How to Play Molkky Game (Rules and Setup)

Molkky game is fast becoming a favorite American pastime because it is a game of skill and competence that is interesting to play and watch.

This lawn game is relatively new, whose main objective is throwing your Skittles to knock off other Skittles to earn points.

. Almost every family member can play this game, as young as six years, and can play Molkky. The game is relatively easy to set up a day of learning because the rules are simple and promise a lot of fun.

This Molkky 101, we will let you in on all you need to know about this entertaining game.

What Is Molkky?

Molkky is a throwing game played on the lawn where you have to aim and throw with technique to hit one or more desired targets. This game which is almost addictive is played chiefly outdoors on grass, gravel, beach, dirt, or any outdoor surface.

You need an outdoor space, a few friends, and a Molkky set to catch so much fun. You could also get a smaller set of Molkky that can be played indoors, which is still as exciting as ever.

Twelve wooden Molkky pins, marked from number 1 to 12, are placed in a particular formation, and a throwing line is drawn about 3-4 meters away from the pin formation. Players take turns in knocking down numbered pins with the Mölkky (which is another pin, but it is bigger than the other numbered pins).

After each throw, a player gets awarded the point marked on the pin they knocked down. The pins are stood up in the exact spot where they landed, and the player to get exactly 50 points wins the game. 2 or more people can play the game, and it takes about 20 minutes for a winner to emerge (depending on their throwing prowess).

Why You Will Love Molkky

There are so many reasons why you will love this beautiful game, including the following:

It’s an outdoor game that has become adaptable for indoor play.
It only requires a small amount of space to be played. Your small backyard is big enough for play.
Even though it is a game of tactics, you don’t need a particular skill to play a good game of Molkky.
Kids and adults can play the game, making it fun for the whole family.
The game is relatively cheap and easy to carry and transport because it is not bulky.
Molkky game set is an easy-to-clean game set with no tacky plastics in garish colors and no toxic chemicals or dye, making them very friendly to the environment.

Molkky Official Dimension

What is the benefit of knowing the Molkky game’s official dimension? After all, you can get a set from the market. It is true, but DIYers who love making things can set their own Molkky game.

The Molkky game set is easy to make, and it is made of 100%of any wood of your choice apart from Cedar because it can easily get dented. Oak and spruce are excellent wood that will give you a quality Molkky game set.

The diameter of the wood should be 2.1 inches, and the pin should be about 5,9 inches long. The throwing pin, more significant than the other 12 pins, should be about 8,8 inches long and slightly thicker.

How to Play Molkky Game

The game of Molkky is an easy game to play, and it doesn’t require so much equipment. All you need are a set of 13 skittles.

12 of these Skittles are the same size, and they are numbered 1 to 1
One of the Skittles, which is a little larger, is called the throwing skittle or throwing pin, and it is used for throwing at the other skittles.

These skittles are made of wood, and a different brand makes them. For example, Gosport calls their skittle set’ skittle scatter’. This set comes with a carrying bag that easily stores and transports the set. It also has an erasable scoreboard.

Setting Up The Game

To set up the game of Molkky, you adhere to the following instructions:

You should arrange the 12 numbered skittles in 4 rows. From bottom to top, the rows will have 2, 3, 4, and 3 skittles, respectively.
In the bottommost row, you place the Skittles numbered 1 and 2 in the bottommost row.
The skittles numbered 3-10-4 are placed in the second row,
The third row is for the skittles numbered 5-11-12-6.
The fourth or the topmost row holds the skittles numbered 7-9-8.
If you arrange these numbered skittles properly, you will have a pattern with smaller numbers on the border guarding the more significant numbers in the middle.
Ensure that the skittles are tightly bound, like a rack in a game of pool.
The throwing line is marked about 3-4 meters from the bottom row.

The Rules and Gameplay

Molkky can be played with at least two players, but it’s more fun when more people can be grouped into two teams competing against each other. A coin toss is used to decide what team goes first to make the first throw, and players take turns trying to knock down the pins.

You throw skittles like you toss a Cornhole bag using an underhand technique. Each player gets three attempts at knocking down at least one, and they get awarded points when they do.

Only knocked-down pins count, those that lean on one another are not awarded any points. All the knocked-down pins are then stood upright in the spot where they fell and not in their original spot before the game continues.

When a player or team has completed their number of attempts, the skittles are arranged back into the tightly bound pattern so that the opponent gets to start afresh.

In some variations of Molkky, one team is allowed to complete all their turns before the opponent can have their go. In contrast, in some variations, the pins are stood up in the fallen spot until all players have attempted, and then the pins are rearranged for the opponent team afterward.

As the pins are knocked down, and their positions are moved, it causes the playing field spreads, making it more difficult to knock the pins down.

If a player cannot knock over a pin after three attempts, they get disqualified and eliminated from the game. The winner or winning team is the first to get exactly 50 points. If all the players get eliminated, the last person standing is declared the winner.

So, for a team’s game in which four members make up a team, it means that each team player gets three attempts, which means the team gets a total of 12 attempts, and so does the opposing team.

When the two teams have altogether had 24 attempts, the round ends. Another round continues if no team or player has reached the 50-point mark.

Strategies For Winning A Game Of Molkky

One of the first and best strategies to win a game, Molkky, is to have a plan you keep private from everyone. We have already explained that the point a player gets awarded is the number on the pin they knocked down.

But the real twist is that if a player knocks down two pins, instead of being awarded the sum of the two numbers written on the pins. Instead, they are only awarded 2 points for knocking down two pins because, at that point, the numbers on the pin have no value.

So your best bet is to aim to knock down only one pin at a time because you will score more points. So, for instance, if you want to get 10 points, you either knock the pin with the number 10 written on it, or you can knock down ten pins in one throw, which is nearly impossible.

There is another twist to the game, and it is the fact that a winner only emerges if they get 50 points and not above it. It means you can’t win a game of Molkky with 52 points.

Hence once a player or team inch close to the 50-mark, they have to be a lot more careful and calculative so they can only knock down numbers that will ensure they don’t go above the 50-point mark.

Now there is a penalty for a player or team that goes above the 50-point mark: their points are reduced. The rule is that all points above 50 are halved to 25 points, and the player or team continues the game.

Conclusion

Molkky is becoming a viral game because it is exciting and easy to play. The game is effortless to learn and play, and the rules are not complicated (like some games).

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All you need is a game set and a few friends to enjoy the game. But remember that the game aims to score 50 points and never above it, as this has a penalty.