Every sport in Gemopedia
A living catalog of the world's sports and games — from the global giants to the extraordinary regional traditions. Filter by country, category, or format and pick a sport to see its rules, scoring, diagrams and animations.
Showing 794 of 794 sports
3D Archery
From United States
Archery at life-size foam animal targets across a wooded course — highest points for a heart-lung hit.
7 Wonders
From France
Modern card-drafting civilization game. Designed 2010 Antoine Bauza (French designer). Repos Production. 3-7 players, 30 min. Won 30+ awards including Kennerspiel des Jahres 2011 (first ever). Players build one of the 7 Ancient Wonders civilizations across 3 ages via simultaneous card drafting. Duel 2-player version 2015.
Aadu Puli Aattam
From India
South Indian hunt game — one player commands 3 tigers, the other 15 goats. Tigers hunt, goats block.
Abalone
From France
French sumo-on-a-board — push your opponent's marbles off the hexagonal grid.
Acquire
From United States
Classic mid-century business game — found hotel chains, merge them and cash in your stock.
Acrobatic Gymnastics
From Russia
Partner gymnastics — 2 to 4 athletes perform balances, dynamic throws + catches on floor. FIG-recognized 1999 (previously separate federation IFSA since 1973). Not Olympic. Events: mixed pair, women's pair, men's pair, women's group (3), men's group (4). Russia + China + UK + Belgium dominant.
Advanced Squad Leader
From United States
The gold-standard tactical WWII wargame — squad-scale, hex-and-counter, with 400+ pages of rules.
Aerial Skiing
From United States
Ski off a huge 4 m kicker and rotate through triple flips with quad twists — judged on air, form and landing.
Aerobatics
From Russia
Aviation sport of performing acrobatic maneuvers in aircraft — loops, rolls, spins, tumbles, inverted flight. Governed by FAI CIVA (Commission Internationale de Voltige Aérienne). World Aerobatic Championships biennial since 1960; Red Bull Air Race (2003-2019) popularized. Iconic aircraft: Extra 300, Sukhoi Su-26, Pitts Special.
Aerobic Gymnastics
From United States
Choreographed 60-second routine of aerobic dance moves and gymnastic strength / flexibility elements to music.
Age of Empires
From United States
The definitive historical RTS — build villages, harvest resources, research techs and conquer as one of history's great civilisations.
Aggravation
From United States
Marble race game — get four marbles home while sending your opponent's back to base.
Aikido
From Japan
Modern Japanese martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba (~1920s-30s) focused on defensive redirection of attackers' energy through joint locks, throws, and pins — 'the art of peace' with no competition in most styles.
Air Hockey
From United States
Two-player table game invented in 1969 — players use mallets (paddles/pushers) to slide a lightweight puck across a low-friction air-cushioned table, defending their own goal and shooting into the opponent's; first to 7 goals wins.
Air Racing
From United States
Race light aerobatic planes through a course of inflatable pylon gates at 370 km/h and up to 10G.
Alpine Skiing
From Austria
Winter racing sport where skiers descend a snow-covered mountain course through gates, in five disciplines from slow-turn slalom to 130 km/h downhill.
Alternate Reality Game
From United States
Story-driven puzzle game that spills into the real world — websites, phone numbers, real locations and social media are all part of the game.
Alternate Reality Games (ARGs)
From United States
Interactive narrative games blurring reality + fiction across websites, phone calls, physical locations, social media. Players ('players') collaborate online to solve massive puzzles + uncover story. Pioneered by 'The Beast' (2001, promoting AI film) + 'I Love Bees' (2004, Halo 2 promo); Cicada 3301 (2012-2014) legendary mysterious ARG.
Aluette
From France
French trick-taking game from the Vendée coast — played with a special Spanish deck and secret partner signals.
American Football
From United States
11-a-side gridiron sport where the offence advances an oval ball toward the opponent's end zone through carries and passes to score touchdowns and field goals.
Among Us
From United States
Social-deduction game — crew mates complete tasks on a spaceship while impostors try to kill them and blend in.
Andar Bahar
From India
Simple Indian card-guessing casino game — dealer draws a 'joker' card, then alternately places cards on two piles (Andar = inside, Bahar = outside); winner is whichever side gets a matching-rank card first. Players bet on Andar or Bahar.
Apex Legends
From United States
Hero-based battle royale by Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall studio) — 20 squads of 3 drop onto shrinking map; each 'Legend' has unique abilities. Innovated with SLIDE MOVEMENT + PING COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. ALGS (Apex Legends Global Series) is $5M+/year esports circuit. 100M+ players since 2019 launch.
Archery
From United Kingdom
Precision sport of shooting arrows at a target from a set distance — competitive events include recurve (Olympic), compound, barebow, and field archery.
Arctic Winter Games
From Canada
Traditional Inuit strength, agility and pain-tolerance events — one-foot high kick, ear pull, knuckle hop, mouth pull.
Arena Football
From United States
Indoor eight-a-side American football on a 50 yd field walled by rebound nets.
Arimaa
From United States
Chess-piece game designed to be harder for computers than for humans — move up to four steps per turn.
Arkham Horror
From United States
Cooperative Lovecraftian horror board game. First edition 1987 Chaosium; second edition 2005 Fantasy Flight Games; third edition 2018. Set in H.P. Lovecraft's fictional 1920s Arkham, Massachusetts. 1-8 investigators battle to prevent Ancient One from awakening. Extensive expansions + spinoffs (Eldritch Horror, Arkham Horror LCG, Mansions of Madness).
Arm Wrestling
From Ancient / global
Combat sport where two opponents grip hands across a table and attempt to force each other's hand down to a touchpad — decided in seconds through explosive strength, technique (top-roll, hook, press), leverage, and grip endurance.
Artistic Cycling
From United States
Choreographed judged cycling on a fixed-gear indoor bike — handstands, wheelies and pyramids to music.
Artistic Gymnastics
From Germany
Olympic sport in which gymnasts perform short choreographed routines on apparatus — men on 6 events (floor, pommel, rings, vault, parallel bars, high bar), women on 4 (vault, uneven bars, beam, floor) — judged on execution and difficulty.
Artistic Swimming
From Germany
Olympic aquatic sport blending swimming, dance, and gymnastics — athletes perform elaborate choreographed routines to music (solo, duet, team of 8-10) in pool with judged difficulty + artistic impression + execution. Renamed from Synchronized Swimming 2017. Historically women's-only; men added 2024.
Athletics
From Greece
The umbrella sport of the Olympic Games — track running, road running, jumps and throws.
Australian Rules Football
From Australia
Australia's homegrown 18-a-side contact sport played on a huge oval with a red leather ball — a fast, high-scoring blend of kicking, marking and long running.
Axis & Allies
From United States
Second World War strategy game — control the Allies or Axis and win the war on a map of 1942 Europe and the Pacific.
Azul
From Germany
Abstract tile-drafting board game. Designed 2017 Michael Kiesling (German designer). Plan B Games. 2-4 players, 30-45 min. Won Spiel des Jahres 2018 (Germany's game of the year). Players are Portuguese tile-layers decorating royal palace walls with Moorish-style zellige tiles. Elegant, beautiful components, easy to learn.
Baccarat
From Italy
The Bond-favoured casino card game — bet on Player, Banker or Tie, aiming for a two- or three-card total closest to 9.
Backgammon
From Iraq
A 5,000-year-old race game — roll two dice and bear off all 15 checkers before your opponent, using the doubling cube to raise the stakes.
Badminton
From India
The fastest racket sport in the world — hit a feathered shuttlecock over a 1.55 m net using a light racket; win by driving the shuttle to the floor of your opponent's court.
Badugi
From South Korea
Korean draw lowball poker — best four-card hand with all four cards different suits and different ranks.
Ball Hockey
From Canada
Hockey played on foot with a solid orange ball instead of a puck — indoor dek rinks or street games.
Bananagrams
From United States
Fast, cross-word tile game — no board, no turn order. Race to arrange all your letter tiles into a connected grid.
Bandy
From United Kingdom
Winter team sport played on ICE with 11 players per team using sticks + BALL (not puck). Field size ~SOCCER PITCH. Ancient — direct ancestor of ice hockey. Massive popularity RUSSIA, SWEDEN, FINLAND, KAZAKHSTAN. World Championships since 1957. Traditional but declining in some regions.
Bao
From Tanzania
Complex East African mancala-family game. National game of ZANZIBAR + TANZANIA. Uses 4 rows × 8 pits (32 pits total) + 64 seeds. Considered ONE OF DEEPEST MANCALA GAMES — vastly more complex than Oware. Two forms: BAO LA KISWAHILI (competitive, deep strategy) + BAO LA KUJIFUNZA ('learning bao', simplified). Long tradition Swahili coast + Great Lakes.
Barbooth
From Greece
Balkan two-dice gambling game — the shooter rolls, players take even-money bets on specific outcomes.
Bare-Knuckle Boxing
From United Kingdom
Fist-fighting without gloves — the original English prize ring, revived commercially by BKFC in 2018.
Barefoot Water Skiing
From United States
Water skiing without skis — bare feet slice through the water at 65+ km/h.
Barrel Racing
From United States
Timed rodeo speed event — gallop a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels, fastest run wins.
BASE Jumping
From United States
Extreme parachute sport — jumpers leap from FIXED OBJECTS (Buildings, Antennae, Spans/bridges, Earth/cliffs) with parachute deployment during 3-15 second freefall. Coined 1978 by Carl Boenish. Iconic locations: Kjerag Norway, Perrine Bridge Idaho, Angel Falls Venezuela. ~40 deaths per year globally; one of world's most dangerous sports.
Baseball
From United States
9-a-side bat-and-ball sport played on a diamond — the batter tries to hit a pitched ball into fair territory and circle the bases; the team with the most runs after 9 innings wins.
Baseball5
From Cuba
Five-a-side street version of baseball — no bat, no glove, hit a rubber ball with your hand.
Basketball
From United States
A five-a-side team sport in which players score by throwing an inflated ball through a 10-foot-high hoop.
Basque Pelota
From Spain
Family of Basque handball / racket games played off a wall — the parent of jai alai.
Battleship
From United States
Two-player naval guessing game — each player secretly places a fleet of ships on a 10×10 grid and takes turns calling coordinates to sink the opponent's fleet; first to sink all opponent's ships wins.
Beach Handball
From Italy
Four-a-side sand version of handball — spectacular flying shots earn double points.
Beach Soccer
From Brazil
Five-a-side football on sand — bare feet, no throw-ins and constant airborne strikes.
Beach Tennis
From Italy
Beach volleyball court, tennis rules — a soft-perimeter foam racket, a depressurised tennis ball, no bounce allowed.
Beach Volleyball
From United States
Two-a-side variant of volleyball played barefoot on sand — the smaller court and no substitutes make endurance, all-round skill, and reading the wind essential.
Beat Saber
From Czech Republic
VR rhythm game — slash flying colour-coded blocks with lightsabers in time with music. Massive hit of the VR era.
Belote
From France
Popular French trick-taking card game for 4 players (2 partnerships). Standardized 1920s France. Uses 32-card deck (7-A × 4 suits). BIDDING selects trump suit. Considered NATIONAL CARD GAME of FRANCE — 60% of French adults play. Also popular Balkans, Greece, Belgium, Cyprus. Contract Belote (higher-stakes bidding variant) considered pinnacle.
Biathlon
From Norway
Winter sport combining cross-country skiing with rifle marksmanship — athletes ski loops and stop at a shooting range to hit small targets, with time penalties for misses.
Big Air Skiing
From United States
One huge jump per run — skiers throw the biggest trick of their life for the judges. Two- and three-run finals.
Big Wave Surfing
From United States
Surfing waves of six metres and higher — the domain of Jaws, Nazaré and Mavericks with a jet-ski tow-in.
Bike Polo
From Ireland
Three-a-side team sport played on fixed-gear bikes with polo mallets and a small ball on a hard court.
Bike Trials
From Spain
Cycling discipline of hopping and balancing across obstacle sections — feet down cost points.
Bingo
From Italy
Number-matching game where players mark drawn numbers on a card, aiming to complete a pattern (line, house, or shape) and shout 'Bingo!' first.
Blackjack
From France
The most-played casino card game — beat the dealer's hand by getting closer to 21 without going over.
Blind Man's Buff
From Greece
Blindfolded tag — one player is blindfolded and spun round, then tries to catch and identify another by touch alone.
Blood Bowl
From United Kingdom
Fantasy football miniature wargame. First published 1986 by Jervis Johnson (Games Workshop). Parody of American football with WARHAMMER FANTASY races (Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Skaven, Undead, Goblins, Chaos). Second Season Edition (2020) current. Combines football tactics + violent fantasy. Long-running cult classic; leagues + digital versions.
BMX
From United States
Bicycle motocross — high-intensity 20-inch-wheel bike sport spanning motocross-style racing on 8-rider tracks with jumps, and freestyle disciplines (park, dirt jump, street, flatland, vert).
BMX Freestyle
From United States
Extreme cycling discipline on 20-inch BMX bikes performing tricks, spins, flips, and grinds on parks (bowls, ramps, boxes), streets (rails, ledges, stairs), dirt jumps, or flatland — judged on difficulty, style, and combination.
BMX Racing
From United States
Sprint bicycle racing on a 400 m dirt track of jumps and berms, up to eight riders per gate.
Bobsleigh
From Switzerland
Winter sliding sport in which teams of 2 or 4 push a streamlined sled down a twisting refrigerated ice track, reaching speeds of 150+ km/h.
Bocce
From Italy
Ancient Italian outdoor precision ball game — teams roll/toss weighted resin balls toward a smaller target ball (pallino) on a long narrow court; closest team scores; first team to 12 or 13 wins.
Boccia
From Greece
Paralympic-only precision sport — throw, kick or ramp leather balls closest to a white target (jack).
Bodyboarding
From United States
Surf sport riding waves on a small rectangular foam board (~1m long) in prone (lying) or drop-knee position; uses fins for propulsion. Easier entry than surfing but capable of dramatic aerial tricks + heavy-wave riding (Pipeline, Teahupoo, Nazaré).
Bodybuilding
From Germany
Aesthetic sport where athletes build extreme muscle size, definition, and symmetry through years of training + diet, then pose on stage to be judged on muscularity, conditioning, symmetry, and presentation.
Bog Snorkelling
From United Kingdom
Two lengths of a 60 m Welsh peat-bog trench in mask and snorkel — no conventional swimming strokes allowed.
Bokator
From Cambodia
Ancient Khmer battlefield art — hundreds of animal-style strikes, throws and grappling techniques.
