In a product photo these two are indistinguishable: wooden pins, rope rings, a lawn. The difference is the number of targets, and it changes who the game is for.
The spec sheet
The published figures
| Quoits | Ring toss | |
|---|---|---|
| Targets | 2 stackable solid wood targets, 9 in pins | 1 target with 5 scoring towers |
| Rings | 6 sisal rope rings, 6.5 in | 4 rope rings |
| Format | Pitched between two targets | Thrown at one target |
| Scoring | Ringers, like horseshoes | By tower, values differ |
| Players | 1 v 1 or teams of two | 1 to 4 |
| Published distance | Not published | Not published |
| Material | Solid wood | Solid pine |
| Indoor use | Rope rings are safe indoors | Stated safe indoors and outdoors |
In play
What the target count changes
Two targets makes it a pitching game
You throw from one target to the other and walk between them, which is the horseshoes rhythm without the steel or the pits. That is the adult version of this shape — see quoits sets and quoits vs horseshoes.
One target makes it a scoring puzzle
Five towers at different values turns each throw into a choice: the safe near tower or the valuable far peg. That is a real decision, and it is the reason ring toss holds a child's attention far longer than a single-peg game would.
Neither publishes a distance
Both makers leave the throwing distance out, which for once is genuinely useful: it means both games can be set for whoever is playing. In a mixed group, move the thrower rather than the target.
Surface and safety
Where each one can actually be played
Rope is the material that decides both of these games, and it is why they go places the rest of the throwing family cannot.
Both are safe indoors, which almost nothing here is
A sisal ring weighs almost nothing and does not bounce hard. Both makers state indoor and outdoor use, so a wet weekend does not end the game — it moves it to a hallway. Compare that with horseshoes, where the NHPA caps a shoe at 2 lb 10 oz.
Quoits needs two ends, ring toss needs one
That is the practical difference on a small property. Quoits wants a pitching lane between two targets; ring toss wants a corner. On a deck or a balcony, only one of them fits — see games for patios and balconies.
Neither cares what the ground is
Rope rings land on gravel, decking, short grass or carpet without damage to the ring or the surface. For a yard with no lawn at all, that puts both on a very short list — see yard games for gravel and xeriscaped yards.
The other side
Where to buy the other one
The card at the top of this page covers one side of the comparison. This is our current pick for the other, ranked on published specifications rather than on play we have not done.
Best overall
GoSports Premium Wooden Ring Toss Game
GoSports
One solid pine target carrying five scoring towers of different values, four rope rings and a carrying case — the smallest real throwing game on this site and the only one a three-year-old can play properly.
Skip this if
Skip this if you want a game adults will keep choosing. Five towers at close range is a genuine skill test for a child and a warm-up for an adult; nobody plays ring toss for two hours.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
What is the difference between quoits and ring toss?
Which is better for adults?
Which is better for small children?
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
Compare yard games
Twenty-one head-to-heads with the verdict first and the published specs behind it.
Picks
Best ring toss game
Five scoring towers, four rope rings, and the only game here with no minimum footprint.
Comparison
Hook and ring vs ring toss
A swung ring for adults against thrown rings for small children — two ring games, two different buyers.
Comparison
Quoits vs horseshoes
Steel, 40 ft and a pit — or rope, 21 ft and nothing to dig. The two pitching games compared.
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.