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Description

Kubb, or Viking's Chess, is a Nordic lawn game. The game was invented in 1911 by Alton Kuse, though some claim that the game originated in ancient Scandinavia over 1,000 years ago.
Kubb, also known as "The King's Game" is a fantastic traditional game that has been played in Sweden for at least a century - it is a sort of cross between Skittles and Tennis.

It is a strategy-based game that involves skill and precision and is usually played on a rectangular pitch, lawn, or sandy ground. The objective of the game is to knock over wooden blocks, known as "kubbs," by throwing wooden batons to ultimately topple the central king kubb placed in the middle of the pitch.

Kubb is a wonderfully unique game of skill that is ideal for garden parties or just fun on a field. Kubb games can be played one against one or in teams of up to 6 players on each side. For alternative court sizes and advice on variants for younger players, please see our Kubb rules.

Resources

Each set consists of Made from solid wood
6 throwing sticks,
10 Kubbs,
1 King

Instructions

? How to Play Kubb

(A Viking throwing game of skill, strategy, and fun!)

? Objective of the Game
Your team wins by:

Knocking over all your opponent’s kubbs (wooden blocks),
And then knocking down the king in the middle of the pitch — but be careful! Knock the king over too early, and your team loses!

?️ Setting Up the Pitch
The game is played on a rectangular pitch, about 5m x 8m. You can make it smaller for younger players.
The pitch should be flat — grass, sand, dirt, or even snow!
Place a stake in each corner of the pitch to mark the edges.
No extra boundary lines are needed, but in fun or friendly games, string or twine can help younger players judge distances.
The King stands tall in the centre of the field, exactly halfway between both ends.
Each team lines up 5 kubbs (wooden blocks) across their own baseline (the short edge of the pitch).

? Teams
The game is played between two teams.
Each team has six throwing sticks to use on their turn.

? How to Play – Turn by Turn
Each team's turn has two phases:

Phase 1: Knock Down the Baseline Kubbs

Team A throws all 6 sticks, one at a time, trying to knock down Team B’s baseline kubbs (the ones lined up at the back).
All throws must be underarm, with the stick spinning end over end.
No sideways throws or spinning the stick like a helicopter!
Phase 2: Field Kubbs

Any kubbs knocked over are tossed onto Team A’s side by Team B and stood upright where they land. These are called field kubbs.
Now it’s Team B’s turn. They must first try to knock over the field kubbs before aiming for the baseline ones.
If a team knocks down a baseline kubb before all field kubbs, they lose the rest of their turn!

?‍♂️ Stepping Up
If a team leaves field kubbs standing, the closest one becomes their new throwing line next turn — they get to step forward to throw from there!
Only field and baseline kubbs affect this line – not ones already knocked over or the king.

? Winning the Game
When your team has knocked over all your opponent's kubbs, you may try to knock over the king.
If you succeed, you win!
(In Somerset, for fun, players try this with their non-dominant hand!)

⚠️ Important:
If any player knocks over the king early — even by accident — that team loses immediately.

? Making it Easier for Cubs
For younger or smaller players, it’s fine to:
Move the opponent’s kubbs closer together.
Bring the king closer (but not behind) the child’s throwing line.


https://www.kubb-spiel.de/en/Kubb-Rules/

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• Adventure - Activity
• Skills - Problem solving
• World - Foreign game