Knipsbrat

Crokinole?

Standardboard

"Knipsbrat" is the lesser known name of the game, Crokinole.   Knipsbrat translates to "flick board" in the Low-German spoken by Mennonite players.

Crokinole stands out as a game that is beautiful as much for its play as the many ways it can be appreciated.

Crokinole players take turns sliding wooden discs towards the center of a circular board, while knocking their opponents discs away or off the board.

Discs remaining on the board at the end of a round score 15, 10, or 5 points depending on which circle they remain.  The net score (higher - lower) is added to the running tally of each players total score.  Games are typically played to 100 or 200.   The twist to the rules is the what makes a valid shot. A valid shot starts on the outer line within the players quadrant.  One of the opponents discs must be struck (directly or indirectly) as the result of the play or all of the shooter's discs that were struck are removed from the playing surface.   If the opponent has no discs on the board, the shooter must move at least 1 piece into the 15-circle or 20-hole to have made a valid shot.

Crokinole in its current form emerged in Ontario, Canada in the mid-to-late 19th century.  Its history and popularity have spread the game through North America, Asia and Europe.

Boards are often hand-made and passed through families as heirlooms and treasured items.  More the one anecdote has been written about finding or rescuing a family board.  Although standards have emerged with the increased tournament play, Crokinole boards are frequently custom made by or for their owners, and each board has its own unique character and aesthetic.

Crokinole is experiencing a resurgence of popularity in recent years and has grown to somewhat of a cult-like following in communities such as BoardGameGeek.com.  The game stands out as an attractive, easy to learn, and physical game that can be enjoyed by players of all ages.   The fine crafted equipment and community created by friends and family sitting around the board are a pleasant contrast to faces buried in electronic games and television screens.