Origami Snowflake Game

32-triangle paper toy!

Folds into 252 different shapes!

Five different shapes make a game.

252 options for each shape.

1,016,255,020,032 different games!

That's just over a trillion games.

A lifetime of different folding possibilities!

The Origami Snowflake Game and its rules—featuring a unique, nine-hole, 32-triangle sheet of folding paper, along with 252 geometric snowflake shapes and their names—were invented by Rick Nordal of Vancouver, BC, Canada. Questions or comments? Email trxiltgames@gmail.com.

Players: Solitaire or any number. Ages: 10 to adult.

Objective. Race against the clock as you fold a 32-triangle paper toy into a sequence of 5 geometric snowflake shapes, three times in a row! The fastest folder wins. Practice your skills, beat your personal records, and challenge your friends to the ultimate folding showdown! On your mark, get set... fold!

Make a Square Paper. Every player will need a square piece of paper to play. Standard printer or photocopy paper works best, but any paper will do. If you are using pre-cut origami paper, you can skip these steps. Otherwise, follow the 5 steps shown below. Step 1: Fold your paper on red dotted line. Step 2: Fold on red dotted line. Step 3: Unfold. Step 4: Carefully tear bottom paper. Step 5: Unfold. You now have a perfectly square paper! Tip: A 4-inch or 5-inch square is the ideal size for this game.

Now make a 32-triangle paper. For each of the 12 diagrams below, players fold their square paper on the red dotted line and unfold. Then, turn the paper over and re-crease those same 12 lines. Crease each fold firmly with your fingernail and align the corners as precisely as possible.

To make your paper more flexible, use a pen to gently poke nine small holes at each red dot shown below. Your 32-triangle paper can now be folded into 252 different geometric snowflake shapes with names!

Folding Snowflakes. Fold the 32-triangle paper 3-dimensionally using both hands. Movement is unrestricted, but you must only bend along the existing creases.

Play Again. To allow for continuous improvement, every game is replayed and practiced indefinitely. Whether the same game is played minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or even years later, your evolving muscle memory and paper folding skills mean a new champion is always within reach.

Fixed Sequence Game. The game begins with the paper completely unfolded and flat. This initial setup occurs only once per game. Players take turns one at a time while the rest of the group watches. Each player must fold the paper into the five geometric snowflake shapes. The shapes must be folded in strict numerical order, and the entire five-shape sequence must be completed three consecutive times for a total of 15 shapes. The 5th shape must be folded directly back into the 1st shape to restart the loop. Use a smartphone stopwatch to precisely time each player's entire run. Record the exact duration for each participant. The player with the fastest folding time wins the game. How many seconds will it take you?

Free Order Game. Find your ultimate folding route! Everyone competes using the same five geometric snowflake shapes, but you get to decide the order you fold them. To win, you must repeat your chosen five-shape sequence three times in a row—completing 15 shapes in total. The player with the fastest folding time wins the game. How many seconds will it take you? Plan your path, experiment with clever transitions, and discover the fastest sequence to claim victory!

Rules For A Valid Fold. The outline of your folded 32-triangle paper must match the entire outline of each geometric snowflake shape it is folded into.

Thickness Allowance. The paper layers do not need to be pressed completely flat. However, the gap between compressed layers must not exceed 1/4 inch. Failure to meet both criteria (shape and thickness) will automatically disqualify your folding time.

Base fold Geometric Snowflakes. A base fold snowflake is a special snowflake that is used as a starting point to fold many other geometric snowflakes. The five base fold snowflakes are...

The most important base fold snowflake is the 'Sailboat' snowflake shape. Diagram 1 and 2 show the correct way to fold it.

Folding tip. The Angel, Starfish, Heart and letter 'T' base fold snowflakes, can easily be folded from the Sailboat base fold snowflake.

Lightning Folds! When playing the Origami Snowflake Game challenge yourself to discover lightning folds. A lightning fold is a clever, innovative shortcut fold that you invent yourself. You can perform two special types of lightning folds using a 32-triangle paper. A lightning "Tournament" fold happens when you transform the paper from one geometric snowflake shape to another, or from completely unfolded to a finished snowflake shape, in just 1 second!

Completing the same shape to shape transition or unfolded to finished shape in exactly 2 seconds is called a lightning 'Power' fold! The complexity of both Tournament and Power lightning folds varies, and your overall folding speed will also help you discover new lightning folds.

A sequence of 5 different snowflake shapes chosen out of the 252 available different snowflakes creates exactly 1,016,255,020,032 (over one trillion) unique game combinations. That means there are at least half a trillion 'lightning folds' waiting to be discovered!

Game Strategy. Size dictates your possibilities: smaller geometric snowflakes unlock a massive web of folding combinations, while larger geometric snowflakes require a tighter, more precise approach. The core puzzle lies in the transition. By transitioning seamlessly from one snowflake to the next snowflake without fully unfolding your 32-triangle paper, you unlock a hidden universe of fluid, transitional sequences. This mechanics-driven discovery loop pushes players to invent custom folding techniques and optimization strategies, delivering infinite replayability as you continuously try to shave seconds off your time.

Unlocking the fastest way to fold a geometric snowflake—or master an entire sequence—starts with a single sheet of 32-triangle paper. The challenge is waiting for you. Can you find the lightning folds to optimize your transitions, and set an unbeatable speed record? Compact, portable, and endlessly replayable, the Origami Snowflake Game goes wherever you go.

Scroll down this webpage to view the 252 different geometric snowflake shapes and their names.

Go to Instagram and view video's of the Origami Snowflake Game.