Bolt Action
From United Kingdom
WWII 28mm miniature wargame. First published 2012 by Warlord Games + Osprey Publishing. Designed by Alessio Cavatore + Rick Priestley (both ex-Games Workshop). Uses ORDER DICE mechanic — one die per unit drawn from bag; introducing tactical uncertainty. Third Edition released 2024. Most popular WWII historical miniature wargame.
Bossaball
From Spain
Volleyball, football and gymnastics on an inflatable court with trampolines built into each side.
Bouldering
From France
Free-climbing discipline on short (typically <5m) rock walls or artificial holds without ropes — solved as short intense 'problems' requiring extreme power, technique, and creative movement, protected only by crash pads below.
Boules
From France
Family of French bowling sports — boule lyonnaise, boule de fort and pétanque are the main variants.
Box Lacrosse
From Canada
Indoor six-a-side lacrosse played on a converted hockey rink — Canada's national summer sport.
Boxing
From United Kingdom
Two fighters in a roped square trade punches — win by knockout, technical stoppage or points over 3-12 timed rounds.
Brännboll
From Sweden
Swedish schoolyard bat-and-ball classic — self-toss and hit, then dash around four bases.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
From Brazil
Ground-based grappling martial art focused on submissions and positional control, developed by the Gracie family in Brazil from Japanese Judo and Ju-jutsu in the 1920s-30s.
Bridge
From United States
The world's premier partnership card game — bid to a contract with your partner, then take enough tricks to make it.
Briscola
From Italy
Italian trick-taking game — 40-card Italian deck, one trump suit; ace and three carry huge weight.
British Bulldog
From United Kingdom
One player in the middle tags 'runners' as they try to cross from one safe zone to the other.
Broomball
From Canada
Six-a-side ice sport in regular shoes — sweep a small ball into a hockey goal with a broom.
Bulls and Cows
From United Kingdom
Two-player code-breaking guessing game (or single-player vs computer) — one player picks a secret 4-digit number with unique digits; the other guesses, receiving 'Bulls' (correct digit + position) and 'Cows' (correct digit, wrong position) feedback until deducing the secret code.
Bunco
From United States
American social dice game — four tables of four, rotating partners, and lots of shouting when you roll a triple.
Bungee Jumping
From New Zealand
Leap from a high platform tethered by an elastic cord and rebound just short of the ground.
Buzkashi
From Afghanistan
Central Asia's national horseback sport — riders battle to pick up a goat (or calf) carcass and carry it into a scoring circle.
Calcio Storico
From Italy
Renaissance-era Florentine sport — 27-a-side, minimal rules, half football and half wrestling in a sand square.
Call of Cthulhu
From United States
Lovecraftian horror tabletop RPG. First published 1981 by Sandy Petersen (Chaosium). Set in 1920s New England (traditional) exploring H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Percentile (d100) system + SANITY mechanic where investigators lose mental stability confronting cosmic horror. 7th Edition 2014 current. Longest continuously published RPG after D&D.
Call of Duty
From United States
Long-running military first-person shooter franchise spanning WWII, modern warfare, Cold War, and futuristic settings — with a massive multiplayer scene and the free-to-play battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone.
Call of Duty Esports
From United States
Team FPS esport of Call of Duty — 4v4 across Hardpoint, Search & Destroy and Control across a live pro season.
Call of Duty: Warzone
From United States
Free-to-play Call of Duty battle royale — up to 150 players fight for survival on maps like Verdansk and Al Mazrah.
Camel Racing
From United Arab Emirates
Distance racing on dromedary camels — modern Gulf circuits now use remote-controlled robot jockeys.
Camel Wrestling
From Türkiye
Aegean Turkish traditional sport — two trained bull dromedaries push and lock necks; first to fall or flee loses.
Camogie
From Ireland
The women's version of hurling — 15-a-side Gaelic stick sport with the fastest ball in team sports.
Canadian Football
From Canada
Twelve-a-side northern cousin of American football — bigger field, three downs, a rouge on missed kicks.
Canasta
From Uruguay
Rummy-family card game invented 1939 by Segundo Santos + Alberto Serrato in Montevideo, Uruguay. Uses 2 standard decks + 4 jokers (108 cards). Players form MELDS (3+ cards same rank) — CANASTA = 7-card meld (500 pts natural, 300 mixed). Massive American craze 1948-1953. Partnership Canasta (4 players) standard. Cult classic; declining but active online.
Candlepin Bowling
From United States
New England's tall thin "candle" pins — three small handheld balls per frame and no pin resetting between shots.
Candy Crush Saga
From Sweden
Match-three mobile phenomenon — swap coloured candies to match rows or columns of three or more.
Canoe Polo
From United Kingdom
Five-a-side handball played in short kayaks on a swimming pool — hurl the ball into a suspended 1 × 1.5 m goal.
Canoe Slalom
From Switzerland
Race a kayak or canoe through 18–25 gates on whitewater — hit a gate and you take a two-second penalty.
Canoe Sprint
From GB/DE
Olympic paddling race on flat calm water — athletes race kayaks (K) with double-blade paddles or canoes (C) with single-blade paddles over 200m, 500m, or 1000m in single, pair (K2/C2), or four (K4/C4) crews.
Canoeing
From Canada
Paddle sport using an open canoe (open-top boat) propelled by a single-blade paddle — includes flatwater sprint, whitewater slalom, marathon, and recreational touring.
Canopy Piloting
From United States
Skydiving discipline of high-speed final swoops — piloted parachute traverses a set course just above the ground.
Canyoning
From France
Adventure sport — descending canyons via combination of walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, swimming + rappelling. Popular in Alps, Pyrenees, USA (Utah, Colorado), Australia, NZ. Not competitive typically — recreational adventure activity. Requires technical equipment (harness, rope, wetsuit).
Capoeira
From Brazil
An Afro-Brazilian art that blends martial technique, acrobatics, dance and music — practised in a circle (roda) to the beat of the berimbau.
Capture the Flag
From Global (uncertain)
Traditional outdoor team game where two teams each guard a flag in their territory + try to capture the opponent's flag and bring it back — combines strategy, sneaking, tagging, and jailbreaks.
Carcassonne
From Germany
Modern German tile-laying board game (2000) — players draw + place terrain tiles building a shared medieval landscape of cities, roads, monasteries, and farms; place 'meeples' to claim features and score points; 2001 Spiel des Jahres winner.
Card Magic
From United States
The most-practised branch of magic — a deck of cards, false shuffles, palms, cuts and impossible-seeming reveals.
Cardfight!! Vanguard
From Japan
Bushiroad's flagship TCG — 'Vanguard' units power up by stacking, with dramatic 'Trigger' reveals from the deck.
Carom Billiards
From France
Umbrella family of pocketless cue sports — straight rail, balkline, 47/2, cushion carom, three-cushion.
Carrom
From India
South Asian tabletop disc game — flick a striker with your finger to pocket carrom-men into corner nets.
Cat's Cradle
From China
String-loop patterns played solo or between two — pass the loop between fingers to make ever-more-complex geometric figures.
Catan
From Germany
Modern German-style strategy board game for 3-4 players, in which players collect resources by rolling dice on their hex-tile settlements, then trade and build to reach 10 victory points first.
Catch Wrestling
From United Kingdom
Lancashire's brutal 19th-century grappling art — the direct ancestor of freestyle wrestling, MMA and pro wrestling.
Categories
From Germany
Global pencil-and-paper game — fill columns like Name, Place, Animal, Thing with words starting with a random letter, unique answers score.
Caving
From France
The recreational and technical sport of exploring caves — vertical work with ropes, cave diving and horizontal navigation.
Charades
From France
Classic party game in which players silently act out words, phrases, or titles for their team to guess — with strict rules against speaking, sound-making, or drawing.
Chaturanga
From India
The Indian ancestor of every modern chess variant — four divisions of the army, king and counsellor at the centre.
Chaupar
From India
Ancestral Indian cross-and-circle game — the classy elder cousin of Pachisi and Ludo, played with long dice.
Cheerleading
From United States
Team performance sport combining tumbling, jumps, stunts (partner + pyramid lifts), and dance in 2:30 routines — competed on spring floor mats, judged on difficulty + execution — plus traditional sideline cheer at football + basketball games.
Cheese Rolling
From United Kingdom
Annual Gloucestershire race — chase a 4 kg wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a near-vertical hill.
Chess
From India
A two-player strategy game on an 8×8 board — checkmate the enemy king before your own falls.
Chess Boxing
From Germany
Hybrid sport of alternating rounds of speed chess and boxing — win by checkmate or knockout.
Chicken Foot Dominoes
From United States
American domino variant — every hub double sprouts a three-tile 'chicken foot' that must be filled before other plays.
Chidaoba
From Georgia
Georgian jacketed folk wrestling contested to live traditional music — knock opponent flat on their back to win.
Chinese Poker
From China
13-card poker — arrange your cards into three hands (3 top, 5 middle, 5 bottom) and beat opponents hand-by-hand.
Chinlone
From Myanmar
Myanmar's non-competitive team ball sport — six players pass a woven rattan ball in a circle.
Chuk-Guru
From India
Traditional Meitei game — dislodge seven wooden discs from a raised bamboo pole using a small target disc.
Chunkey
From United States
Ancient Mississippian rolling-and-throwing game — chase a rolling stone disc and throw a spear where it will stop.
Civilization
From United States
'Just one more turn' — build a civilisation from 4000 BCE to the Space Age; win by conquest, science, culture or diplomacy.
Cliff Diving
From Mexico
Judged dive from a fixed 27 m platform (men) or 20 m (women), hitting water at over 85 km/h.
Cluedo
From United Kingdom
Deduction murder-mystery board game (3-6 players) — players move through a mansion's rooms, make suggestions about who committed the murder (which suspect, weapon, room), gathering clues by elimination until confident enough to make a final accusation.
Coasteering
From United Kingdom
Traverse a rocky coastline by scrambling, swimming through swells and cliff-jumping into deep water.
Codenames
From Czech Republic
Modern Czech party word-association game (2015) — two teams of spymasters give one-word clues to lead teammates to identify their agents on a 5×5 grid of code names, while avoiding opponents' agents and the assassin; 2016 Spiel des Jahres winner.
Combined Driving
From United Kingdom
The three-phase equestrian triathlon for horse-drawn carriages — dressage, marathon and cones obstacle course.
Compound Archery
From United States
Modern high-tech archery bow with cams and cables — shot at 50 m indoors and 70 m outdoors.
Connect Four
From United States
Two-player vertical strategy game — players drop colored discs into a 7-column × 6-row grid, aiming to be first to connect four of their color in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).
Cornhole
From United States
American outdoor bag-tossing lawn game — two players/teams alternate throwing 4 fabric bags at a raised angled board with a hole, scoring 1 point per bag on board and 3 points per bag through the hole; first to 21 wins.
Cornish Wrestling
From United Kingdom
Ancient jacketed wrestling from Cornwall — pin any three points of a four-point score to win.
Counter-Strike
From United States
Legendary tactical first-person shooter esport — 5 vs 5 team-based competitive gameplay pitting Terrorists (T) vs Counter-Terrorists (CT) in objective-based rounds on maps like Dust II, Mirage, Inferno.
Craps
From United States
Fast-paced dice game in which players wager on the outcome of two dice rolled across a specially marked table, with dozens of betting options ranging from safe pass line bets to long-shot 'hard-way' proposition bets.
Crazy Eights
From United States
Classic shedding card game (ancestor of UNO) — players discard cards matching top card by suit or rank; eights are wild + let player change suit. First to empty hand wins. Simple, fast, universal children's + family game worldwide.
Cribbage
From United Kingdom
Classic 2-player English card game (also 3-4 player variants) with unique peg-based scoreboard; combines card play + hand-scoring with combinations like 'fifteens' (cards totaling 15), pairs, runs, flushes, and the iconic 'nobs' bonus for jack matching cut card.
Cricket
From United Kingdom
A bat-and-ball team sport where two teams take turns batting and fielding, scoring runs by running between wickets or hitting boundaries.
Crokinole
From Canada
Canadian flicking-disc board game — flick wooden discs across a round board towards the central 20-point hole while knocking opponents off.
Croquet
From United Kingdom
Lawn sport where players use mallets to drive balls through a course of iron hoops.
Cross-Country Running
From United Kingdom
Endurance running over open, uneven country — mud, grass, hills and unpredictable weather.
Cross-Country Skiing
From Norway
Endurance winter sport in which skiers propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using long, narrow skis and poles — Olympic events include sprint, distance, relay, and mass-start.
CrossFit
From United States
Timed multi-discipline fitness sport blending weightlifting, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning.
Crossminton
From Germany
Hybrid of badminton, tennis and squash — no net, played across two 5.5 m squares with a wind-resistant "speeder".
Crossword Puzzle
From United States
Word puzzle where solvers fill grid with words based on clues — horizontal (Across) + vertical (Down) intersecting words. Invented by Arthur Wynne (British-American), published NY World Dec 21, 1913. Global staple: NYT Crossword launched 1942 (Sat/Sun 21×21, weekday 15×15); The Guardian cryptic; American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) since 1978.
Cuju
From China
Ancient Chinese kicking game recognised by FIFA as the earliest known form of football — hit a small hole in a raised net.
Cup and Ball
From Egypt
The oldest magic trick in the world — small balls vanish and reappear under three inverted cups as the magician's hands blur.
Curling
From United Kingdom
A Scottish winter sport in which teams of four slide granite stones down a sheet of ice, sweeping ahead of the stone to control its path.
Cyberpunk RED
From United States
Cyberpunk tabletop RPG by Mike Pondsmith. Published 2020 R. Talsorian Games. Bridging setting between Cyberpunk 2020 (1990s) + Cyberpunk 2077 (video game, 2020). Set in 2045 Night City after the '4th Corporate War' + 'Time of the Red' devastation. Players are cyberpunks doing gigs. Directly tied to CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 game (2020).
Cycle Ball
From Germany
Two-a-side indoor sport — steer a fixed-gear bike and push a ball into the opposing net using the front wheel.
Cyclocross
From Belgium
Off-road cycling on a short mixed-terrain lap — jump barriers, run steep hills, ride again.
Dam
From Morocco
North African draughts variant — 10×10 board (Turkish Dama has 8×8), pieces move orthogonally, kings 'fly'.
Dance Dance Revolution
From Japan
Konami's foot-stomping arcade rhythm game — hit the four arrow panels in time with the music.
Darts
From United Kingdom
Precision throwing sport in which players hurl small missiles at a segmented circular board, aiming to reduce a starting score (usually 501) to exactly zero, finishing on a double.
Decathlon
From Greece
MEN'S COMBINED-EVENTS athletic competition — 10 EVENTS over 2 days. Day 1: 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m. Day 2: 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500m. Points scored per event via IAAF tables. Winner = highest total. Decathlon champion considered 'WORLD'S GREATEST ATHLETE'. Ancient (Greek pentathlon roots); modern Olympic since 1912.
