The published specs
Side by side
| Kubb | Molkky | |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch | 5 m x 8 m (about 26 x 16 ft) | 3.5 m throwing distance (about 20 x 13 ft) |
| Footprint | About 430 sq ft | About 260 sq ft |
| Players | 2 to 12 (published) | 2 or more, individually or in teams |
| Pieces | 10 kubbs, 1 king, 6 batons | 12 numbered pins plus the throwing pin |
| Piece sizes | Kubbs 15 x 7 x 7 cm; king 30 x 9 x 9 cm; batons 30 cm x 4.4 cm | Published pin numbering; sizes per the rights-holder set |
| Object | Fell the opponent's kubbs, then the king | Reach exactly 50 |
| Penalty for going wrong | Felling the king early loses the game | Going over 50 resets you to 25 |
| Material | Hardwood | Birch |
| Surface | Grass, sand, dirt | Grass, dirt |
| Governing body | Kubb World Championship | International Molkky Organisation |
The real difference
They are not the same kind of game
Their reputations are similar — Nordic, wooden, thrown underhand, played on a lawn. Underneath, they are opposites.
Kubb is a territorial game. You are clearing your opponent's blocks while they rebuild yours in your half. The board state changes constantly, teams coordinate, and the king sitting in the middle is a permanent hazard: fell it early and you lose on the spot. It rewards teamwork and it takes twenty minutes.
Molkky is an arithmetic game. Each throw is a number, you are climbing toward exactly 50, and the tension is entirely about the last ten points. A player on 47 has to knock over one specific pin from a scattered formation. A player on 30 swings freely. It rewards nerve and it takes ten minutes.
If your group likes negotiation and coordination, kubb. If it likes the moment where somebody has to make one exact shot, Molkky.
Decision
Pick kubb if…
- You have a rectangle of open lawn at least 26 by 16 feet.
- Your gatherings run to eight or more people.
- You want a game that takes real practice to get good at.
- You want the set with boundary markers, so the pitch is right the first time — see best kubb sets.
Pick Molkky if…
- Your lawn is under about 400 square feet.
- The game is going camping or to a park — twelve small pins pack far smaller.
- You want a game that stays close to the end regardless of who is ahead.
- Mixed ages: an underarm toss at low pins is one of the most level playing fields we cover. See games for mixed ages.
Worth knowing
What both share
Both are untreated wood and neither should live outdoors. Kubb is hardwood, Molkky is birch, and both will gray, swell and eventually split if left on the lawn. If nobody in your household brings equipment in, buy resin bocce instead — see weatherproof yard games.
Neither maker publishes a set weight, so both fields stay blank on our product pages. Learning the rules: how to play kubb.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Is kubb or Molkky better for a small yard?
Which takes more players, kubb or Molkky?
Which is harder, kubb or Molkky?
Why you can check our work
We have not played these. Every figure above is copied from a manufacturer's published listing or a governing body's published rules, and named so you can verify it. Where a maker publishes nothing, the field is blank rather than filled in. How we pick explains the whole method, including what would change a recommendation.
Read next
Related pages
Picks
Best kubb sets
2 to 12 players on a 5 by 8 meter pitch — three hardwood sets compared on published piece dimensions.
Picks
Molkky
About 260 square feet, any number of players, and the exactly-50 rule that keeps every game close.
Guide
How to play kubb
Pitch setup, turn sequence and the king rule — from the Kubb World Championship specification.
Picks
Best yard games for large groups
The games that genuinely absorb a crowd, by published player count and turn length.
Picks
Best yard games for small yards
Five games that fit under 30 feet of clear run, with published footprints for each.
Sources
Every figure on this page is copied from one of these sources. If you find one that is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.