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How to Play Cootie Catcher

The Cootie Catcher, also known as a Fortune Teller or Paper Fortune Teller, is a classic origami game that was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. This digital version brings the nostalgic experience to life with beautiful 3D graphics!

Game Instructions

  1. Pick a Color: Choose one of the four colors (Red, Blue, Yellow, or Green).
  2. Watch it Count: The cootie catcher will spell out your chosen color, opening and closing up-and-down and side-to-side with each letter (just like the traditional paper version!).
  3. Choose a Number: When the counting stops, pick one of the numbers (1-8) visible inside.
  4. Discover Your Fortune: The cootie catcher will open to reveal your fortune!

History of the Cootie Catcher

The paper fortune teller has been a schoolyard favorite for generations. Made from a single sheet of paper folded into a square shape with pockets, players would manipulate the cootie catcher by inserting their fingers into the four pockets and opening and closing it in different directions. The game was especially popular in the 1980s and 1990s, where children would create elaborate fortunes ranging from silly predictions to crush confessions.

Traditional Rules (from the paper version)

  1. Player chooses one of the four outer squares (colors or words)
  2. The operator spells out the chosen word (like "R-E-D"), opening and closing the fortune teller alternately up-and-down and side-to-side with each letter
  3. When finished spelling, the player chooses one of the visible numbers
  4. The operator opens and closes the fortune teller that many times (alternating directions)
  5. The player picks a final number panel, and the fortune underneath is revealed!

Our digital version follows these traditional rules, counting the letters in your chosen color name and animating the cootie catcher to open and close just like you would with your fingers!

Other Names

This classic game is known by many names around the world:

Relive the magic of this classic childhood game with our interactive 3D version!

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