Devil Sticks
From China
Skill toy — main stick balanced + manipulated with two handsticks. Origins in China (2000+ years ago as 'diabolo' cousin) + Egypt. Traditional wooden variant + modern rubber-tipped 'flower sticks' (safer, easier). Not competitive; flow art + juggling convention performance. Popular in circus + street performance.
Diablo
From United States
The prototypical action-RPG — click monsters, get loot, level up, repeat. Diablo IV shipped 2023.
Diabolo
From China
Ancient Chinese juggling skill toy — spool-shaped device balanced + spun on string held between 2 hand sticks; tricks include spinning acceleration, tosses to great heights, 'suicide' releases, whip-catches, and choreographed multi-diabolo routines. Popular Chinese cultural performance + modern juggling sport.
Digimon Card Game
From Japan
Bandai's Digimon-branded TCG — 'digivolve' your creatures up through evolution stages to overwhelm the opponent.
Diplomacy
From United States
Diceless negotiation game set in 1901 Europe — the outcome depends entirely on the alliances you make and break.
Disc Golf
From United States
Golf-like outdoor sport played by throwing plastic flying discs (frisbees) at metal chain baskets across an 18-hole course through forested terrain — fewest throws per hole wins, same scoring as ball golf.
Discus Throw
From Greece
Ancient athletics throwing event — athlete rotates 1.5 turns within a 2.5m diameter circle and hurls a heavy metal-rimmed disc (2 kg men, 1 kg women) for maximum distance into a 34.92° landing sector.
Disney Lorcana
From United States
Ravensburger and Disney's TCG — cast Disney-character 'glimmers' to be first Illumineer with 20 lore.
Diving
From Sweden
Aquatic sport in which competitors jump or leap from a springboard (3 m) or platform (10 m), execute acrobatic manoeuvres in the air, and enter the water with a minimum of splash for judged scores.
Dixit
From France
Storytelling party game — give a cryptic clue for one of your dreamlike art cards; some (but not all) players must guess it.
Dodgeball
From United States
Team throwing/dodging game in which two teams throw rubber/foam balls at each other, eliminating opponents by hitting them below the shoulders while avoiding being hit themselves.
Dominoes
From China
Classic tile-matching game played across cultures worldwide with rectangular tiles divided by a line, each half showing 0-6 (or higher) pips; goal is typically to be first to play all tiles or reach a target score.
Donkey Kong
From Japan
Nintendo ARCADE PLATFORMER — Shigeru Miyamoto, 1981. Player controls JUMPMAN (later MARIO) climbing girders + ladders to rescue LADY (Pauline) from DONKEY KONG. Introduces MARIO to world; establishes PLATFORMER genre; sparks Nintendo's video game empire. Famous 'Kill Screen' at Level 22. Iconic speedrun/high-score competitive scene (Billy Mitchell + Steve Wiebe rivalry documented in 'The King of Kong' 2007).
Doom
From United States
The game that defined first-person shooters — hunt demons on Mars with an arsenal from pistols to BFGs.
Doppelkopf
From Germany
German trick-taking game with a doubled 48-card deck — partners are revealed only through play.
Dota 2
From United States
Iconic multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) esport by Valve — 5 vs 5 team battle to destroy opponent's Ancient across three lanes; features 120+ unique heroes with complex ability + item interactions.
Dots and Boxes
From France
Classic pencil-and-paper game — take turns drawing edges on a dot grid; whoever closes the fourth side of a box claims it.
Downhill Mountain Biking
From United States
Timed solo descents of gnarly mountain tracks — dual-crown forks, huge travel and 60 km/h+ jumps.
Drag Racing
From United States
Straight-line acceleration motorsport — two vehicles race from standstill to finish line over quarter-mile (402m) or eighth-mile (201m). NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) sanctions US pro drag racing since 1951. Top Fuel dragsters reach 335+ mph (540 km/h) in under 4 seconds; fastest accelerating land vehicles.
Dragon Boat Racing
From China
Ancient Chinese team paddling sport (2,000+ year history) — long narrow decorated boat with 20 paddlers + 1 drummer + 1 steerer race over 200-2000m. Traditional Duanwu Festival ritual + modern global sport with world championships since 1995.
Draughts
From Iraq
Ancient two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board (8×8 or 10×10) where pieces move diagonally, capturing by jumping — first to eliminate opponent or trap all pieces wins.
Dressage
From France
Equestrian Olympic sport — precision performance of prescribed movements by horse+rider in 20×60m arena. French word 'dressage' = 'training.' Governed by FEI since 1921. Olympic since 1912. Modern era dominated by Germany + Netherlands + UK. Iconic: Charlotte Dujardin (GB, Valegro), Isabell Werth (Germany, most decorated female Olympian).
Drifting
From Japan
Judged motorsport of holding a car sideways through corners — Formula Drift is the pro world tour.
Drone Racing
From United States
First-person-view racing of small quadcopters at up to 240 km/h — pilots wear video goggles.
Duck Duck Goose
From Global (uncertain — likely European)
Universal children's circle chase game — players sit in circle; one player ('It') walks around tapping heads calling 'duck!'; when tapping calls 'GOOSE!', the tapped player chases 'It' around the circle trying to tag before 'It' takes their spot. If tagged, 'It' stays; if not, tapped player becomes 'It'.
Duckpin Bowling
From United States
Miniature bowling — three tiny 12 cm balls per frame at ten short, squat duckpins on a standard lane.
Duel Masters
From Japan
Wizards' and Takara Tomy's Magic-inspired TCG — five 'civilizations', mana-driven summons, and shield-breaking finishes.
Dungeons & Dragons
From United States
Foundational tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) — a Dungeon Master narrates adventures for 3-7 players, who create characters and roll polyhedral dice (d4/d6/d8/d10/d12/d20) to resolve actions in a shared fantasy world.
Durak
From Russia
Russian attack-and-defend shedding game — beat cards played against you or pick them up; loser is the 'durak' (fool).
DVONN
From Belgium
Stacking game from the GIPF project — build towers on top of red 'DVONN' pieces or watch them vanish.
EA Sports FC
From Canada
The world's most successful football (soccer) simulation — annual release by EA Sports. Renamed from FIFA to EA Sports FC in 2023 after EA-FIFA partnership ended. Ultimate Team mode dominates gameplay; over 150M lifetime FIFA/FC players; largest sports simulation esport.
EA Sports FC
From Canada
Competitive football video game — the game formerly known as FIFA, decided in short 1v1 online and LAN matches.
Eight-Ball Pool
From United States
The world's most-played pool game — sink all your solids or stripes, then pot the black 8 ball to win.
Elden Ring
From Japan
Open-world Souls-like — enormous, punishing fantasy world by Hidetaka Miyazaki with lore by George R.R. Martin.
Endurance Racing
From France
Long-distance sports car racing — races of six hours, 12 hours or 24 hours across multiple classes.
Endurance Riding
From United States
Long-distance equestrian racing 40-160 km (25-100 mi) over 1 day; horse welfare central via mandatory vet checks. Modern sport originated Tevis Cup 1955 (100 miles / 24 hours California Sierra Nevada). FEI governs internationally. Dominant: UAE (Sheikh Mohammed patronage), USA, Australia. Arabian horses preferred for endurance.
Enduro
From United Kingdom
Long off-road motorcycle race against the clock through forest special stages — the desert-rally cousin of motocross.
English Billiards
From United Kingdom
Cue sport on a full-size snooker table — pot balls or make cannons to score points.
Equestrian Vaulting
From Greece
Gymnastics performed on a horse cantering in a circle — solo, pair and team competition.
Escape Room
From Japan
Real-world puzzle-room game — a team is 'locked' in a themed room and must solve chained puzzles to escape within 60 minutes.
Escape Rooms
From Japan
Live team-based puzzle experience — 2-8 players 'locked' in themed room, solve interconnected puzzles + riddles to escape within 60 minutes. Originated Japan 2007 (SCRAP's 'Real Escape Game'); global explosion 2012+; 10,000+ facilities worldwide by 2020s; $2B+ industry.
Escrima
From Philippines
Filipino national martial art of stick and blade — rattan stick fighting, empty-hand and knife defence.
Eton Fives
From United Kingdom
Doubles wall-and-hand sport played on a three-sided court with a stepped ledge — the quirkiest of the three fives games.
Euchre
From United States
Fast 4-player partnership trick-taking card game using 24-card deck (9-A of each suit); features 'bowers' (jack of trump suit = highest card, jack of same-color suit = second-highest); popular in US Midwest, Canada, UK, Australia — origin of the joker card.
Eventing (3-Day Event)
From Sweden
Olympic equestrian triathlon combining Dressage + Cross-Country + Show Jumping across 1-4 days. Originated as cavalry test 1900s; Olympic since 1912. Cross-country phase — 4-6 km course with 30-45 obstacles at 550-570 m/min — is world's most physically demanding equestrian test. Iconic events: Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky.
Extreme Ironing
From United Kingdom
Iron creased shirts in the most extreme settings imaginable — mountain summits, underwater, mid-freefall.
Fall Guys
From United Kingdom
60-player battle-royale party game — bean-shaped players race through candy-coloured obstacle courses.
Fanorona
From Madagascar
Madagascar's national board game — capture by approach or withdrawal on a 5×9 diagonal grid.
Fantasy LARP
From United States
Foam-swords-and-cloaks fantasy role-play in woods and fields — thousands attend the biggest festivals worldwide.
Farkle
From United Kingdom
Family-favorite push-your-luck dice game in which players roll 6 dice, set aside scoring dice, and choose to bank points or risk further rolls — first to 10,000 points wins.
Fate
From United States
Narrative-focused RPG — descriptive 'aspects' drive characters and scenes, resolved with four-sided Fate dice.
Fell Running
From United Kingdom
British hill and mountain running — off-track races up and down open fells at brutal gradients.
Fencing
From Italy
Olympic combat sport with three weapon disciplines (foil, épée, sabre) — two fencers on a 14m × 1.5m piste score touches with electronically-scored bladed weapons under strict right-of-way (foil/sabre) or open (épée) rules.
FIA Formula 2
From United Kingdom
One rung below F1 — spec Dallara chassis and 3.4 L V6 engine on F1 support-race weekends.
FIA Formula 3
From United Kingdom
The second rung of the F1 feeder ladder — spec chassis, 3.4 L V6, F1 support-race weekends.
Field Archery
From United States
Archery in wooded terrain — 24 targets set at unmarked distances up to 60 m across a nature course.
Field Hockey
From United Kingdom
Eleven-a-side stick-and-ball team sport played on artificial turf — flick, push and hit a hard ball into a caged goal using a J-shaped stick.
Figure Skating
From United Kingdom
Winter sport where skaters perform jumps, spins, step sequences and lifts on ice, judged on technical difficulty and artistic execution across four disciplines.
Fin Swimming
From Italy
Competitive swimming with monofin or bi-fins — pool sprints and open-water distance races at over 3 m/s.
Final Fantasy
From Japan
The world's most-famous JRPG series — mostly-unrelated numbered fantasy epics with crystals, airships and chocobos.
Fingerboarding
From United States
Miniature-skateboard finger sport — perform ollies, kickflips and grinds on a tiny skateboard using two fingers, over model ramps and rails.
Fistball
From Italy
Volleyball-like sport where the ball is struck with the fist or forearm and may bounce once between hits.
Five-Card Draw
From United States
The poker of the American frontier — five cards each, discard and draw once, best hand wins.
Five-Pin Bowling
From Canada
Canada's home-grown bowling variant — five pins with different point values, smaller ball, no finger holes.
Flag Football
From United States
Non-contact form of American football — pull a flag from the ball carrier's belt instead of tackling.
Flames of War
From New Zealand
15mm WW2 wargame — company-scale operations from Battlefront Miniatures, played across gorgeous terrain boards.
Flesh and Blood
From New Zealand
New-Zealand-made TCG designed for a competitive-first, in-store organised-play scene — no lands, resource-neutral gameplay.
Floor Hockey
From Canada
Indoor hockey with plastic sticks and a felt puck or ring — a gym-class staple in North American schools.
Floorball
From Sweden
Indoor team sport similar to hockey — 6-a-side, plastic sticks, light plastic ball with holes. Originated Sweden/Finland/US 1970s. Massive popularity Sweden + Finland (top participation sports). 2 halves × 20 min each. IFF World Championships. Growing global sport; IOC recognized.
Flowriding
From United States
Surf a stationary sheet wave pumped over a padded floor — bodyboard, flowboard, or stand-up.
Football
From United Kingdom
The world's most popular team sport — two sides of eleven aim to score more goals than the opponent using any part of the body except the arms and hands.
Footvolley
From Brazil
Beach volleyball played with football rules — feet, chest and head only, no hands.
Formation Skydiving
From United States
Team skydivers link up in prescribed belly-to-earth formations during a 35-second freefall — most formations per jump wins.
Formula 1
From United Kingdom
The pinnacle of open-wheel single-seater motor racing — 20 drivers, 10 teams, 24 grands prix, one world championship.
Formula E
From France
FIA world championship for all-electric single-seater racing cars on city street circuits.
Fortnite
From United States
Free-to-play battle-royale shooter in which 100 players parachute onto a shrinking island, gather weapons and materials, build defensive structures, and fight until only one player or squad remains.
Four Square
From United States
American schoolyard game — bounce a rubber ball between four numbered squares; the top square controls the rules.
FreeCell
From United States
Solitaire card game where ALL 52 cards are dealt face-up + 4 FREE CELLS for temporary card holding. Invented ~1960s by Paul Alfille (Illinois computer teacher). Popularized by MICROSOFT WINDOWS 95 (bundled version). Notably 99.999% of dealt hands are WINNABLE with perfect play (only 1 known unwinnable — #11982). Game of pure skill, minimal luck.
Freediving
From Greece
Diving on a single breath — depth, distance and static apnoea disciplines.
Freerunning
From France
Expressive movement discipline blending parkour with acrobatics — flips, spins and tricks over urban terrain.
Freestyle Skiing
From United States
Winter Olympic acrobatic snow sport with 6 disciplines — moguls, aerials, ski cross, halfpipe, slopestyle, big air — combining skiing with tricks, jumps, and stylistic maneuvers judged for difficulty + execution + creativity.
Freestyle Wrestling
From United States
Olympic wrestling style that allows attacks on both the upper and lower body — takedowns, throws, exposure and pins score points across two 3-minute periods.
Freeze Tag
From United States
Tag variant — being tagged freezes you in place; teammates can unfreeze you by crawling under your legs.
French Tarot
From France
France's premier trick-taking card game — 78-card tarot deck with a permanent trump suit and the powerful Excuse.
Futnet
From Czech Republic
Volleyball played with feet, head and chest over a low net — the Czech national indoor sport.
