CROKINOLE Review: You Can't Leave Your Chair... And You Won't Want To

Discounted review copy provided by Crokinole Game Boards

A little over a year ago, I was just starting to review board games when I came across the Shut Up & Sit Down video for Crokinole. Now, I’ve played board games for a long time, but I’ve also grown up playing pool, ping pong, and other skill-based games that have a commanding table presence. And any time I’m in a bar with shuffleboard, I’m more likely to play that than to talk with my friends. So the video review immediately piqued my interest.

That, along with the comfortable Top 100 spot on BoardGameGeek, made for a convincing argument. I decided to put Crokinole on the list and I started to research board builders. I was pleased to connect with Jeremy Tracey of Crokinole Game Boards and there is now an absolutely beautiful Grey Rock board in my house.

The early-2019 version of me was unfamiliar with Crokinole, so if you find yourself in the same boat, then don’t worry. I’ll be able to introduce you to this Canadian dexterity game.

Without further ado, let’s position the chairs carefully, sit down, grab the discs and whatever drink you want for the impending hours of play, and start flicking. I hope your finger is ready for the responsibility!

STORY

Crokinole does not have a narrative or theme that lives on the surface and in the mechanics of the game. There isn’t an overarching story that provides an immersive backdrop for your tabletop experience. It’s not really a board game like those that I traditionally review.

But there is a rich history that gives the game weight and explains the lasting impression it’s left on the tabletop community. The game of Crokinole originated sometime in the 1800s, gained popularity in the 1900s, and has become somewhat of a gaming staple in Canada and even the Northern United States. The simplicity of the game has given it enduring appeal. Clubs and tournaments have emerged in local communities and also on the international stage.

There are national organizations such as the NCA, tournaments like the World Crokinole Championships, and scattered clubs and communities that all keep the game alive and more vibrant than ever.

As with any good tabletop game, it’s effective at bringing people together. It’s been a joy to have at the house and it’s encouraged all of my family to try the dexterity game. Community and competition comprise the entire story behind the Tracey family, whose board I’ve purchased and is featured in this review. Their mission is to help preserve the legacy of Crokinole through the boards that they handcraft, as well as enjoy the beauty of the game.

Crokinole Game Boards is a family-owned business that is the official board builder for the World Crokinole Championships. Jeremy, who developed a passion for the game at an early age, learned from one of the most recognized and beloved Crokinole board builders—Willard Martin. The well-known Willard Pro board eventually passed the baton to the Tracey Tour board, which is now one of the best boards you can buy.

It’s a Crokinole board made for players by one of the best players out there. Jeremy’s family also helps him with the business, working to create boards that will stay with families for years. It’s more like an heirloom in the sense that the Tracey Tour boards are built to last and designed to be lovingly kept and played by families for decades.

Willard himself said, “The Tracey Tour Board is every bit as good, if not better than the Willard Pro,” and while I have no experience with the “Wood Wizard” and his boards, I can attest that Jeremy Tracey and his family have dedicated themselves to making some beautiful Crokinole boards that I’m proud to show off in my home.

GAMEPLAY

A game of Crokinole is very simple. Each player sits in front of a quadrant of play, marked out by the play lines into four easily discernible sections on the board. With their set of discs, players will take turns flicking or snapping a disc toward one of two targets—the center 20 hole or the other player’s discs.

When the other player doesn’t have a disc on the board, you’re aiming for the coveted 20 hole that grants more points. If there is an opponent’s disc in play, though, you must hit it. If you miss, you lose the disc that you shot… and any other disc of your own that you touched along the way. It’s similar to the concept of scratching in pool. You missed the target completely and so the opponent gains the advantage.

Each concentric ring on the board has a different point value. The outer ring counts for 5 points. The middle ring counts for 10 points. The inner for 15. And the center hole for 20. Once all players have used their last disc, you tally the points based on the discs that remain on the board and the discs that scored 20 points throughout the round. The player with the highest score deducts that score of the closest player and the difference is the number of points scored in that round. For example, in a two-player game, if one player scored 65 points and the other scored 50, then the first player would score 15 points for the round.

First to 50 or 100 wins the game.

It’s very easy to pick up and that’s part of what makes it so accessible to all kinds of players. Kids or adults. Veteran or gateway gamers. Everyone can sit down at the table and enjoy this.

But there is also some depth and strategy to the game that returning players will be able to experience and relish. Hitting another player’s disc is not the same as knocking it from a specific angle or intending a certain ricochet. Placing one of your discs in the inner ring might not be as valuable as setting it up defensively behind a peg. Knocking one disc off in one shot is nice, but taking two off the board in one swoop is better.

There are levels to the gameplay that players will discover from more and more time with Crokinole. And, yet, that won’t alienate new players or kids who aren’t as dextrous. People of all skill levels can sit down and have a good time. My wife’s favorite part about this game is that she doesn’t have to think too hard and she can just play and enjoy it while talking with friends and family. Yes, bigger games like Tapestry, Dead of Winter, or even Dungeons & Dragons are very fun, but they’re also very involved.

