# What is your countries "Cops and Robbers"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [January 16, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983 "2014-01-16T17:49:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983/1 "2014-01-16T17:49:07Z")

</div>

Here in the US, an archetypal child’s game is “Cops and Robbers.” I’m not clear how many kids play it anymore in the era of the internet and the 3DS, but it’s a part of our cultural identity–running around with pointed fingers going “bang bang,” police trying to catch the bank burglars.

So, my question to Dopers around the world: do children in your country play a similar game? And, if so, is it Cops and Robbers, or is it a different set of roles?

Edit: and, if a mod could change “countries” to “country’s” in the thread title, that would be much appreciated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983/2 "2014-01-16T17:59:19Z")

</div>

In my corner of 1970s Britain that game was called “Japs and Commandos” or just “Soldiers”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983/3 "2014-01-16T19:15:43Z")

</div>

I don’t think I ever played cops and robbers. It was either “soldiers” or, during that one year when the walkie-talkies worked, FBI.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983/4 "2014-01-16T21:12:29Z")

</div>

I think that, once upon a time, here in the US, it was as likely to be “cowboys and indians,” also.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983/5 "2014-01-16T21:36:43Z")

</div>

In the US midwest, I was well aware of Cops & Robbers and Cowboys & Indians but we never played that. We played Planet of the Apes, and everyone wanted to be the apes. Or super heroes. Lots of shooting either way if you want.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983/6 "2014-01-16T21:47:51Z")

</div>

I grew up in Washington and we played ninja, navy seal, knight, Viking, elf, pirate, barbarian… Depending on imagination and personality.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-countries-cops-and-robbers/678983/7 "2014-01-16T21:55:34Z")

</div>

I grew up in the 70s. It was Star Wars all the way - Jedi and Stormtroopers.