Futsal
From Uruguay
5-a-side indoor football played on a hard court with a smaller heavier ball that barely bounces — 2 halves of 20 minutes, faster tempo than football, developed in Uruguay/Brazil (1930s), core to Brazilian football technique development.
Gaelic Football
From Ireland
Irish team sport played 15-a-side with a round ball on a 130-145m pitch, combining elements of football, rugby, and Australian rules — score by kicking under the crossbar (goal, 3 points) or over (point, 1 point).
Gaelic Handball
From Ireland
Irish wall-ball sport — hit a small hard ball with the palm off a four-walled court's front wall.
Galaga
From Japan
Fixed-shooter sequel to Galaxian — dogfight formations of alien insects that dive-bomb your ship.
Ganjifa
From Iran
Round hand-painted cards from Mughal India and Persia — used in trick-taking games with 8, 10 or 12 suits.
Geocaching
From United States
Global outdoor treasure hunt using GPS coordinates — players find hidden containers ('caches') at specific coordinates worldwide. Started May 2000 (day after GPS Selective Availability turned off); 3+ million active caches; 8+ million users; every continent + underwater + space station.
Gilli Danda
From India
Ancient South Asian street sport. 2 sticks: DANDA (longer stick 60cm) + GILLI (smaller tapered stick 10cm). Player strikes GILLI's tapered end to launch it airborne, then hits it far. Precursor to cricket + baseball. Documented 2500+ years ago. Traditional rural Indian game; declining as urbanization limits open space.
Gin Rummy
From United States
Fast 2-player card game invented in 1909 in New York — race to form sets (3-4 same rank) and runs (3+ same suit consecutive) in your 10-card hand, then 'knock' when unmatched cards total 10 or fewer, or shout 'Gin!' with all matched.
GIPF
From Belgium
The flagship of the GIPF Project — push pieces onto a hexagonal grid and form four-in-a-row to capture.
Gliding
From Germany
Unpowered fixed-wing flight in a high-aspect-ratio sailplane — ride thermal, ridge and wave lift for hours.
Glíma
From Iceland
The national wrestling of Iceland — trip and lift your opponent using leather belt grips.
Gloomhaven
From United States
Cooperative dungeon-crawler campaign board game. Designed 2017 Isaac Childres. Cephalofair Games. 1-4 players, 60-120 min per scenario, 95+ scenarios in 200-hour campaign. #1 BoardGameGeek ranked game for years (2017-2021). Kickstarted for $4M+ (record at time). Includes 17 unlockable character classes + retiring characters + world map + legacy elements.
Go
From China
Ancient East Asian board game — surround more territory than your opponent on a 19×19 grid of intersections.
Go Fish
From United Kingdom
Children's card game — 'Do you have any fives?' — ask for cards to complete four-of-a-kind books.
Golf
From United Kingdom
Individual precision sport played on an 18-hole course — hit a small ball from a tee into a series of cups using the fewest possible strokes.
Gomoku
From Japan
Place stones on a 15×15 grid — the first player to line up five in a row (any direction) wins.
Gorodki
From Russia
Russian throwing sport — smash 15 different pin patterns out of a "town" square with heavy 80 cm wooden bats.
Gouren
From France
Traditional Breton jacketed wrestling — throw an opponent flat on both shoulders to score a lamm.
Grand Theft Auto
From United Kingdom
Open-world crime game series — steal cars, run heists, terrorise cities. GTA V is the second-best-selling game ever.
Grand Theft Auto V
From United Kingdom
Open-world action-adventure crime game and online multiplayer platform set in a satirical Los Angeles, developed by Rockstar and one of the best-selling and highest-grossing entertainment products in history.
Gravel Cycling
From United States
Long-distance cycling on unpaved gravel roads — the fastest-growing cycling discipline of the 2020s.
Greco-Roman Wrestling
From France
Olympic wrestling style banning holds below the waist — decided by throws, pins and lifts from the upper body only.
GT Racing
From Italy
Sports car racing in production-based GT3, GT4 and GT2 categories — Nürburgring 24 Hours to GT World Challenge.
Guess Who?
From United States
Two-player deduction game — 'Does your person have glasses?' — flip down faces to isolate the mystery character.
Guitar Hero
From United States
Plastic-guitar rhythm game — hit the coloured button as scrolling notes reach the target and play along to famous rock songs.
GURPS
From United States
Universal generic RPG system — one rule set, hundreds of setting sourcebooks from Old West to Traveller SF.
Hacky Sack
From United States
Feet-only footbag — keep a small bean-bag airborne using feet, knees and other non-arm surfaces; freestyle and net variants exist.
Half Marathon
From United Kingdom
21.0975 km road race — the world's most popular endurance distance, with courses in every major city.
Half-Life
From United States
Story-driven first-person shooter — theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman survives an alien invasion of Black Mesa.
Halfpipe Skiing
From United States
Freestyle skiing down a snow halfpipe — spins, grabs and inverts judged on amplitude, execution and difficulty.
Hammer Throw
From Ireland
Throwing event — spin three or four rotations in a 2.135 m circle and release a wire-and-ball hammer for distance.
Hanafuda
From Japan
Traditional Japanese playing cards. 48 cards divided into 12 SUITS = 12 MONTHS, each with 4 cards depicting flowers/plants for that month. Origin 1600s Japan (during Tokugawa shogunate). MANY GAMES: Koi-Koi (2 players), Hachi-Hachi (3 players), Go-Stop (Korean Hwatu). NINTENDO founded 1889 as hanafuda card maker.
Handball
From Denmark
7-a-side indoor team sport where players pass, dribble and throw a small ball, trying to score goals into a 3-metre-wide goal — fast, physical and continuous.
Handcycling
From Germany
Cycling with the arms — a three-wheel recumbent bike powered by hand cranks. A Paralympic road event.
Hanetsuki
From Japan
Traditional Japanese badminton — hit a feathered soapberry seed back and forth with rectangular hagoita paddles.
Hang Gliding
From Germany
Air sport in which a pilot flies a rigid-framed delta-wing aircraft, launched by running down a slope, controlled by shifting body weight relative to the wing while suspended in a harness underneath.
Hangman
From United Kingdom
Word-guessing pencil game — guess the letters of a hidden word before the stick-figure gallows drawing is complete.
Hapkido
From South Korea
Korean martial art of joint-locks, throws and pressure-point striking derived from daitō-ryū aikijujutsu.
Haxey Hood
From United Kingdom
Lincolnshire village game — a huge "sway" of villagers slowly muscles a leather tube towards one of four rival pubs.
Hazard
From United Kingdom
Medieval two-dice English gambling game — the ancestor of Craps.
Heads Up!
From United States
Ellen DeGeneres's smartphone-era Charades — hold a phone to your forehead, guess the word as your friends shout clues.
Hearthstone
From United States
Digital collectible card game by Blizzard set in Warcraft universe — 1v1 duels between 30-card decks; heroes with unique powers + game modes (Standard, Wild, Battlegrounds, Arena, Duels, Mercenaries). 100M+ players lifetime; pioneering digital CCG that inspired hundreds of imitators.
Hearts
From Spain
Trick-taking card game for four players where the goal is to avoid winning hearts and the Queen of Spades, or 'shoot the moon' by winning all of them.
Heptathlon
From Greece
WOMEN'S COMBINED-EVENTS athletic competition — 7 EVENTS over 2 days. Day 1: 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m. Day 2: long jump, javelin, 800m. Points via IAAF scoring tables. Winner = highest total. Considered women's decathlon equivalent. Olympic sport since 1984 Los Angeles. JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE world record 7291 pts (1988).
Hex
From Denmark
Two-player connection game on a hexagonal grid — connect your two opposite sides to win.
Hide and Seek
From GLOBAL
Universal children's game in which one player counts while others hide, then searches for them — with 'home base' safe-tag rules that vary by region.
High Jump
From United Kingdom
Vertical jumping event in which athletes clear a horizontal bar without the aid of any apparatus, using the Fosbury Flop back-arch technique — current world records: 2.45 m (men) and 2.09 m (women).
Highland Games
From United Kingdom
Scottish heavy-event athletics — caber toss, stone put, weight over bar, hammer throw and Highland dance.
Hillclimb
From France
Time-trial motorsport up a closed public road — Pikes Peak and Goodwood Festival of Speed are the icons.
Historical European Martial Arts
From Germany
Modern reconstruction of medieval and Renaissance European sword arts — longsword, sabre, rapier, sword-and-buckler.
Historical LARP
From United States
Live-action role-play grounded in real historical periods — Vikings, medieval knights, WWII, Cold War, Wild West.
Historical Miniature Wargaming
From Germany
Refighting real battles with painted miniatures — Napoleonic, Ancient, Medieval, English Civil War, WWII and beyond.
Hive
From United Kingdom
'Chess without a board' — build a growing hive of hexagonal insect tiles and surround the enemy Queen Bee.
Hnefatafl
From Iceland
The most famous Tafl game — 'King's Table' — the strategy game of the Viking world.
Hopscotch
From Italy
Ancient children's game found across world cultures in which players toss a marker (stone/beanbag) into numbered squares chalked on the ground, then hop through the pattern without stepping on lines or the marker.
Horse Racing (Thoroughbred)
From United Kingdom
Ancient equestrian sport — thoroughbred horses race over flat courses (dirt, turf, synthetic) with jockeys, wagering, and championship classics. Modern thoroughbred breeding since 1700s England (Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian, Byerley Turk). Iconic races: Kentucky Derby (1875), Epsom Derby (1780), Melbourne Cup (1861), Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Horseball
From France
Handball on horseback — four-a-side teams complete three passes before shooting into a suspended hoop goal.
Horseshoes
From Greece
American backyard game — toss horseshoes at a metal stake stuck in the ground; ringers score 3 points.
Hot Air Ballooning
From France
Aviation sport using large fabric envelope filled with hot air (heated by propane burner) for lift. Modern hot air balloon first flown November 21, 1783 by Montgolfier brothers (France). Iconic sport in Albuquerque NM (Balloon Fiesta since 1972; world's largest annual balloon event; 500+ balloons). FAI Ballooning World Championships.
Hot Air Ballooning
From France
Sport of piloting a hot-air balloon — competitive tasks include target-drop, hare-and-hounds and flight distance.
Hot Potato
From United Kingdom
Toss-and-freeze — pass an object round the circle to music; whoever holds it when the music stops is out.
Hurdles
From United Kingdom
Track athletics event in which runners sprint and clear 10 barrier hurdles evenly spaced along the track — Olympic events: 100mH (women), 110mH (men), 400mH (both).
Hurling
From Ireland
Ireland's ancient national sport — 15 vs 15 played with a wooden hurley and a small leather sliotar, described by some as 'the fastest field game in the world'.
Iaido
From Japan
Japanese art of drawing, cutting and re-sheathing the katana in a single fluid movement.
Ice Climbing
From United Kingdom
Climb frozen waterfalls, alpine ice and mixed rock-and-ice terrain with crampons and specialised axes.
Ice Cross Downhill
From Canada
Four skaters head-to-head down a steep floodlit ice track full of jumps, rollers and hairpins.
Ice Hockey
From Canada
Six-a-side full-contact team sport played on an ice rink — pass and shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into the opponent's net using a straight stick.
Ice Sailing
From Netherlands
Wind-powered racing on frozen lakes in a small skate-mounted sailboat — speeds beyond 100 km/h.
Ice Swimming
From United Kingdom
Long-form swimming in water below 5 °C — races from 50 m to a full "ice mile" (1,609 m).
Ice Yachting (DN Class)
From United States
The world's most-raced ice-yachting one-design — a 3.7 m single-hander that hits 100+ km/h on smooth ice.
Immersive Theatre Games
From United Kingdom
Blurs theatre and game — the audience wanders an environment, follows performers and makes discoveries; sometimes there are puzzles to solve.
Indoor Skydiving
From Canada
Judged flight sport in a vertical wind tunnel — freestyle solo, dynamic pairs and formation four-ways.
IndyCar
From United States
Premier American open-wheel motorsport — turbocharged single-seaters on ovals, road courses, street circuits. Governed by IndyCar (2008 CART/IRL merger). Crown jewel: Indianapolis 500 (since 1911) — 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' Speeds 235+ mph on ovals. Winners: A.J. Foyt (4× Indy 500), Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Dario Franchitti, Alex Palou.
Infinity
From Spain
Spanish sci-fi skirmish game — small elite forces in a Ghost-in-the-Shell / Blade Runner near-future universe.
Insuknawr
From India
Traditional Mizo strength contest — two men push each other with an 8 ft bamboo rod inside a small circle.
International Draughts
From France
The international 10×10 draughts variant — 20 pieces per side, flying kings, and compulsory maximum capture.
iRacing
From United States
The dominant sim racing platform — laser-scanned tracks, real-world manufacturers, live official series every hour.
Jacks
From Greece
Ancient bounce-and-scoop dexterity game — toss a ball, pick up 'jacks' before it lands, catch the ball. Repeat with more jacks each round.
Jai Alai
From Spain
Explosive Basque ball sport — players hurl 125g pelota at 300+ km/h against 3-walled court using curved wicker cesta strapped to arm. World's fastest ball sport by verified ball speed. Popular in Basque Country, Spain, France, Florida, Philippines.
Janggi
From South Korea
Korean chess — pieces sit on the intersections of a 9×10 board and the general lives in a nine-point palace.
Jass
From Switzerland
Swiss national card game family — trump-taking with Swiss-suited (Shields, Roses, Bells, Acorns) or French decks.
Javelin Throw
From Greece
Ancient athletics throwing event — athletes sprint down 30m runway + hurl a 2.6-2.7m spear-like javelin (800 g men / 600 g women) with maximum distance + accuracy from behind the arc line.
Jenga
From United Kingdom
Wooden-block tower — remove a block, place it on top, don't let the tower fall.
Jet Ski Racing
From United States
High-speed motorized water sport — riders race Personal Watercraft (Jet Skis, WaveRunners) around buoyed course at 100+ km/h; disciplines include Ski (standing), Runabout (sitting), and Freestyle (aerial tricks). UIM Aquabike World Championship since 1996.
Jianzi
From China
Chinese traditional sport of kicking a heavy shuttlecock (jianzi) with feet + body. Origins Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). Individual freestyle or team net games (like volleyball with feet). International Shuttlecock Federation (ISF) formed 1999. Popular in China + SE Asia + international competition.
Jigsaw Puzzle
From United Kingdom
Assembly puzzle where players fit irregular-shaped interlocking pieces to form complete picture. Invented ~1760 by John Spilsbury (British engraver, London) — originally 'dissected maps' for teaching geography. Sizes: 100 pieces (child) to 40,000+ (world's largest). Popular meditative hobby; RAVENSBURGER + BUFFALO GAMES top publishers.