Crokinole doesn’t require you to send out the rulebook to your friends before they come over. It doesn’t demand that you sit for a day exploring the game variants and figuring out the adjustments needed for solo play. It doesn’t take over the whole table… just kidding. It’s a really big board that takes up a lot of space.

It’s so worth it, though!

Crokinole is just really special. It’s one of those evergreen titles that I’ll never turn down. I will always be happy if someone asked to play it. And the Tracey Tour Board makes it an even better experience every time I take it down from its spot on the wall.

VISUALS

The Grey Rock Tracey Tour Crokinole Board is just an exquisite piece of craftsmanship. As soon as I opened the (very well-packaged) box, I was absurdly pleased to have this in my home. It’s such a premium product and I can tell that the materials used will be long-lasting.

Via the description on the website, the board is topped with a CNC-milled Canadian Maple veneer. After that, the Traceys sanded and lacquer the board multiple times. That’s how the surface is so smooth and that’s why it plays so well. We have the gliss powder or playing wax, but you could play happily without it given the sheer quality of the board’s top.

The pegs in the center are made out of solid brass, with the outsides sleeved in rubber for some satisfying kinetic bounces and rebounds for ricochet shots and other disc movements. The playing lines that divide the quadrants and scoring zones are silk-screened and they look gorgeous.

Probably my two favorite features, though, are the rubber feet and the wall mount. The rubber feet keep the board stable and don’t scratch the tables when moving this wooden behemoth and the wall mount enables me to show off the board like the piece of art that it is without having to leave it propped against the wall somewhere.

For the finicky readers among you, the Tracey Tour board meets tournament standards, with a 30” diameter that’s comprised of a 26” playing surface and a 2” gutter around the perimeter. The frame of the Crokinole board is just shy of 2” as well.

It’s built to last and the Tracey family has officially crafted one of my proudest tabletop possessions ever. Crokinole is fast. It’s fun. And it’s even better on the Tracey board.

REPLAYABILITY

I have never played this game for less than an hour at a time. Because one game leads to another which leads to another and so on.

And the idea of this board lasting for my kids? And grandkids, if I’m lucky? I really can’t think of replayability in any better terms. Crokinole has a longevity that most games can only dream of. As long as you take care of the board, it will take care of you.

There are many more hours on the horizon of which I’ll be hunched over the table, looking for the right angle to snap my disc across the Crokinole board.

WHAT IT COULD HAVE DONE BETTER

Crokinole has been around for over 100 years and I don’t think I have any suggestions to make it better. It clearly knows what it’s about. It doesn’t have a thick rulebook, glossary, and reference sheets. It doesn’t have components in a box or cardboard that’s fraying at the edges. It’s just a big chunk of wood with the smaller wooden discs. That’s all there needs to be and it doesn’t need to get better.

And talking bout the Tracey Tour Board, specifically, l’m floored by the quality. I mean, I knew that it was a high-quality product. That’s why I reached out to Jeremy in the first place. But when you have this thing in front of you, it’s just awesome.

I really can’t think of anything that Jeremy could have done better from a customer service standpoint. The packaging was fantastic and there wasn’t a scratch or a ding from the international shipping. Everything about the craftsmanship indicates that he and his family really care about their customers and the experience of playing Crokinole.

My only hope is that his company and his excellent work gets more exposure. But I have no complaints!

VERDICT

Giving a game a score out of 10 can frequently feel arbitrary. It doesn’t always capture the nuance of a game or it may not fully reflect how I think a particular gamer might enjoy it versus how I enjoyed it (or didn’t). And if you haven’t read more than one of my reviews, then you might not get a sense of how I value certain aspects of a game.

That being said, this is an easy decision for me. I don’t have any qualms about it. Crokinole, and its gameplay on the Tracey Tour Board, is a 10/10 experience for me.

It’s just so much fun. I have plenty of heavy strategy games, card games, big-box games, miniatures games. The list goes on. But, until now, I have not owned a dexterity game. And I know there are others out there that people love, but it’s going to be an uphill battle for people to convince me that they’re better than Crokinole.

There is something so pure about this game. So accessible—like chess or checkers—but this is a game that I can enjoy with just about any personality. Any family member. The first night we played, I had a couple of drinks and we just sat there for three hours. That wasn’t a singular event, though. That happened again and again. I envision playing Crokinole a lot, whenever you want to sit at the table and hang out but don’t necessarily want to invest in a brain-burning strategy game or some other tabletop adventure.

It’s always going to be easy to just grab the board off the wall and start playing. And I encourage you to do the same. If you haven’t played Crokinole, then you should. And if you buy a Tracey board, say hello to Jeremy for me!