Outdoor Throwing Game

Mölkky is an outdoor skittles game first created in Finland. Not exactly the sort of place you’d expect a picnic/barbeque game to originate, but it’s been a hit in Europe for close to 20 years. And for good reason: it’s easy to learn and play, and can be set up anywhere the twelve wooden pins can stand. The goal is to get exactly 50 points by knocking down pins numbered one through 12. The scoring is simple, but also slyly strategic: knock down multiple pins and you get one point per pin. Knock down just one pin, though, and you get points equal to the pin’s number. Go over 50 and you get knocked down . . . back to 25 points. After a player’s turn, the pins are reset in the spots where they land. The “board” is constantly changing and no two turns are the same. This game is a handsome, well-crafted one, too. The pins, the Mölkky skittle (throwing pin), and the traveling case are all made of Finnish wood responsibly sourced from sustainable forests. No chemicals are used in production. When you’re done playing, simply wipe off mud and scuffs with a damp rag and Mölkky is looking sharp for next time. It’s fun from start to . . . Finnish.