Jodo
From Japan
Japanese art of the short jo staff (4 ft) — paired kata used historically by samurai to defeat the sword.
Judo
From Japan
Japanese grappling art of throws, pins, chokes and arm-locks — win by ippon (perfect throw) or accumulate waza-ari.
Juggling
From Global (ancient)
Ancient art of continuously tossing + catching 3+ objects (balls, clubs, rings, torches, chainsaws) in air; core skill for circus + performance arts; competitive sport with IJA + WJF championships. Basic 3-ball cascade learnable in weeks; elite jugglers manage 7+ balls (record 14).
Jump Rope
From Global (ancient roots)
Universal children's + fitness activity — player(s) jump over a rotating rope in continuous rhythm; single-rope solo or two-turner group jumping (like Double Dutch); has become competitive sport with international federations + world championships.
Kabaddi
From India
A high-tempo South Asian contact sport in which a solo 'raider' crosses into enemy territory to tag defenders and return home — all in a single breath.
Kakuro
From United States
Cross-sums number puzzle — fill in digits 1-9 so each row/column sums to the clue, no repeats within a run.
Kalah
From United States
Modern mancala variant — the version most Westerners think of as 'mancala', with a large 'kalah' store on each side.
Kalaripayattu
From India
Kerala's ancient martial art — kicks, weapons and pressure-point strikes trained in a mud-floored kalari.
Kancha
From India
Traditional South Asian marbles game. Popular children's game across INDIA, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH. Small glass or clay marbles (~1.5cm) flicked from thumb + forefinger to strike target marbles. Multiple game variants: Ring game, Hole game, Tapping game. Ancient game; declining but nostalgic cultural staple.
Karate
From Japan
Okinawan striking art of empty-handed punches, kicks, elbows and knees — contested as forms (kata) and sparring (kumite).
Karting
From United States
Open-wheel motorsport with small four-wheeled vehicles ('karts'). Modern karting invented 1956 by Art Ingels (California). Standard training ground for Formula 1 drivers — Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen all started karting. FIA-sanctioned World Karting Championship + amateur leagues globally.
Karuta
From Japan
Japanese card-matching family — a reader chants a verse, players race to snatch the matching card.
Kayaking
From GL
Water sport in which a paddler propels a kayak (a small, narrow enclosed boat) using a double-bladed paddle — includes flatwater sprint, whitewater, slalom, marathon, sea, and freestyle disciplines.
Kemari
From Japan
Ancient Japanese ceremonial kicking game — keep a deerskin ball in the air using only your feet.
Kendama
From Japan
Traditional Japanese skill toy — wooden 'ken' (sword-shaped handle) with three cups + spike, connected by string to a wooden 'tama' (ball); players perform tricks catching ball on cups or spike, with modern competitive scene featuring 100+ tricks.
Kendo
From Japan
Modern Japanese martial art descended from samurai swordsmanship — two combatants in armor (bogu) score points by striking prescribed target areas (head, wrist, torso, throat) with bamboo swords (shinai) while shouting the target name (kiai).
KenKen
From Japan
Sudoku-plus-arithmetic — fill a grid so each row and column contains 1-N; cage clues give a target and an operation.
Keno
From China
Lottery-style casino game — players pick 1-20 numbers from 1-80; casino randomly draws 20 winning numbers; payouts based on how many of your picks match. Simple, fast-paced, high house edge (25-30%).
KerPlunk
From United States
Marble-in-a-tube dexterity — thin plastic sticks hold marbles suspended; pull sticks out one by one without dropping too many.
Kettlebell Sport
From Russia
Russian competitive lifting sport — how many kettlebell jerks or snatches you can do in 10 minutes.
Kho Kho
From India
Traditional Indian tag sport in which one team of 9 chasers try to tag runners from the opposing team on a rectangular field, using seated relay-style handoffs and directional running.
Kick the Can
From United States
Hide-and-Seek plus jailbreak — the seeker guards the 'can'; anyone can free jailed players by sneaking in and kicking it.
Kickball
From United States
American playground + adult league team sport combining SOCCER + BASEBALL. 9-11 players per team; batter KICKS PITCHED BALL + runs bases (like baseball). Invented USA 1917. Ubiquitous US elementary school PE + growing adult recreation leagues. Governing body: WAKA + Kickball 365. Simple, accessible, social.
Kickboxing
From Japan
Stand-up combat sport combining boxing punches with karate/muay-thai-inspired kicks, contested in a ring with various rulesets (K-1, Full-Contact, American, Dutch).
Kilikiti
From Samoa
Samoan take on cricket — three-sided bat, rubber ball, huge villages-vs-villages teams and singing between overs.
Kings of War
From United Kingdom
Mass-battle fantasy wargame — regiments on movement trays with fast, elegant rules and no unit removal.
Kite Fighting
From India
Cut your opponent's kite from the sky — flyers use manja line coated with crushed glass to slice enemy strings.
Kitesurfing
From France
Extreme water sport combining surfing + kite flying + wakeboarding — rider stands on small board (kiteboard or surfboard) while being pulled across water by large controllable power kite; jumps 10-30m high, back-rolls, kite-loops. Olympic sport since Paris 2024 (Formula Kite class).
Klask
From Denmark
Magnetic wooden table game — a mix of table football and air hockey; goal by knocking the ball into your opponent's hole.
Klondike Solitaire
From Canada
Classic single-player card game. THE 'Solitaire' most people know. Named for Klondike Gold Rush (1896-99). Popularized globally by MICROSOFT WINDOWS SOLITAIRE (1990) — likely the most-played card game in history. 7 tableau piles + foundations built A → K by suit. Draw-3 (harder) or Draw-1 (easier) variants. ~30-40% win rate with skill.
Klondike Solitaire
From Canada
The 'Windows Solitaire' — seven tableau piles, four foundations, draw from stock in ones or threes.
Kneeboarding
From United States
Tow-boat water sport ridden kneeling on a soft padded board — competition slalom, tricks and expression session.
Knucklebones
From Greece
Ancient game played with sheep or goat astragali — the four-sided predecessor of modern dice.
Kok-Boru
From Kyrgyzstan
Central Asian equestrian sport — riders wrestle a goat carcass to throw it into the opposing pit-goal.
Korfball
From Netherlands
Dutch mixed-gender team sport invented 1902 by Nico Broekhuysen. 8 players per team (4 men + 4 women each) score by shooting ball through 3.5m elevated basket (korf). UNIQUE — only major team sport designed for MANDATORY MIXED-GENDER play. Popular Netherlands, Belgium, Taiwan, small international scene. IWGA World Games sport.
Krav Maga
From Israel
Israeli self-defence system built for real-world violence — no rules, no sport format, just efficient response.
Kubb
From Sweden
Swedish lawn game played with wooden BLOCKS (kubbs) + THROWING STICKS (kastpinnar). Objective: knock down all opponent's kubbs + finally the KING (larger central block). Also called 'VIKING CHESS'. Modern popularity dates to 1990s Gotland, Sweden. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP annually in Rönneby, Sweden. Highly strategic + accessible.
Kudo
From Japan
Japanese full-contact hybrid martial art — Kyokushin karate strikes plus judo throws plus BJJ ground work.
Kurash
From Uzbekistan
Central Asian jacketed upright wrestling — no ground work, all throws from a standing belt-and-jacket grip.
Kyudo
From Japan
Japanese martial art of the longbow — an asymmetric yumi shot from a formal seated or standing stance.
Lacrosse
From Canada
Fast-paced team sport played with sticks with mesh nets used to catch, carry, pass, and shoot a rubber ball into the opposing team's goal — includes field (10v10), box (6v6 indoor), and sixes (6v6) variants.
Lagori
From India
Indian street game — knock down a stack of seven stones with a ball, then race to rebuild it while dodging thrown balls.
Lapta
From Russia
Russian folk bat-and-ball sport — hit the ball, sprint across the field and back before the fielders tag you out.
Lawn Bowls
From United Kingdom
Roll biased woods across a manicured lawn to finish nearest a small white "jack".
Le Mans Endurance Racing
From France
Premier endurance sports car race — 24 hours around 13.6 km Circuit de la Sarthe (France) since 1923. Teams of 3 drivers rotate. FIA WEC (World Endurance Championship) governs. Winners in Hypercar class recent: Toyota, Ferrari (2023), Porsche. Legendary marques: Porsche (19 wins), Audi, Ferrari, Ford, Bentley.
Lead Climbing
From France
Rope-protected climbing on a 15 m+ overhanging wall — one attempt to reach the highest hold within six minutes.
League of Legends
From United States
Free-to-play 5v5 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) in which two teams of five champions each fight to destroy the opposing team's Nexus at the base of a three-lane map called Summoner's Rift.
Lethwei
From Myanmar
Myanmar's bare-knuckle full-contact combat sport — punches, kicks, elbows, knees and headbutts are all legal.
Liar's Dice
From Peru
Bluffing dice game descended from South American origins in which players secretly roll dice under cups, make escalating bids on the total count of a given face across all players' dice, then challenge with 'Liar!' or higher bid.
Live-Action Role-Playing
From United States
Role-play in person — dress the part, act it out, and resolve conflicts with rock-paper-scissors, latex swords or nerf guns.
Long Jump
From Greece
Track-and-field horizontal jump: sprint down a runway and jump for maximum distance from a fixed take-off board into a sand pit.
Long-Distance Running
From Kenya
Track and cross-country races from 3,000 m up to 10,000 m — the domain of East African distance dynasties.
Lucha Canaria
From Spain
The Canary Islands' traditional team wrestling — 12-a-side rosters take turns for one-on-one bouts in a circular sand ring.
Ludo
From India
Beloved family race game — 2-4 players race 4 tokens each around cross-shaped board from home to center goal. Derived from ancient Indian PACHISI (~6th c). British 'Ludo' patented 1896; global adaptations: Parcheesi (USA), Parchís (Spain), Mensch ärgere Dich nicht (Germany), Ludo King mobile app (2016) reignited global craze during COVID-19.
Luge
From Switzerland
Winter Olympic sport where athletes lie feet-first on a small sled + race down an icy track at 130-150 km/h — timed to thousandths of a second; individual singles, doubles, team relay, sprint events.
Luta Livre
From Brazil
Brazilian no-gi grappling art — the historical no-jacket cousin of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Madden NFL
From United States
Iconic American football simulation by EA Tiburon — named after legendary coach/broadcaster John Madden. Annual release; official NFL + NFLPA license makes it the ONLY licensed NFL simulator. Ultimate Team + Franchise + Face of the Franchise modes; huge esports scene (Madden Championship Series).
Mafia
From Russia
Classic social deduction party game — players secretly assigned as Mafia (few) or Innocents (many); night/day cycles; Mafia secretly 'kills' one player each night, group discusses + votes to eliminate suspects during day. Innocents win by eliminating Mafia; Mafia wins by equaling/outnumbering innocents.
Magic Tricks
From Egypt
Performance art of illusion — sleight of hand, misdirection and stagecraft to make the impossible appear possible.
Magic: The Gathering
From United States
The world's first trading card game (TCG) — 2+ players build 60-card 'decks' (Modern/Legacy) or 100-card commander decks from ~25,000+ unique cards, then battle by casting spells + summoning creatures to reduce opponent's life total from 20 to 0.
Mahjong
From China
Chinese four-player tile game — arrange 14 tiles into four sets and a pair before your opponents, using draws, discards, and locked melds.
Mahjong Solitaire
From United States
Single-player tile-matching game — remove pairs of exposed mahjong tiles from a pyramid until the board is empty.
Makruk
From Thailand
Thai chess — closer to the original Indian chaturanga than modern chess, with cowrie-shell pawns and a slow queen.
Mallakhamb
From India
Traditional Indian sport combining gymnastics + yoga + wrestling on a WOODEN POLE (Mallakhamb pole), ROPE (Rope Mallakhamb), or HANGING POLE. Practiced primarily by wrestlers as training. Documented 12th century (Manasollasa text). Declared 'National Sport of India' by some states; increasing global recognition. Athletes perform aerial poses + acrobatics.
Mancala
From Egypt
Ancient African + Middle Eastern family of 'sowing' or 'counting' board games — players scoop seeds/stones from cups and 'sow' them one-by-one around the board, trying to capture opponent's pieces; oldest known board game family (~5000 years).
Manhunt
From United States
Team-based Hide-and-Seek — one team hides across a large area (often at night); the hunter team searches.
Marathon
From Greece
The classic 42.195-kilometre road race — the Olympic long-distance running event and the flagship event of every big-city runner festival.
Marbles
From Global (ancient)
Ancient game using small colorful glass or stone balls — players flick their 'shooter' marble at target marbles inside a ring or hole; hitting/knocking out targets wins them. Countless regional variants; global children's game with 5,000+ year history.
Marn Grook
From Australia
Traditional Aboriginal Australian football — high-marking kicking game often cited as an ancestor of Aussie Rules.
Mas-Wrestling
From Russia
Sakha stick-pulling sport — two competitors sit sole-to-sole and pull a wooden stick toward themselves to win.
Mastermind
From Israel
Colour-deduction game — one player sets a hidden 4-peg code; the other guesses, with black/white peg feedback each turn.
Matkot
From Israel
Israel's unofficial national beach sport — two players sustain the longest possible rally with wooden paddles and a rubber ball.
Mau-Mau
From Germany
German-family shedding card game — the standard-deck cousin of Uno, played across Central Europe.
Memoir '44
From France
Card-driven Second World War tactical game — command squads across historical battle scenarios in 45 minutes.
Memory Sports
From United Kingdom
Competitive memorisation sport — cards, digits, names, faces and abstract images against the clock.
Mentalism
From United Kingdom
The 'mind-reading' branch of magic — mental predictions, telepathy simulations, cold reading and psychological forcing.
Mesoamerican Ballgame
From Mexico
3,400-year-old Mesoamerican team sport — strike a rubber ball with the hip through a stone hoop.
Metroid
From Japan
Sci-fi exploration platformer — Samus Aran hunts space pirates through interconnected non-linear alien worlds.
Mexican Train Dominoes
From Mexico
Domino chain-building game — everyone builds their own private 'train' plus a shared Mexican train.
Middle-Distance Running
From United Kingdom
Athletics races between 800 m and one mile — pace, tactics and lung capacity in equal measure.
Minecraft
From Sweden
Sandbox video game in which players explore a procedurally-generated 3D world of textured cubes, mine resources, craft items, build structures, and survive against mobs in a variety of game modes.
Mixed Martial Arts
From United States
Full-contact combat sport combining striking (boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai) with grappling (wrestling, jiu-jitsu, judo) — most bouts fought in an octagonal cage over 3-5 rounds of 5 minutes.
