Mister Mölkky

Mölkky rules: how to play and how to keep score

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In short. In Mölkky, you knock over wooden pins numbered 1 to 12 with a throwing stick, from 3.5 metres away. One pin on its own scores its number; several pins score how many fell. You must reach exactly 50 points: going over drops you back to 25. Three misses in a row put a player out.

Mölkky is a Finnish throwing game. It is played outdoors, on grass, sand or gravel, by two or more players or teams. The idea fits in one sentence: knock over numbered pins with a wooden stick until you reach exactly 50 points. The arithmetic takes a little more care. Here are the basic rules, followed by the situations that start arguments around the pitch.

The set and the setup

A Mölkky set has twelve wooden pins numbered 1 to 12 and one throwing stick: the tikku, also called the mölkky.

At the start of a game, the pins stand in a tight group, touching each other, in a set order. Seen from the throwing line:

The pins stand 3.5 metres from the throwing line, the distance used by the French Mölkky Federation. The throwing order is agreed at the start, then everyone throws in turn. Any throwing style is allowed, as long as nobody is put in danger.

Scoring

This is the rule that surprises beginners most:

  1. One pin falls: you score the number written on it. Pin 9 on its own scores 9 points.
  2. Several pins fall: you score the number of pins knocked over, whatever their numbers. Pins 3, 7 and 12 together score 3 points, not 22.
  3. No pin falls: you score 0, and it counts as a miss.

A pin only counts as knocked over when it lies flat on the ground. A pin leaning on another pin or on the tikku does not count.

After each throw, the fallen pins are stood up again exactly where they landed. As the game goes on, the pins spread across the pitch, and aiming at a lone pin becomes a real tactical decision.

Reaching exactly 50

The first player to reach exactly 50 points wins the game.

If a throw takes you over 50, your score drops back to 25. Example: you have 45 points and knock over pin 8 on its own. 45 + 8 = 53, so you go back to 25.

The end of a game is all about arithmetic. On 44 points, you need 6: either pin 6 alone or six pins at once. On 45, any pin from 6 to 12 falling alone sends you back to 25, and so do six or more pins at once: a small, isolated pin becomes the ideal target.

The three-miss rule

A player who misses three throws in a row (no pin knocked over) is out of the game. The miss counter resets as soon as they knock over at least one pin.

Groups vary on this rule. In friendly games or with children, some simply reset the player's score to zero instead of putting them out. Agree before you start.

Playing in teams

Mölkky is also played in teams. Each team has a single score, and its members throw in turn. The rules on scoring, going over 50 and misses apply to the team.

How Mister Mölkky helps

Mister Mölkky is a free scorekeeper that opens in your phone's browser.

Mölkky is a registered trademark. Mister Mölkky is an independent app with no connection to the game's maker or to any federation.

Frequently asked questions

How many points do you score when several pins fall?

As many points as pins knocked over. Three pins score 3 points, whatever their numbers. Only a pin falling on its own scores its number.

What happens if you go over 50 in Mölkky?

Your score drops back to 25 and the game goes on. You have to reach exactly 50 to win.

Are you really out after three misses?

That is the usual rule: three throws in a row without knocking over a pin put the player out. Some groups replace it with a reset to zero. In Mister Mölkky, you choose elimination, reset or no penalty before the game.

Where do the pins go after a throw?

They are stood up again where they fell. They are not put back in the starting group.

Do you need an internet connection to keep score?

Once the app has loaded, keeping score on a single phone works offline. Following the game on several phones needs a connection.

References