The short answer
Quick picks
Ranked on published specs, not on play we have not done. Tap any row to jump to the full write-up further down this page.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo GoSports Hook 21 Wall Mount Ring Swing Game A solid-wood board with a premium stain, a powder-coated ring and hook, built-in score trackers and an arm that folds in for storage — first to 21, indoors or on a covered patio. | Best wall-mounted | 6.8/10 | |
| 2 | No photo GoSports Tower 5 Giant Ring Swing Versus Game A 6.5-foot, height-adjustable all-weather PVC ring-swing tower that stakes into grass or sand, assembles without tools in under a minute, and plays one on one or in teams, with a double-sided score tracker. | Best freestanding | 6.7/10 | |
| 3 | No photo GoSports Ringer Darts Toss Game A solid-wood hook board published at 15.7 by 1 inches with 16 rings in four colors, a dry-erase scoreboard and a mounting screw — three published game modes for 2 to 4 players. | Best for kids | 6.9/10 |
Hook and ring has been in pubs for a very long time: a ring on a string, a hook on the wall, and a surprising amount of skill in the release. It has moved outdoors as a patio game, and it now comes in three quite different forms. Only one of them is really the traditional game.
Which one you want depends on a single question — where it will live.
Published specs
Three formats, three places
| Hook 21 (wall) | Tower 5 (freestanding) | Ringer Darts (board) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you play | Swing a ring on a rope | Swing a ring on a rope | Throw rings at hooks |
| Mounting | Wall | Stakes into grass or sand | Wall, screw included |
| Published size | Not published | 6.5 ft tall, adjustable | 15.7 x 1 in board |
| Material | Solid wood, powder-coated ring and hook | All-weather PVC | Solid wood |
| Scoring | Score trackers; first to 21 | Double-sided score tracker | Dry-erase board; 3 modes |
| Players | Not published | 1 on 1 or teams | 2 to 4 |
| Location | Indoors or covered outdoors | Grass or sand | Indoors and outdoors |
Hook 21 is the traditional game. A ring on a rope, a hook on a wall board, and an arm that folds flat when you are finished. GoSports describes it for indoors or a covered outdoor spot — a patio under a roof, a garage, a basement bar.
Tower 5 takes the game into the yard. A 6.5-foot all-weather PVC tower that stakes into grass or sand, sets up in under a minute and plays head to head. It is the only version you can put in the middle of a lawn.
Ringer Darts is a different game. There is no rope; you throw rings at hooks on a wall board. It is closer to ring toss than to ring swing, easier for children, and the only one of the three with sixteen rings and named game modes.
Criteria
How we picked
- Verified in stock at the maker, all three, before writing.
- One of each format. Wall, freestanding, board — because the decision is where it lives, not which is best in the abstract.
- Built-in scoring. All three publish some form of score tracker, which matters in a game whose target is to 21.
We have not played with any of them. Figures are GoSports' own — how we pick.
Decision
Where each belongs
- A covered patio, a garage, a basement: Hook 21. It takes no floor space and folds away — games for indoors and the garage.
- A lawn or a beach: Tower 5, the only freestanding one — beach and sand games.
- A child's room or a playroom: Ringer Darts. Sixteen rings, three named games, and nothing swinging at head height.
- A balcony: Hook 21 if you can put screws in a wall, Ringer Darts if you cannot hang anything that swings — patios and balconies.
The obvious alternative is the simpler throwing game with a similar name: hook and ring vs ring toss.
The picks in full
Every pick, with its published specs
Best wall-mounted
GoSports Hook 21 Wall Mount Ring Swing Game
GoSports
Our spec score
6.8/10
- Spec completeness
- 4/10
- Footprint clarity
- 5/10
- Durability
- 6/10
- Pack-down
- 7/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
A solid-wood board with a premium stain, a powder-coated ring and hook, built-in score trackers and an arm that folds in for storage — first to 21, indoors or on a covered patio.
Skip this if
Skip this if you have no covered wall. GoSports describes it for indoors or a covered outdoor location, and it needs a wall you are willing to put screws into.
