-part-2-childhood-memories/
3. Ang, V. (2007). Singapore HeritageFest 2007 (Part 2): Childhood memories. [Web log post]. Retrieved from Sparkelette website: http://sparklette.net/travel/singapore/singapore-heritagefest-2007-part-2-childhood-memories/; Good ol’ daze. (February, 2002). Young parents: The book magazine. Singapore: Times Periodicals, p. 13. (Call no.: RSING 649.105 YP); Koo, V. (2006, March 5). Taking up the challenge. My favourite toy as a kid – the Mech Sumo robot. [Web log post]. Retrieved from Victor Koo Blogspot website: http://victorkoo.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-favourite-toy-as-kid-mech-sumo.html
4. The Wacky Duo. (2014, January 23). Old school childhood games and toys in Singapore. Retrieved 2016, August,1, from The Wacky Duo website: http://www.thewackyduo.com/2014/01/old-school-childhood-games-and-toys-in.html
5. Ang, V. (2007). Singapore HeritageFest 2007 (Part 2): Childhood memories. [Web log post]. Retrieved from Sparkelette website: http://sparklette.net/travel/singapore/singapore-heritagefest-2007-part-2-childhood-memories/; Good ol’ daze. (February, 2002). Young parents: The book magazine. Singpaore: Times Periodicals, p. 13. (Call no.: RSING 649.105 YP)
Further resources
Kaur, G. (2015, March 14). Do you know these games? The Straits Times. Retrieved from AsiaOne website: http://www.asiaone.com/singapore/do-you-know-these-games?nopaging=1
Kuti Kuti - Traditional Games - The Forgotten Fun - Google Sites. (no date). Retrieved August 1, 2016 from Google Sites website: https://sites.google.com/site/traditionalgames123/games-you-should-know/indoor-games/kuti-kuti
Remember Singapore. (2011, November 3). 100 Things we love about the 80s. Retrieved January 24, 2017 from Remember Singapore website: https://remembersingapore.org/2011/11/03/100-things-we-love-about-the-80s/
The information in this article is valid as at 2014 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
The information on this page and any images that appear here may be used for private research and study purposes only. They may not be copied, altered or amended in any way without first gaining the permission of the copyright holder.
Lee Tzu Pheng (b. 13 May 1946, Singapore–) is one of Singapore’s distinguished poets. A retired university lecturer, she has published in anthologies and journals internationally. Her three volumes of poetry, Prospect of a Drowning (1980), Against the Next Wave (1988) and The Brink of an Amen (1991), have won...
Independent (commonly shortened to “indie”) music encompasses a wide range of musical genres, including rock, pop, metal and folk. Indie music is associated with alternative, non-mainstream productions and forms of distribution. Increasingly, the term “indie music” is also used to refer to musical styles that deviate from the mainstream, popular...
Lynnette Seah Mei Tsing (b. 1957, Singapore–), better known simply as Lynnette Seah, is an internationally acclaimed violinist. She has been a member of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) since its inception in 1979 and is currently its co-leader. An ambassador for classical music culture in Singapore, Lynnette is also...
Singapore’s array of literary awards and prizes recognises writers and works of literary merit. The honours are applicable to works in all four official languages of Singapore – English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil – and genres such as poetry and drama. The official recognition of literary achievements serves to encourage...
Paul Tan Kim Liang (b. 1970–) is a poet and winner of the Singapore Literature Prize in 1993 and 1997 for his collections of poems. ...
Founded by Ang Chek Meng, Ng Yu-Ying, Leslie Tan and Lionel Tan in 1992, T’ang Quartet is the first professional string quartet formed in Singapore. Noted for its precision and balance, the quartet’s musical repertoire is a skilful and contemporary blend of both Eastern and Western influences. The ensemble has...
Daren Shiau Vee Lung (b. 1971, Singapore–) is a writer, lawyer and an environmental activist. He won the Singapore Literature Prize Commendation Award in 1998 for his debut novel, Heartland. Shiau also received the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award in 2002. In addition to his literary career, Shiau is...
Mediacorp Raintree Pictures is the pioneering local film production company in Singapore. Formed in August 1998, the company produces and distributes local films as well as features made in the region. The company started out by producing Chinese films but later ventured into films made in other languages....
Royston Tan (b. 5 October 1976, Singapore–) is an award-winning Singaporean film-maker who is hailed as one of the most promising talents in the local film-making industry. Most of Tan’s works focus on social issues and seek to challenge the boundaries of societal expectations. As such, he is often regarded...
Paul Selvaraj Abisheganaden (b. 27 March 1914, Penang, Straits Settlements–d. 31 August 2011, Singapore) was a musician and conductor, who was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 1986. Born in Penang, Abisheganaden came to Singapore in 1916 at the age of two, when his family re-located in search of better opportunities....