Mölkky (molkky) is the Finnish lawn throwing game, free to play online against the computer with no download and no sign-up. Twelve numbered wooden pins stand in a tight block 3.5 m away. Knock one down and score its number; knock several and score how many fell. Fallen pins are stood up where they land, so the pitch spreads out as you play. First to exactly 50 wins, going over sends you back to 25, and three misses in a row put you out. Choose an upright throw to pick out a single pin or a flat one to sweep a group, then take on five opponents, up to three at once.
How to play Mölkky
- The twelve pins start in a tight block 3.5 m from the throwing line, with pins 1 and 2 at the front. You throw first in your first game; after that the first throw passes round the table.
- Choose where the mölkky should land: drag on the pitch or on the little map, or use the arrow keys (Shift for fine steps). The ring shows the landing spot and the dashed line its flight.
- Pick the throw. Upright, the mölkky turns end over end and is narrow — good for picking out one pin. Flat, it spins sideways and is as wide as it is long — good for sweeping a group. Then press Throw or Space.
- Score: one pin down scores the number on it; two or more down score how many fell. A pin leaning on another pin or on the mölkky has not fallen and does not count.
- After every throw the fallen pins are stood up exactly where they lie, so the block spreads out over the pitch as the game goes on.
- The first player to reach exactly 50 wins. Going over 50 drops you back to 25. Miss everything three times in a row and you are out of the game.
- Win to unlock the next opponent. The Opponents menu seats one, two or three computer players at the table.
Tips
- Near the end, count back from 50: on 41 you want pin 9 and nothing else. Look for the pin that stands on its own, then throw upright and land just short of it so the mölkky skids into it.
- Early on, a flat throw into the middle of the block brings down five to nine pins for as many points. Going for the 12 alone while it stands in the block is hopeless: the pins around it fall with it.
- A miss costs more than a low score: two misses in a row means your next throw has to touch something. Take the safe group before the fragile single pin.
- Going over 50 is not the end — 25 is only a couple of good throws from home — but on 44 or more a big sweep is a gamble. Throw for the exact pin.
- Watch where the pins are stood up. A pin knocked far from the rest becomes an easy single later, for you or for the next thrower.
FAQ
Is Mölkky free to play online?
Yes. This Mölkky game is free in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with no download, no account and no in-game purchases. Your game in progress and the opponents you have unlocked are saved on your device.
How do you score in Mölkky?
Knock down exactly one pin and you score the number written on it, from 1 to 12. Knock down two or more and you score the number of pins that fell, whatever is written on them — so three pins are worth 3. A pin only counts if it lies flat: one leaning on another pin or on the mölkky has not fallen.
What happens if you go over 50 in Mölkky?
You drop back to 25 points and play on. The winner is the first player to reach exactly 50, so the last throws of a game are a hunt for one particular pin.
What are the rules for three misses in a row?
A throw that knocks nothing down is a miss. Three misses in a row and you are out of the game; any score in between resets the count. In a two-player game that hands the win to the other player. Some families play a gentler house rule where three misses send you back to zero instead; this game uses the stricter rule, which is the one the Finnish rules give.
What is the difference between an upright and a flat throw?
An upright throw turns end over end and sweeps a path only as wide as the mölkky is thick, so it is the throw for one particular pin. A flat throw spins sideways and sweeps a path as wide as the mölkky is long, so it brings down more pins and is the throw for a group. Both are thrown underarm and land where the ring shows.
How good is the computer?
All five opponents choose their throws the same way; only the steadiness of the hand changes. Measured over 200 games a pairing, with each opponent throwing first in half of them: the Novice scores 92% against a casual player who picks a random pin, the Apprentice 72% against the Novice, the Club Player 80% against the Apprentice, the Expert 74% against the Club Player and the Master 72% against the Expert.
How does the computer choose which pin to throw at?
It works out a few throws at every standing pin on the same physics you play with, then tries the best of them again with its own hand’s wobble and takes the one that does best on average. That care is worth a lot: with the same hand, it beats a version of itself that simply goes for the best throw-if-perfect 87% of the time, because a shaky hand should prefer a safe group to a lone ten-pointer.
Does it matter who throws first in Mölkky?
A little. Over 200 games between two Club Players, the first thrower won 106 and the second 94; between two Masters it was 112 to 88. The first throw passes round the table from one game to the next, so everyone gets the edge in turn.
How is Mölkky different from bowling and kubb?
In bowling you roll a ball at pins that are cleared away and scored by how many fall. In kubb you throw batons to knock over wooden blocks and finally the king. Mölkky is closer to kubb in spirit — a wooden stick, thrown underarm across a lawn — but every pin has a number, the fallen pins stay where they land, and the score has to hit 50 exactly.
Where does Mölkky come from?
Mölkky is a Finnish game from the 1990s, inspired by the much older Karelian throwing game kyykkä. It is played on grass, sand or gravel by families and in tournaments, and the stick you throw is itself called the mölkky.