Mölkky (Finnish: [ˈmølkːy]) is a Finnish throwing game that was created by the company Lahden Paikkaopen_in_new – formerly known as Tuoterengas – in 1996. Given the exotic name of the game, Mölkky is commonly misspelled as molky, mollky, molkki or molki. The word mölkky was coined by its creators and has no actual meaning. It was probably inspired by the Finnish word pölkky, which means block of wood. Mölkky is a game that requires both skill and precision, but also a strategical mindset!

Lahden Paikka has been manufacturing Mölkky since the 90's. The production of the game is eco‐friendly because the company uses excess wood from other projects. There are no nasty chemicals involved. Plus, the natural timber is sourced from 100% sustainable Finnish forests. In 2015, Mölkky actually won the Green Toy of the Year Award!

A Brief History

Mölkky is based on a game that has been played for centuries, called Kyykkä – also know as Finnish or Karelian Skittles. It was originally played in Karelia, a region that covers parts of Russia and Finland. In the 20th century, a great number of Karelians migrated to Finland to escape civil war. And luckily, they brought Kyykkä with them!

The rules of Kyykkä can vary quite a bit, but it basically goes like this: the players throw a karttus (a club resembling a baseball bat) at kyykkäs (small cylindrical skittles) to knock them out of their own game square. The team who needs the fewest throws wins. Traditionally, the winners would get to ride on the backs of the losing team!