Modern Pentathlon
From Sweden
Multi-discipline Olympic sport combining 5 events over one day — pistol shooting, fencing, swimming (200m), equestrian show jumping, and cross-country running (3.2km) — designed for an idealized 19th-century military officer.
Mogul Skiing
From United States
Freestyle skiing down a steep bumped course with two aerial jumps — judged on turns, air and speed.
Mölkky
From Finland
Finnish lawn game invented 1996 by Tuoterengas company (Karelian tradition). Players throw wooden PIN (Mölkky) at 12 numbered SKITTLES (Molkkypins). Complex scoring: knock down 1 = its number; knock 2+ = count of pins. First to EXACTLY 50 wins; over 50 = penalty back to 25. Highly strategic — endgame critical. World Championship annually in Finland.
Mongolian Wrestling
From Mongolia
Mongolia's national wrestling — no weight classes, no time limit, any body-touch beyond feet loses.
Monopoly
From United States
The world's best-selling property-trading board game — buy, rent and mortgage streets until you bankrupt every opponent.
Morabaraba
From South Africa
Southern-African Nine-Men's-Morris variant — 12 pieces per side, diagonal lines, and 'cows' captured on mills.
Mortal Kombat
From United States
Iconic ULTRA-VIOLENT fighting game franchise by NetherRealm Studios (formerly Midway). Original 1992 arcade — first game with digitized actors + graphic FATALITIES. Directly caused CREATION OF ESRB rating system 1994. Latest: MORTAL KOMBAT 1 (2023). Competitive esports scene — MK1 PRO KOMPETITION.
Mother May I?
From United States
Playground permission game — 'Mother, may I take five giant steps?' — remember the polite formula or head back to start.
Motocross
From United Kingdom
Off-road motorcycle racing on closed dirt circuits with jumps, whoops, and berms, contested in short heats over 30-40 minutes plus 2 laps.
MotoGP
From United Kingdom
Premier class of motorcycle road racing — 1,000 cc four-stroke prototype bikes race on closed circuits worldwide at speeds exceeding 350 km/h.
Motorcycle Trials
From United Kingdom
Motorbike balance sport — cross rocks, logs and streams through observed sections without putting a foot down.
Mountain Biking
From United States
Off-road cycling on rugged terrain — encompassing cross-country (XC), downhill (DH), enduro, freeride, and 4X disciplines using specialised suspension bikes.
Mountaineering
From Switzerland
Climb mountains — from summer alpine routes to expeditions on the fourteen 8,000 m peaks of the Himalaya and Karakoram.
Mouse Trap
From United States
Race game with a Rube Goldberg trap you build during play — spring it on an opponent's mouse.
Muay Boran
From Thailand
The ancient battlefield ancestor of Muay Thai — bare-fisted, unrestricted strikes including headbutts and joint locks.
Muay Thai
From Thailand
Thai national combat sport known as the 'art of eight limbs' — fighters strike with fists, elbows, knees and shins over five rounds of three minutes.
Murder Mystery Game
From United Kingdom
Live role-play dinner-party puzzle — each guest is assigned a character, one is a murderer, and the rest must deduce who through the evening.
Murder Mystery Games
From United States
Role-playing party game — guests assume characters + solve fictional murder over dinner or during evening. Popularized by 1980s HOW TO HOST A MURDER kit series; modern iterations include Hunt A Killer subscription boxes, interactive theater experiences, and online formats.
Mus
From Spain
Basque partnership card game — four bidding rounds of bluffing with visual and verbal signals between partners.
Musical Chairs
From United Kingdom
Universal party elimination game — chairs (1 fewer than players) arranged in circle; music plays as players walk around; when music stops, everyone must sit in a chair; player without chair is eliminated; remove one chair each round until one player remains.
Myst
From United States
The 1993 adventure game that sold CD-ROM drives to households — solve environmental puzzles on beautiful alien Ages.
NASCAR
From United States
Premier American stock car racing series featuring 700-hp V8 cars racing on 1.5-2.66 mile oval tracks at speeds up to 200 mph, with the season culminating in a 10-race playoff.
Native American Stickball
From United States
Southeastern-tribes ancestor of lacrosse — two woven sticks per player, no hands allowed, and enormous team sizes.
NBA 2K
From United States
Definitive basketball simulation by Visual Concepts (2K Games) — annual release; 5-on-5 NBA basketball with realistic physics, all 30 NBA teams + international leagues. NBA 2K League (2K esports) partnered with real NBA — first sports league to own official esports league. MyTeam + MyCareer flagship modes.
Necromunda
From United Kingdom
Skirmish game set in Warhammer 40K's hive-city underbelly — rival gangs fight for scraps in Underhive tunnels.
Netball
From United Kingdom
Ball sport played predominantly by women — 7 vs 7 on a rectangular court (30.5 × 15.25m) with a raised goal ring at each end; players pass the ball (no dribbling) and only 2 specific position players can score.
Never Have I Ever
From United States
Party game where players take turns saying 'NEVER HAVE I EVER [experience]' — anyone who HAS done that thing drinks/loses a finger/loses a point. Reveals surprising experiences among group. Popular COLLEGE + adult party game. Multiple format variations: '10 fingers' (last player with fingers wins), drinking game version, app-based. Growing popularity via TikTok + Netflix show 'Never Have I Ever' (2020-2024).
Nguni Stick Fighting
From South Africa
Traditional Zulu warrior sport — two fighters attack with a long striking stick and defend with a small stick and shield.
Nim
From China
Ancient two-player counter game — take one or more from any single row; the player forced to take the last piece loses (misère version).
Nine Men's Morris
From Italy
Ancient 2-player abstract strategy game — dates to Roman Empire (200 AD Egyptian rooftop carvings). Players place + move 9 pieces on 24-point grid; form 'mills' (3 in a row) to capture opponent pieces. Solved as draw (2003); still played worldwide. Featured in Shakespeare (Midsummer Night's Dream).
Nine-Ball Pool
From United States
Fastest of the pool variants — pot the numbered balls in order, first player to legally sink the 9 ball wins the rack.
Nonogram
From Japan
Grid logic puzzle — fill cells based on numeric row/column clues to reveal hidden picture. Invented independently 1987 by Non Ishida (Japanese graphic editor) + Tetsuya Nishio (Japanese puzzler). Made global by Nintendo's PICROSS video games (1995+). 100M+ Picross games sold; standard NYT Sunday Games feature.
Nordic Combined
From Norway
Winter Olympic two-event contest — one large-hill ski jump followed by a 10 km cross-country pursuit race.
Obstacle Course Racing
From United States
Long-distance running punctuated by walls, ropes, monkey bars, cargo nets and mud pits.
Oil Wrestling
From Türkiye
National sport of Türkiye — wrestlers douse themselves in olive oil before a bare-chested grappling bout.
Oină
From Romania
Romania's national bat-and-ball sport — ancestor of modern baseball with 11-a-side teams and a wooden bat.
Old Maid
From United Kingdom
Children's card game — pair off cards and get rid of them all; whoever's left with the Old Maid loses.
Omaha Poker
From United States
Community card poker variant with 4 hole cards (vs Texas Hold'em's 2). Player MUST use EXACTLY 2 hole + 3 community cards for hand. Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) most popular variant. High-action game with more combinations = higher variance + bigger pots. Second most popular poker game globally after Texas Hold'em.
One Piece Card Game
From Japan
Bandai's One-Piece-branded TCG — leader-driven decks and life-hit combat drawn from the manga's factions.
Onitama
From Japan
Two-player chess-lite — each player holds two move cards, swapped every turn with a shared fifth card.
Open-Water Swimming
From United Kingdom
Long-distance swimming in seas, lakes and rivers — Olympic 10 km "marathon swim" and legendary channel crossings.
Operation
From United States
Battery-powered surgery game — extract ailments from Sam without touching the metal edges and setting off the buzzer.
Orienteering
From Sweden
Navigate a course of checkpoints in an unfamiliar forest using only map and compass — fastest wins.
Othello
From Japan
Two-player board game on an 8×8 grid — flip your opponent's discs by trapping them between your colour. "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master."
Outrigger Canoeing
From United States
Polynesian paddling sport in a stabilised outrigger canoe — sprint, distance and long-haul ocean races.
Overwatch
From United States
5-vs-5 team-based hero shooter by Blizzard — 40+ unique heroes with distinct abilities across 3 roles (Tank, Damage, Support); map-based objective modes (control, escort, hybrid, push, flashpoint). Overwatch League 2018-2023; now OWCS competitive circuit.
Oware
From Ghana
West African MANCALA-family board game. National game of GHANA (Akan people). 2-player strategy game using 2 rows of 6 pits + 48 seeds. Ancient — possibly 4000+ years old. Considered solved mathematically (2002) — first-player win with perfect play. Popular Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Caribbean.
Pac-Man
From Japan
Iconic ARCADE MAZE game — Toru Iwatani, Namco 1980. Yellow character eats DOTS through maze while avoiding 4 GHOSTS (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde). Power pellets let Pac-Man temporarily eat ghosts. First video game character in popular culture. Best-selling arcade game of all time (~400,000 units, $2.5B+ 1980-2010). Speedrunning/high-score competitive scene ('perfect game' = 3,333,360 pts).
Pachinko
From Japan
Japanese vertical mechanical gambling arcade game — players fire small steel balls into a pinball-like maze of pins; balls falling into scoring pockets win more balls, exchangeable for prizes (technically bypassing Japan's anti-gambling laws).
Pachisi
From India
Ancient Indian cross-and-circle race game — the direct ancestor of Ludo and Parcheesi.
Paddle Tennis
From United States
Miniature tennis on a smaller court with a solid paddle and depressurised ball — the American beach-club classic.
Padel
From Mexico
Fast-growing racket sport played in doubles on an enclosed 20×10m glass-and-mesh court where the ball can bounce off walls — hybrid of tennis and squash.
Pai Gow
From China
Chinese gambling game — 32-tile version (traditional) or card version (Pai Gow Poker, 1985 casino invention using 53 cards including joker) — players form TWO hands (high + low) from 7 cards/4 tiles that must both beat the dealer's two hands to win.
Pallanguzhi
From India
Tamil mancala — a two-row 7-pit wooden board played with cowrie shells or seeds.
Pandemic
From United States
Iconic COOPERATIVE modern board game by Matt Leacock (Z-Man Games, 2008) — 2-4 players work TOGETHER as disease specialists racing to cure 4 diseases before outbreaks destroy the world. Revolutionized cooperative board gaming; Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 (2015) is BoardGameGeek's #1 game of all time. 8M+ copies sold.
Pankration
From Greece
The ancient Greek Olympic MMA — striking and grappling with almost no rules; only biting and eye-gouging banned.
Para Ice Hockey
From Sweden
Ice hockey played on sledges with two short sticks — for athletes with lower-body impairment. A Paralympic sport since 1994.
Paragliding
From France
Free-flight aviation sport in which a pilot launches on foot from a hill using a flexible fabric wing (paraglider) to soar and cross-country fly using thermals and ridge lift.
Paramotor
From France
Foot-launched flight beneath a paraglider wing with a small back-mounted motor — the simplest form of powered flight.
Parcheesi
From United States
American brand-name version of Pachisi — two dice, four home tokens each, and a classic 'blockade' rule.
Parkour
From France
Movement discipline — practitioners (traceurs) navigate obstacles efficiently through running, jumping, vaulting, climbing. Founded 1980s France by David Belle (parkour) + Sébastien Foucan (freerunning). FIG recognized 2018 (controversial — many traceurs oppose sportification). First FIG World Championships 2022 Tokyo.
Pathfinder
From United States
High-fantasy tabletop role-playing game. Published 2009 by Paizo (spun from D&D 3.5 when Wizards released 4th Edition). PF2 released 2019. Setting: Golarion. #2 tabletop RPG globally after D&D. Adventure Paths (long campaign modules) hallmark. Popular for player customization + tactical rules depth.
Peg Solitaire
From France
Single-player peg-jumping puzzle — leap pegs over each other to remove them, aiming for one peg in the centre.
Pehlwani
From India
Traditional Indian and Pakistani wrestling on a clay pit — pin any part of an opponent's back to win.
Pencak Silat
From Indonesia
Umbrella term for hundreds of traditional Southeast Asian fighting arts — strikes, joint locks and blade work.
Perudo
From Peru
Classic Andean Liar's Dice — bid on the total number showing across all cups, aces are wild.
Pesäpallo
From Finland
Finland's national bat-and-ball sport — vertical pitching and a zigzag base run make it faster than baseball.
Pétanque
From France
French outdoor precision ball game — players throw hollow steel balls (boules) toward a small wooden target ball (cochonnet or jack) from a stationary circle; closest ball scores; first team to 13 wins.
Pick-up Sticks
From China
Steady-hands classic — a pile of thin coloured sticks; pick each up without disturbing the others.
Pickleball
From United States
Paddle sport on a small tennis-sized court using a perforated plastic ball and solid paddles — combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. The fastest-growing sport in the United States.
Pictionary
From United States
Classic party game in which teams take turns drawing pictures to help teammates guess a secret word within 60 seconds, racing across a board to win.
Pig
From United States
Push-your-luck one-die game — roll and rack up your turn total, but roll a 1 and lose it all.
Pinball
From France
Physical arcade coin-op game — steel ball propelled through PLAYFIELD by SPRING-LOADED PLUNGER + controlled by FLIPPERS. Score points by hitting BUMPERS, TARGETS, RAMPS, HOLES. Origins in 18th century French BAGATELLE; modern electromechanical pinball 1930s USA. Golden age 1970s-90s. IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association) competitive scene. Machines are ICONIC ART FORMS.
Pinochle
From United States
Trick-taking card game for 2-4 players using 48-card deck (double 9-A of standard cards). Developed 19th-century USA from German bezique. 2 phases: MELDING (declare card combinations for points) + TRICK-PLAY (like whist). Partnership Pinochle (4 players) most popular. Popular ethnic German-American + American Midwest game.
Platform Tennis
From United States
American winter tennis on a heated raised platform surrounded by chicken-wire screens — you can play the ball off the fence.
Poi
From New Zealand
Skill toy / performance art — spinning tethered weights (poi) in geometric patterns around body. Originated MĀORI PEOPLE of NEW ZEALAND (spiritual + practice for wrist flexibility). Modernized globally 1990s+ as flow art. Fire Poi = flaming variant popular at festivals. Non-competitive typically; performance + personal flow.
Pokémon (Video Games)
From Japan
Legendary Japanese role-playing video game franchise (1996-present) by Game Freak/Nintendo — players capture, train, and battle 1000+ fictional creatures ('Pokémon') across turn-based RPG adventures — best-selling media franchise in history ($150+ billion revenue).