What works
- Built-in score trackers
- A folding arm — it sits flat against the wall when not in use
- Powder-coated ring and hook
- The only game on this site that uses no floor space at all
What does not
- No published dimensions or rope length
- Covered locations only, by the maker's own description
- Permanent wall mounting
Published specifications
- Board
- Solid wood, premium stain finish
- Ring and hook
- Powder coated to help prevent rust
- Arm
- Folds out for play and in for storage
- Scoring
- Built-in score trackers; first to 21
- Mounting
- Wall mount
- Location
- Indoors or a covered outdoor location
- Dimensions
- —
- Rope length
- —
- Wood species
- —
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: GoSports product listing
Best freestanding
GoSports Tower 5 Giant Ring Swing Versus Game
GoSports
Our spec score
6.7/10
- Spec completeness
- 4/10
- Footprint clarity
- 4/10
- Durability
- 6/10
- Pack-down
- 8/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
A 6.5-foot, height-adjustable all-weather PVC ring-swing tower that stakes into grass or sand, assembles without tools in under a minute, and plays one on one or in teams, with a double-sided score tracker.
Skip this if
Skip this if you are playing on concrete. It stakes into grass or sand, and GoSports publishes nothing about how it stands on a hard surface.
What works
- Freestanding — no wall needed
- All-weather PVC, published
- Height adjustable
- Under a minute to set up
What does not
- The number of hooks and rings is not published
- Grass or sand only, by the description
- No published weight for a 6.5 ft PVC tower that has to stand in wind
Published specifications
- Height
- 6.5 ft, height adjustable
- Material
- All-weather PVC
- Setup
- No tools, under a minute; stakes into grass or sand
- Players
- 1 on 1 or teams
- Score tracker
- 1, double-sided
- Hooks
- —
- Rings
- —
- Footprint
- —
- Weight
- —
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: GoSports product listing
Best for kids
GoSports Ringer Darts Toss Game
GoSports
Our spec score
6.9/10
- Spec completeness
- 6/10
- Footprint clarity
- 4/10
- Durability
- 6/10
- Pack-down
- 8/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
A solid-wood hook board published at 15.7 by 1 inches with 16 rings in four colors, a dry-erase scoreboard and a mounting screw — three published game modes for 2 to 4 players.
Skip this if
Skip this if you wanted a swinging ring. Ringer Darts is rings thrown at hooks on a wall board, not a ring on a rope — the easier, kid-friendly cousin of the game.
What works
- 16 rings, so four players never wait for rings
- Three named game modes, published
- Dry-erase scoreboard included
- Safe indoors by the maker's description
What does not
- The hook count is not published
- No published throwing distance
- Wall mount only
Published specifications
- Board
- Solid wood, 15.7 x 1 in
- Rings
- 16 (4 of each color)
- Scoreboard
- Dry-erase
- Mounting
- Wall mount; mounting screw included
- Players
- 2 to 4
- Game modes
- Rack 'em Up, Exacto and Cricket
- Location
- Stated safe indoors and outdoors
- Hook count
- —
- Throwing distance
- —
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: GoSports product listing
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
What is a hook and ring game?
Can hook and ring be played outdoors?
How do you score hook and ring?
Is hook and ring good for small spaces?
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
Toss & target games
Cornhole, Kan Jam, ladder toss and horseshoes — long narrow courts that fit a strip of yard.
Comparison
Hook and ring vs ring toss
A swung ring for adults against thrown rings for small children — two ring games, two different buyers.
Picks
Best ring toss game
Five scoring towers, four rope rings, and the only game here with no minimum footprint.
Picks
Games for patios and balconies
Three games that genuinely work with no lawn — plus the ones to stop considering.
Picks
Yard games for indoors and the garage
Which games move indoors intact, which shrink to fit, and which must not come inside.
Picks
Best yard games for adults
Five games with a real skill ceiling and a governing body behind the specification.
Sources
- GoSports — Hook 21 wall mount ring swing game
- GoSports — Tower 5 giant ring swing versus game
- GoSports — Ringer Darts toss game
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.