Mölkky or Finska?
If you played in Finland, you know it as Mölkky. If you found it in Australia, New Zealand, or somewhere else, you may know it as Finska.
Is it the same game? Almost. There is a little more to it.
Mölkky, the original
Mölkky was created in Finland in 1996 by Lahden Paikka.
Twelve numbered pins and one throwing pin. On each turn you throw the Mölkky at the pins.
Knock down one pin and you score its number. Knock down several and you score how many fell. Reach exactly 50 and you win. Go past 50 and your score goes back to 25.
That is the game most people mean by Mölkky.
The name Mölkky is a trademark of Tactic, which took the brand over from Lahden Paikka.
Where Finska comes from
Finska is the name used by Planet Finska, an Australian company that sells its own version of the game.
The idea is the same. Numbered wooden pins, one throwing pin, and the race to 50.
People often call Finska the Australian version of Mölkky. The first time you pick it up, the difference can be almost invisible.
You set the pins up. You throw. You score. You argue about whether that pin was down. Then you throw again.
What is different?
The score is the same. First to 50.
Published rules differ in a few details. Finska rules may ask for an underarm throw. Mölkky allows more than one throwing style.
The material is wood. The wood is not the same, and that changes the weight and how the pins and the throwing pin behave.
If you want the detail, it is in the Mölkky rules.
Mölkky rulesKubb
Kubb gets mentioned next to Mölkky and Finska because they are outdoor games played with wooden pieces. They are different games.
In Kubb you throw batons at the other team's blocks, and at the end you try to knock down the king. There is no race to 50. There are no numbered pins.