Pokémon Trading Card Game
From Japan
World's #2 collectible card game — 2 players battle using decks of 60 Pokémon + Trainer cards. Launched Japan 1996; global explosion via Pokémon franchise; 43+ billion cards printed by 2023. Pokémon TCG World Championships since 2004; Charizard rare cards sold for $420,000+; annual sales $1B+.
Poker
From United States
The umbrella family of betting card games — read your opponents, bet with hidden hands, and win by making the best five-card hand or by forcing everyone to fold.
Pole Sports
From United Kingdom
Judged athletic sport on a vertical pole — spins, holds, inverts and flexibility elements in choreographed routines.
Pole Vault
From Greece
Vertical jumping event in which athletes use a flexible carbon-fibre pole to launch themselves over a horizontal bar, currently exceeding 6.2 m (20+ ft).
Polo
From Iran
Team equestrian sport — 4 mounted players per team hit small wooden ball toward goal using long-handled mallets. Ancient origins ~600 BC Persia + Central Asia; modern rules codified 1859 by British in India (Silchar Polo Club). Field 274 × 183m — largest team sport playing field. Governed by FIP; iconic in Argentina (top players + most-decorated), UK (Cowdray Park), USA, India.
Polocrosse
From Australia
Hybrid of polo and lacrosse — three-a-side on horseback, catch and pass a rubber ball with a long-handled racket.
Pool
From United States
Cue sport played on a 7-9 ft pocketed table with 15 numbered object balls and a white cue ball; primary variants are 8-Ball (stripes vs solids) and 9-Ball (lowest to highest).
Pool (Billiards)
From United States
Cue sport on a 9-foot table — 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball and straight-pool formats.
Portal
From United States
Genre-defining physics-puzzle game — you shoot portals through walls to move yourself. And the cake is a lie.
Power Grid
From Germany
Heavy Eurogame — build power plants, buy resources, connect cities on the grid, and power the most cities.
Power Tumbling
From United States
FIG gymnastics discipline — athletes perform 8-pass acrobatic sequence on 25m sprung rod-floor track. Not Olympic. Skills combine somersaults + twists (whipbacks, layouts, full-ins). Governed FIG since 1999. Popular in USA, Russia, France, UK.
Powerboat Racing
From United Kingdom
Motorsport on water — F1H2O tunnel-hulls on inland circuits, Class 1 offshore powerboats at sea.
Powerlifting
From United States
Strength sport in which competitors attempt maximum single-repetition lifts in three movements — Back Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift — with sum of best lifts (Total) determining the winner.
Practical Shooting
From United States
Timed "run-and-gun" shooting sport — negotiate stages of steel plates and cardboard targets on the clock.
President
From China
Climbing-style shedding game with a social hierarchy — first out is President, last out is Scum. Hierarchy persists into next round.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
From South Korea
The battle royale that started the genre — 100 players parachute onto shrinking island; scavenge weapons + gear; last player/squad standing wins. Brendan 'PlayerUnknown' Greene created it 2017 based on Battle Royale novel/film. Spawned Fortnite, Warzone, Apex Legends. PUBG Global Championship + PUBG Mobile Global.
Puzzle Hunts
From United States
Team puzzle events — chains of interconnected puzzles solved to unlock further puzzles, culminating in a meta.
Quoits
From Greece
Traditional pub game — toss iron or rope rings at a fixed peg; a ringer scores highest.
Quoridor
From France
Race your pawn to the opposite side of a 9×9 board while placing walls to block your opponent.
Race Walking
From United Kingdom
Olympic long-distance foot race with one strict rule: one foot must always be in contact with the ground.
Rackets
From United Kingdom
The 18th-century English public-school forerunner of squash — hard ball, all four walls, brutally fast pace.
Racquetball
From United States
Fast indoor court sport played with a stringed racquet and a hollow rubber ball on a fully-enclosed 40×20×20 ft court — every wall (including ceiling) is in play.
Rainbow Six Siege
From Canada
Tactical hero shooter — five-a-side attack/defence rounds with breachable walls, reinforcement panels and 60+ operators.
Rally Racing
From MC
Point-to-point motorsport in which co-driver-navigated cars race one at a time against the clock over closed public roads of gravel, tarmac, snow, and mud across multi-day events.
Rally Raid
From France
Multi-day off-road rally across deserts and mountains — cars, trucks, motorbikes and quads all racing at once.
Rallycross
From Sweden
Wheel-to-wheel motorsport on mixed tarmac and dirt circuits — 600 hp cars, 0-100 km/h in ~1.9 s.
Razz
From United States
Lowball stud poker — the WORST five-card hand wins. Aces are low; straights and flushes don't count against you.
Real Tennis
From France
The ORIGINAL tennis — 12th-century French monastic sport played in enclosed courtyards with sloping roofs, buttresses, galleries + windows. Predecessor to modern lawn tennis. Only ~50 active courts worldwide; played mainly in UK, Australia, France, USA. Considered father of most racket sports.
Red Light, Green Light
From Global (uncertain)
Universal children's stealth game — one player is 'It' (traffic light); calls 'Green Light' (players advance) + 'Red Light' (players freeze); players caught moving during Red Light return to start. First player to tag 'It' wins. Popularized worldwide by Netflix's Squid Game (2021).
Red Rover
From United Kingdom
Two teams hold hands in facing lines — 'Red Rover, Red Rover, send [name] on over!' — the summoned player charges the line.
Reining
From United States
Western equestrian dressage — a choreographed pattern of spins, sliding stops and lead changes ridden with one hand.
Renju
From Japan
Professional refinement of Gomoku — five in a row, but with opening restrictions to balance the first-player advantage.
Reversi / Othello
From United Kingdom
Abstract strategy game invented 1883 in England — 2 players place black/white discs on 8×8 board; flanking opponent's discs converts them to your color. Simple rules ('A minute to learn... a lifetime to master'); huge in Japan; WOF World Othello Championship since 1977; computer-solved for perfect draw (2023).
Rhythmic Gymnastics
From Russia
Women's Olympic sport combining dance, ballet, and gymnastics with hand-apparatus (rope, hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon) — performed on a 13×13m floor to music, judged on difficulty and artistry.
Ringette
From Canada
Canadian ice team sport — pass a rubber ring with a straight stick into the opposing net.
Rink Bandy
From Sweden
Compact bandy played on an ice hockey rink — six-a-side with a small ball and short sticks.
Risk
From France
Classic strategy board game of global military conquest for 2-6 players in which armies dice-battle across a stylized world map of 42 territories on 6 continents.
Road Cycling
From France
Bicycle racing on paved roads — from single-day Classics (Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo) to three-week Grand Tours (Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España).
Roblox
From United States
Massively multiplayer online game creation and gameplay platform where users build, share, and play millions of user-generated 3D 'experiences' — from social hangouts to obstacle courses to full RPGs.
Roblox
From United States
User-created games platform — millions of player-made experiences from obbies and tycoons to horror and roleplay.
Rock Climbing
From United Kingdom
Adventure sport in which climbers ascend natural or artificial rock walls using strength, technique, and rope safety systems in disciplines from bouldering to trad multi-pitch.
Rock Paper Scissors
From China
World's most-played hand game — 2+ players simultaneously make 1 of 3 hand shapes (Rock, Paper, or Scissors). Rock crushes Scissors; Scissors cuts Paper; Paper covers Rock. Origins in ancient China (~200 BC 'shoushiling'); modernized Japan Edo era (jan-ken); global dispute-resolution tool. World RPS Society championships since 2002; $10K+ prizes.
Rocket League
From United States
'Soccer with rocket-powered cars' — Psyonix's beloved vehicular football; 3-vs-3 teams driving cars with jumps + boost + aerial flips to hit oversized ball into goals. Massive esports scene (RLCS); simple concept + deep skill ceiling; considered greatest hybrid sports game ever.
Rodeo
From United States
American Western sport of bronc riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing.
Roller Derby
From United States
Full-contact team roller-skating sport where jammers score points lapping blockers on a flat oval track.
Roller Hockey
From United Kingdom
Ice hockey on quad or inline skates — five-a-side on a flat rink, most popular in Iberia and Latin America.
Root
From United States
Asymmetric wargame with cute forest animals. Designed 2018 Cole Wehrle. Leder Games. 2-4 players, 60-90 min. Each faction plays completely different rules (Marquise de Cat controls territory; Woodland Alliance uses guerrilla revolts; Eyrie birds have programmed decrees; Vagabond adventures solo). Kyle Ferrin's cute art masks brutal wargame. Cult favorite; multiple expansions.
Roulette
From France
Casino wheel game in which players bet on where a small ball will land among numbered pockets (0 or 00-36) spinning inside a wheel.
Rounders
From United Kingdom
British bat-and-ball team sport. DIRECT ANCESTOR OF BASEBALL + SOFTBALL. Played on diamond with 4 bases; batters hit ball + run bases. 9 players per team. Popular UK (schools), Ireland (national sport with distinct rules). Ancient — documented 1744. UK version 2 innings; Irish version 3.
Roundnet
From United States
Two-a-side beach sport — bounce a small ball off a circular trampoline net at the centre of a 360° court.
Rowing
From United Kingdom
Endurance water sport in which crews propel long, narrow shells backwards over 2,000 m using single (sculling) or double (sweep) oars, with or without a coxswain.
Royal Game of Ur
From Iraq
4,500-year-old Mesopotamian race game — pieces travel a 20-square track, propelled by tetrahedral dice.
Royal Shrovetide Football
From United Kingdom
Ashbourne's medieval town-wide football played over two days each Shrove Tuesday — few rules and goals three miles apart.
Rubik's Cube (Speedcubing)
From Hungary
3D combination puzzle invented by Ernő Rubik (Hungary, 1974) — 6-sided cube with 3×3×3 rotating faces of colored stickers; speedcubers solve it in under 5 seconds using memorized algorithms; WCA-sanctioned world championships since 2003.
Rugby Fives
From United Kingdom
Fast four-walled hand-and-ball sport from Rugby School — strike a small hard ball with gloved hands.
Rugby League
From United Kingdom
13-a-side rugby code with faster, more open play — a team keeps possession for six tackles, then must score, kick, or hand the ball over.
Rugby Sevens
From United Kingdom
Seven-a-side rugby played on a full pitch across two seven-minute halves — Olympic since Rio 2016.
Rugby Union
From United Kingdom
Fifteen-a-side full-contact team sport played with an oval ball — carry, pass and kick it to score tries and goals against the opposition.
Rummikub
From Israel
Tile-based rummy game for 2-4 players invented in 1930s Romania by Ephraim Hertzano; players race to be first to lay down all their tiles by forming sets (same number, different colours) and runs (consecutive numbers, same colour).
Rummy
From Mexico
Card-matching game where players draw and discard to form sets (three of a kind) and runs (three consecutive same-suit cards), aiming to shed all cards from hand.
RuneQuest
From United States
Percentile RPG set in the mythic world of Glorantha — Bronze Age gods, magic and rune-marked heroes.
Sagol Kangjei
From India
The ancient Manipuri ancestor of modern polo — seven-a-side, played on the small Manipuri pony.
Sailing
From Netherlands
Wind-powered water sport in which crews race sailboats around a marked course, tacking and gybing to complete windward-leeward, coastal, or offshore legs faster than competitors.
Sambo
From Russia
Soviet-origin martial art blending judo, wrestling and regional grappling systems.
Sanda
From China
The full-contact sport form of Chinese martial arts — kicks, punches and throws on a raised platform.
Santorini
From Greece
Build the Greek island — move a worker one square, add a block, and climb to the third level to win.
Sardines
From United Kingdom
Reverse Hide-and-Seek — one player hides, everyone else seeks; whoever finds them squeezes silently into the same hiding place.
Savage Worlds
From United States
Universal RPG built around fast, pulp-action combat — 'Fast! Furious! Fun!' with polyhedral trait dice.
Savate
From France
French kickboxing — kicks land only with the shoe (never the shin), giving savate its distinctive fencing-like footwork.
Scattergories
From United States
Timed list-writing party game — roll a letter, and race to name words in 12 categories that all start with that letter.
Scavenger Hunt
From United States
Race to collect a checklist of objects, sights or challenges — from photographing landmarks to obtaining odd items — before your rivals do.
Scavenger Hunts
From United States
Team/individual quest to find or complete list of items/tasks within time limit — parties, schools, corporate team-building, city-wide events. Popularized by American columnist Elsa Maxwell 1930s NYC celebrity scavenger hunts; modern variants include photo hunts, University of Chicago's 4-day 'Scav' hunt (world's largest, since 1987), CityHunt corporate events.
Schwingen
From Switzerland
Swiss folk wrestling in shorts over trousers — pin both shoulders to sawdust to win.
Scopa
From Italy
Italian fishing card game — capture table cards by matching or summing to a played card; sweep the table for a 'scopa'.
Scrabble
From United States
The classic word-building board game — form crossword-style words on a 15×15 grid using seven lettered tiles per rack, scoring for length, letters and premium squares.
Scuba Diving
From France
Underwater exploration using a self-contained air supply — recreational, technical, cave and wreck disciplines.
Scythe
From United States
Alternate-history 1920s strategy board game — 5 factions in dieselpunk Eastern Europe compete for territory + resources + stars. Designed 2016 Jamey Stegmaier (Stonemaier Games). Artist: Jakub Rozalski. 1-5 players, 90-120 min. BGG Top 20 game; multiple Dice Tower / Golden Geek awards.
Senegalese Wrestling
From Senegal
Senegal's national sport — a bare-fisted wrestling contest that combines throws, sweeps and open-hand strikes to force the opponent off their feet.
Senet
From Egypt
One of the oldest known board games — race pieces along a 30-square board, decided by throwing sticks.
Sepak Takraw
From Malaysia
Southeast Asia's answer to volleyball — three players per side vault into acrobatic scissor-kicks over a badminton-height net, using only their feet, knees, chest and head.
Seven-Card Stud
From United States
Classic stud poker — three cards up, four cards down, no community cards.
Shadowrun
From United States
Cyberpunk-fantasy hybrid tabletop RPG. First published 1989 by FASA. Setting: 2050s dystopian world where MAGIC returned + CYBERPUNK MEGA-CORPS dominate + ELVES/DWARVES/ORKS/TROLLS live alongside humans. Players are 'runners' doing corporate espionage. 6th Edition (2019) current. Complex D6 dice pool system; influential cyberpunk RPG.
Shatranj
From Iran
Medieval Persian chess — the direct ancestor of modern chess, played across the Islamic world for a thousand years.
Shell Game
From Greece
Ancient street-corner con — 'find the pea under one of three shells' — nearly always rigged so the mark cannot win.
Shinty
From United Kingdom
Scottish Gaelic stick-and-ball sport — like hurling but you can play the ball in the air with either side of the stick.
Shogi
From Japan
Traditional Japanese chess variant played on a 9×9 board with 20 pieces per side, unique for the 'drop rule' allowing captured pieces to re-enter play under their new owner.
