Every occasion page on this site eventually runs into the same wall. A tailgate, a campsite, a park picnic and a company field day are all carrying problems, and the spec that decides them — how much the thing weighs — is the one most makers do not publish.
This page collects what is published, and gives a way to judge the rest that does not involve inventing numbers.
The short list
Every published set weight in the catalogue
| Set | Published weight | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Victory Tailgate 2x4 Tournament cornhole | 46 lb | Pair of boards |
| GoSports Solid Wood Premium cornhole | 38 lb | Pair of boards, 8 bags and a case |
| Yard Games Giant 4 in a Row | 14.5 lb | Board, legs, 42 coins and a case |
| Baden Champions bocce, 107 mm | 2 lb per ball | Eight balls plus a pallino |
That is the complete list. Four entries out of thirty-three products. Everything else — kubb, Molkky, Spikeball, Kan Jam, ladder toss, the stacking towers, yard dice, badminton, horseshoes and every other cornhole and bocce set — publishes nothing, and we render those fields as an em dash with a note rather than filling them in.
The Baden figure is the most useful of the four, because it lets you do arithmetic that is otherwise impossible: eight balls at a published 2 pounds each is a substantial carry before you add the case, and it explains why bocce is the one game the camping page argues against despite being excellent everywhere else.
The other half
Pack-down shape matters as much as mass
A 15-pound object that nests into a flat rectangle is easier to travel with than a 10-pound object that is six separate long sticks. Weight is only half the problem, and shape is the half that decides whether something fits in a boot alongside a cool box.
| Game | What packs away | Case published | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molkky | 12 pins plus a throwing pin | Not published | Small block |
| Kubb | 10 kubbs, 6 batons, king, markers | Nylon case | Compact bundle |
| Spikeball | Rim sections, legs, net, balls | Backpack (Pro) or bag | Small backpack |
| Kan Jam | 2 goals plus a disc | Not published | Goals nest into one object |
| Ladder toss | 2 frames, 6 bolas | Nylon case | Long flat bundle |
| Giant yard dice | 6 dice, scoreboard | Canvas bag | Cube |
| Giant 4 in a row | Board, legs, 42 coins | Carry case | Flat rectangle |
| Giant stacking tower | 56 blocks | Nylon case | Heavy rectangular block |
| Bocce | 8 balls plus a pallino | Case; rope on some sets | Dense case |
| Croquet | 6 mallets, 6 balls, 9 wickets, 2 stakes, stand | Wooden stand | Least portable on the site |
| Cornhole | 2 boards, 8 bags | Case on some sets | Two 4 x 2 ft panels |
| Horseshoes | 4 shoes, 2 stakes | Not published | Small but very dense |
Shortlist
Buying for travel
- Molkky — the smallest real game on the site. A 3 to 4 metre throwing distance means it sets up on a campsite pitch, a park corner or a beach with no measuring.
- Kubb — heavier and bulkier, but it publishes 2 to 12 players, which is the reason to carry it. Nothing else takes a crowd out of a single bag.
- Spikeball — the lightest construction here, and the Pro kit publishes a backpack rather than a bag, which is the difference between a walk from the car and a walk across a field.
- Kan Jam — the goals nest into one another, so a four-player game becomes a single object. No published weight, but the shape is self-evidently good.
- A budget MDF cornhole set — if you must have cornhole and you must carry it. MDF is lighter than solid wood and the trade is that it cannot get wet, which is covered in cornhole board materials.
Occasion-specific versions of this decision: camping games, tailgate games, and games for parks and shared spaces.
What we would buy
The gear behind this guide
The sets whose published specifications this page is built on. Ranked on spec completeness and footprint clarity, not on testing we have not done.
Best overall
Tactic Mölkky Original Set
Tactic Games
The original — Tactic Games has held the Mölkky rights and trademark since 2016 and the games are still made in Pori, Finland.
Skip this if
Skip this if you want a game that survives being left on the lawn. Molkky is untreated birch and it will gray and swell.
Best overall
Yard Games Kubb Premium Size Set
Yard Games
Hardwood kubb with a case, printed instructions and — the part that matters — boundary markers, so the 5 x 8 m pitch is set correctly the first time.
Skip this if
Skip this if your only space is 20 ft long. The pitch is 8 m end to end and shortening it breaks the throwing distances the game is built on.
Best value
Spikeball Standard 3 Ball Kit
Spikeball
The original kit with three standard balls — same 3 ft net, same rules, lighter rim and legs, and the right set for a lawn rather than a bracket.
Skip this if
Skip this if you play on packed sand or concrete every week. The lighter rim and legs are the published difference and they are what gives out first.
Best cheap regulation set
GoSports Classic 4 ft x 2 ft Cornhole Set (MDF)
GoSports
Full regulation footprint on an MDF top instead of plywood — the cheapest honest way to get 4 x 2 ft boards, eight bags and a case.
Skip this if
Skip this if the set will be stored in a shed or left under a tarp. MDF and moisture are a one-way relationship; plywood is the upgrade that matters.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
What is the heaviest yard game?
What is the most portable yard game?
Why do so few makers publish a set weight?
How do you judge weight when it is not published?
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
Yard game guides
Rules, regulation dimensions, materials and storage — sourced from governing bodies and makers.
Picks
Best camping games
Games that pack small and work on unprepared ground — plus the weights nobody publishes.
Picks
Best tailgate games
Games that survive asphalt, wind and a trunk — with the published set weights that decide it.
Picks
Yard games for parks and shared spaces
Nothing dug, nothing staked, nothing left behind — games for ground you do not own.
Guide
Buying yard games as gifts
Buying for a yard you have not measured — the games that fit almost anywhere.
Picks
Yard games for a company picnic
Wide ability ranges, mixed enthusiasm and a trip to a park — what survives a work event.
Sources
- American Cornhole League — rules and regulations
- Kubb World Championship — rules (English)
- International Molkky Organisation — game rules
- Yard Games — Giant Tumbling Timbers
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.