The Nutstacker Game From 'Minute to Win It'

Here's How to Play This Simple and Frustrating Game

Person competing in the Nutsacker game from "Minute to Win It," close up on the game.

Senior Airman George Goslin/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

Some of the games from "Minute to Win It" rely on simple rules and an unassuming set-up. This lulls the competitors into the feeling that the game itself really isn't that tricky. The Nutstacker is one such game.

The concept of the game is quite simple: stack metal nuts that are suspended on a chopstick. However, if you give it a try, you'll see how exactly how challenging this game is. Need a tip? Lay off the caffeine before you play because this one requires a steady hand.

The Goal

The goal of Nutstacker is to create a free-standing tower of metal nuts. You'll do this by stacking them one on top of the other, but there are a couple of catches:

  1. You'll be stacking them with only one hand using a chopstick.
  2. The nuts have to be stacked on their edges, not lying horizontally.

Still, think you can master this one? Great, let's carry on.

What You'll Need

You probably already figured out what you need to have on hand to play this game, but let's make a shopping list just in case.

  • One chopstick (and maybe a backup or two, just to be prepared)
  • Ten 5/8-inch metal nuts (make sure these are all exactly the same size and shape)
  • One table of any size
  • A one-minute timer or stopwatch

Make sure that you're not using thick, plastic novelty chopsticks. It's very unlikely that they will fit through the holes in the nuts.

Setting up the Game

To set up the Nutstacker game, thread all ten nuts onto the chopstick using the hole in the center of each nut. Rest the chopstick on the table and get the timer ready. 

How to Play

The player should stand in front of the table facing the chopstick loaded with the metal nuts.

Before the timer begins, the player decides which hand he or she will be using to play the game. The other hand must be kept behind the player's back throughout the game.

Start the one-minute timer. The player can now pick up the chopstick with his chosen hand and begin sliding the nuts off the chopstick one by one.

The nuts must stand up on their sides so that you can see through the hole. The next one gets piled on top of the first, facing the same way. Continue until all ten metal nuts are stacked.

Get the tower together and standing on its own in one minute or less to win the game.

Rules of the 'Minute to Win It' Nutsacker Game

The rules are simple, but there are a few of them. 

  • You may only touch the chopstick with your chosen hand.
  • You may not touch the metal nuts at any time during the game with any part of your body.
  • The tower must remain freestanding, without any part of the chopstick touching it, for three consecutive seconds in order to count.
  • If the tower falls at any point during the game, you're done. You will have to start all over and try again.

Tips and Tricks

Even though you're up against a short timer, it will pay off to take your time. Make sure that each nut is securely stacked before moving on to the next one.

Don't try to slide the nuts down the chopstick because this can knock down the tower. Instead, place one side of the nut on top of the tower using the chopstick, then slide the chopstick out gently.