Take this 1,000 year-old Scandinavian Koob game on your next camping trip for an activity that both adults and kids will love! This game dates back to the Vikings when they would set up sticks and firewood to play. As a mixture of bowling and horseshoes, you have to use a bit of strategy to win this one. You’ll also hear this game referred to as Kubb, Viking Chess, the King Game, or the Viking Game.
Equipment
This game is made up entirely of wood pieces and is easy to make yourself if you want! It contains 10 kubbs, which are rectangular-shaped pieces that measure 15 x 7 cm. There is also a “King” piece that measures 30 x 9 cm and sometimes has a crown on top, depending on who made the game. There are six “batons” which are 30 cm-long dowels that are about 4.4 cm in diameter. To complete the game equipment, you need six marking pins which show the corners of the play area as well as the center line.
All of the materials needed for Koob can be found at your local hardware store. However if you don’t want to make it yourself, you can pick one up online for around $40.
Set Up
Step 1: Create a field that is 5 x 8 meters long. Mark the corners of the field, as well as the center line, with the six marking pins.
Step 2: Place the “King” in the center of the playing area.
Step 3: The kubbs get lined up along the short end of the play area with 5 on each side. There is no specific measurement for space in between them, but space them as equally as you can.
How to Play
In the game of Koob, each team tries to knock over all of the other team’s kubbs, and then the king. The first team to knock down the king wins. For our example, we will call our teams Team Blue and Team Red.
Team Blue will stand behind their line of kubbs with the batons. They throw the batons at Team Red’s kubbs in an attempt to knock them over. Batons must be held by the end and thrown underhand.
Once all 6 batons are thrown, Team Red then picks up their knocked-over kubbs and throws them onto Team Blue’s side of the field. Team Blue then stands the kubbs up where they landed and they become part of what Team Red has to knock over.
Team Red now takes their batons and tries to knock over Team Blue’s kubbs.
When, and only when, one team knocks down all of the other team’s kubbs, may they attempt to knock over the king. Once they knock over the king, they have won the game.
If you are playing this game with kids, you can modify the length of the playing field to make it easier for them. The 8 meters may be too far for some younger children. After a few exciting games of Koob, you’re bound to have an appetite. Make these delicious Campfire Paninis that your whole gang will love!
Do you play Koob in your backyard or campsite? Tell us in the comments about how your family and friends add Koob to picnics, BBQs, family get-togethers, and parties for a fun time.