Shooting Sports
From Germany
Olympic precision shooting disciplines using rifles, pistols, and shotguns at stationary or moving targets — scored by proximity to bullseye (rifle/pistol) or successful clay hits (shotgun) over multiple rounds.
Shorinji Kempo
From Japan
Post-war Japanese martial art blending Zen philosophy with hard strikes, joint locks and pressure-point attacks.
Short Track Speed Skating
From Canada
Pack-style speed skating on a 111 m indoor oval — bodychecks are illegal, but crashes are frequent.
Shot Put
From United Kingdom
Ancient throwing event in athletics — athletes 'put' (push) a metal shot (7.26 kg men / 4 kg women) as far as possible from a 2.135m diameter circle using explosive rotational or gliding technique.
Show Jumping
From Ireland
Olympic equestrian sport in which a horse-and-rider partnership navigates a course of 12-15 fences within a time limit, incurring penalties for knocked poles, refusals, and time over.
Shuai Jiao
From China
Traditional Chinese wrestling — throws, sweeps and joint locks contested in a thick canvas jacket.
Shut the Box
From France
Norman-French pub game — roll two dice, close numbered tiles that sum to the roll; 'shut the box' with all closed.
Sic Bo
From China
Ancient Chinese dice casino game — three dice shaken in a covered container; players bet on possible outcomes (specific numbers, sums 4-17, small/big totals, triples, doubles). Payouts range 1:1 to 180:1 based on outcome probability.
Sidecar Racing
From United Kingdom
Two-person motorcycle racing — a "monkey" passenger climbs around the sidecar to shift weight through corners.
Silambam
From India
Ancient Tamil weapons art centred on a flexible 1.5 m bamboo staff.
SimCity
From United States
The city-building simulator that started them all — zone residential, commercial and industrial, and try to keep the citizens happy.
Simon Says
From Global (uncertain origins)
Universal children's group game — leader ('Simon') gives commands prefixed with 'Simon says' which players must follow; commands without 'Simon says' should be ignored. Players caught following non-Simon commands are eliminated; last player standing wins.
Sipa
From Philippines
Philippine national game — kick a woven rattan ball or lead-and-feathers shuttle repeatedly in the air with the feet.
Sitting Volleyball
From Netherlands
PARALYMPIC volleyball for athletes with lower-limb disabilities. Players SIT on floor + must maintain hip contact with floor while playing ball. Court 10m × 6m (smaller than standing volleyball); net 1.15m (men) / 1.05m (women). Highly athletic + strategic. Originated 1956 Netherlands. Paralympic sport since 1980.
Skat
From Germany
German 3-player trick-taking card game with complex bidding. Invented ~1810 in Altenburg, Thuringia. Uses 32-card deck. NATIONAL CARD GAME OF GERMANY — millions play recreationally + competitively. INTERNATIONAL SKATORDNUNG official rules 1927. GERMAN SKATBUND governs. Highly strategic; considered pinnacle of German card gaming. Fast + deep.
Skateboarding
From United States
Action sport in which riders roll on a skateboard performing tricks on street obstacles, ramps, and bowls, judged on difficulty, style, execution, and consistency.
Skeet Shooting
From United States
Clay target shooting — clays cross in front of you from two houses at each end of a semicircle of eight stations.
Skeleton
From Switzerland
Winter Olympic sport where athletes race head-first, prone (belly-down) on a small sled down icy tracks at 125-140 km/h — the only sliding sport where athletes go head-first; single-runs, 4-run cumulative time format.
Ski Cross
From United States
Four skiers head-to-head down a course of jumps, banks and rollers — top two per heat progress.
Ski Jumping
From Norway
Winter sport in which athletes ski down a steep ramp (inrun), leap into the air, and glide as far as possible before landing on a slope — judged on distance and style.
Ski Mountaineering
From Italy
Alpine race sport of climbing on skis with skins, then ripping the descent — Olympic debut Milano-Cortina 2026.
Skijoring
From Norway
Cross-country skiing while being pulled by dogs, a horse or a snowmobile — race, jumping or slalom formats.
Skimboarding
From United States
Drop a small finless board on the beach shore break, run and hop on to skim across the sand and out to a wave.
Skipping Rope
From Egypt
Swing a rope under your feet and over your head; jump each time it passes. Group variants use two long ropes.
Skydiving
From United States
Extreme sport of exiting an aircraft at altitude, freefalling through the sky, and deploying a parachute to land safely — includes formation, freestyle, canopy, and speed disciplines.
Slacklining
From United States
Balancing sport on a flat nylon webbing anchored between two points — tricks, distance and highline formats.
Sliding Puzzle
From United States
Fifteen numbered tiles in a 4×4 frame with one empty square — slide them to arrange in order.
Slopestyle Skiing
From United States
Freestyle skiing down a terrain park of rails, jibs and jumps — style, difficulty and variety are the scorecard.
Snakes and Ladders
From India
Universal children's board game — 2-4 players race tokens from square 1 to 100 by rolling dice; ladders shortcut up, snakes drop you down. Originally ancient Indian MOKSHA PATAM (~2nd c BC) with SPIRITUAL/KARMA themes teaching virtue vs vice. British Victorian adaptation 1892; Milton Bradley 'Chutes and Ladders' 1943.
Snooker
From India
Cue sport played on a 12×6 ft green baize table with 15 red balls, 6 coloured balls, and 1 white cue ball — pot reds and colours in strict alternation to score, break of 147 is the maximum.
Snow Volleyball
From Austria
Winter cousin of beach volleyball — three-a-side on snow, sets to 15 with rally scoring.
Snowboard Cross
From France
Head-to-head snowboarding down a course of jumps, banks and rollers — top two per heat advance.
Snowboarding
From United States
Winter sport where riders descend snow slopes on a single board with feet in fixed bindings — competed in freestyle (halfpipe, slopestyle, big air) and racing (parallel, snowboard cross) disciplines.
Snowkiting
From Norway
Snowboard or ski across snow while harnessed to a controllable inflatable or foil kite.
Snowmobiling
From Canada
Motorized winter sport — riders race snowmobiles at 100+ km/h on snow tracks with jumps, moguls, banked turns. Disciplines include snocross (motocross-style), cross-country, hillclimb, freestyle, drag racing, ice racing. X Games staple since 1998; huge in Scandinavia, Russia, Canada, USA.
Snowshoeing
From Canada
Racing and touring across snow on lightweight snowshoes — an ancient practical means, now a competitive sport.
Soft Tennis
From Japan
East Asian tennis variant using a soft rubber ball and a lighter racket — huge in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Softball
From United States
Bat-and-ball team sport related to baseball — played with a larger ball, an underhand pitch and a smaller diamond over seven innings.
Solitaire
From Sweden
Single-player card game where you arrange a shuffled deck into four ascending suit-ordered foundation piles, working from a tableau of seven descending face-down columns.
Sonic the Hedgehog
From Japan
Sega's answer to Mario — a blue hedgehog runs at supersonic speed through loop-the-loop Zones.
Sorry!
From United Kingdom
Card-driven race game — move pawns from start to home, and say 'sorry!' when you bump an opponent.
Space Invaders
From Japan
Seminal ARCADE SHOOTER — Tomohiro Nishikado, Taito 1978. Player controls LASER CANNON at bottom defending Earth from advancing 55-alien grid. First mainstream video game shooter; ONE OF FIRST 'KILLER APP' arcade games. Massive Japanese success (100 YEN COIN SHORTAGE in Japan 1978-79 from Space Invaders play). Launched video game industry as mass phenomenon.
Spades
From United States
American 4-player partnership trick-taking card game — spades are always trump; players bid the number of tricks they'll take + score based on hitting bids exactly. Wildly popular in USA (military, college, prisons, online).
Spearfishing
From Greece
Freediving sport of hunting fish with a spear on a single breath — competition disciplines rank catch weight and variety.
Speed Climbing
From Russia
Head-to-head sprint up a standardised 15 m wall — top climbers reach the top in under 5 seconds.
Speed Skating
From Netherlands
Ice-skating race sport on a 400 m double-lane oval; distances from 500 m sprint to 10,000 m endurance with skaters swapping lanes each lap.
Speed Skiing
From France
The fastest non-motorised winter sport — a straight-line ski descent timed to the tenth of a km/h.
Speedcubing
From Hungary
Solve twisty puzzles as fast as possible — 3×3, 2×2, up to 7×7 plus one-handed, blindfolded and Megaminx events.
Speedway (Motorcycle)
From Australia
Motorcycle racing on oval dirt track (300-400m) — 4 riders race 4 laps without brakes on single-gear 500cc methanol-fueled bikes. Global sport especially Poland, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Australia. FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) since 1995 dominant international series. Legendary sport for extreme cornering slides.
Spider Solitaire
From United States
Solitaire card game using 2 STANDARD DECKS (104 cards). Build 8 complete runs (K→A) same suit to win. 3 difficulty levels: 1 suit (easy), 2 suits (medium), 4 suits (hard). Popularized by MICROSOFT WINDOWS 98 as SPIDER SOLITAIRE. More complex than Klondike; medium-hard win rates.
Spinning Tops
From Iraq
Ancient spinning toy — from string-wrapped wooden tops to Beyblades and Latin-American Trompo battles; spin the longest or knock the others out.
Spirit Island
From United States
Cooperative anti-colonial strategy game. Designed 2017 R. Eric Reuss. Greater Than Games. 1-4 players, 90-120 min. Players are SPIRITS defending native Dahan from European colonizers. Reverse-Colonial theme — you're the resistance. Complex + heavy game. TOP-10 BGG ranked cooperative game. Multiple expansions (Branch & Claw, Jagged Earth, Nature Incarnate).
Sport Climbing
From France
Climbing routes with pre-placed protection — Olympic lead, boulder and speed formats.
Sport Shooting
From Switzerland
Marksmanship sport across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines at fixed distances.
Sport Stacking
From United States
Timed cup-stacking speed sport — up-stack and down-stack 12 specially-designed plastic cups in pyramid patterns as fast as possible.
Sporting Clays
From United Kingdom
"Golf with a shotgun" — walk between stations across a course firing at clays that simulate flying game birds and rabbits.
Sprint
From Greece
The shortest athletics track races — 60 m (indoor), 100 m, 200 m and 400 m all-out sprints.
Sprint Car Racing
From United States
Open-wheel dirt-track racing on short ovals with 900 hp cars and large overhead wings.
Sprinting
From Greece
Short-distance track athletics events (60m indoor, 100m, 200m, 400m) contested at maximum speed with fastest time winning.
Sprouts
From United Kingdom
Elegant topology pencil game — connect dots with curves, add a new dot on each curve, first player unable to move loses.
Spyfall
From Russia
Award-winning social deduction party game — Alexandr Ushan, Russia 2014. 3-8 players; secretly assigned same LOCATION card except 1 player (SPY). Players ask each other questions trying to determine spy; spy tries to guess location. 8-minute rounds. Highly praised for creative party game mechanic. Sold 500,000+ copies globally.
Squash
From United Kingdom
Racquet sport played on a four-walled indoor court where two players alternate hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall — fast, tactical, and endurance-demanding.
Ssireum
From South Korea
Traditional Korean wrestling. 2 wrestlers grip each other's SATBA (fabric belt) around waist + thigh, attempting to throw opponent to ground. Ancient — documented in Goguryeo tomb murals 4th century. UNESCO Immaterial Cultural Heritage 2018 (jointly with North Korea — first such joint designation). Modern professional league Korea Ssireum Association.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding
From United States
Ride a long buoyant board standing up, propelled by a single long paddle — flat-water, race and surf formats.
Star Wars: Legion
From United States
Ground-combat Star Wars miniatures game — squads of stormtroopers, rebel troopers, AT-STs and named heroes.
Star Wars: X-Wing
From United States
Star Wars starship combat miniature game. First published 2012 by Fantasy Flight Games; Second Edition 2018; Third Edition 2024 by Atomic Mass Games. Uses hidden simultaneous MOVEMENT DIALS + templates for spaceship combat. Iconic Star Wars ships (X-Wings, TIE Fighters, Millennium Falcon). Most popular miniatures game 2015-2018.
Star Wars: X-Wing
From United States
Pre-painted Star Wars starfighter miniatures game — assign secret manoeuvre dials, then execute simultaneously.
StarCraft II
From United States
Sci-fi real-time strategy (RTS) by Blizzard — 1v1 duels between Terran (humans), Zerg (aliens), Protoss (psi-race); build economy + army + tech in minutes. Considered greatest RTS + one of purest competitive esports; dominated by Korean pros. GSL Korea = most prestigious league.
StarCraft II
From United States
Sci-fi real-time strategy — 1v1 mind games with three asymmetric races (Terran, Protoss, Zerg).
Steeplechase
From United Kingdom
Long-distance track event — 3000m with 28 solid BARRIERS + 7 WATER JUMPS (barrier + water pit combination). Blend of distance running + hurdling + water traversal. Olympic sport (men since 1920, women since 2008). Kenya + Ethiopia dominant globally. World record: SOUFIANE EL BAKKALI (Morocco) men 7:52.11 (2023); BEATRICE CHEPKOECH (Kenya) women 8:44.32 (2018).
Straight Pool
From United States
Classical American pool game — one point per ball, race to a set target like 100 or 150 balls.
Stratego
From Netherlands
Hidden-information war game — set up 40 pieces, hunt the flag, and don't step on a bomb.
Street Fighter
From Japan
Iconic fighting game franchise by CAPCOM. STREET FIGHTER II (1991) revolutionized fighting genre — 8 selectable characters, special moves via combos, arcade dominance. Direct ancestor of EVO Championship + entire FGC (Fighting Game Community). SF6 (2023) latest mainline. Massive competitive esports scene — CAPCOM CUP with $2M+ prize pool.
Strongman
From Iceland
Strength sport of moving huge unconventional weights — atlas stones, log press, deadlifts and yoke walks.
Stuck in the Mud
From United Kingdom
Freeze-Tag variant — tagged players stand with arms and legs out until a teammate crawls under to free them.
Sudoku
From United States
Number-placement logic puzzle in which a 9×9 grid partly filled with digits 1-9 must be completed so every row, column, and 3×3 box contains all digits 1-9 exactly once.
Sueca
From Portugal
Portuguese trump-taking partnership game — 40-card deck, dealer's last card sets trump, no bidding.
Sugoroku
From Japan
Japanese race-game family — 'ban-sugoroku' (backgammon-like) and 'e-sugoroku' (illustrated race boards).
Sumo
From Japan
The national sport of Japan — two enormous rikishi try to force each other out of a straw-ring dohyō, or make any body part other than the soles of their feet touch the ground.
Super Mario Bros.
From Japan
Legendary Nintendo platformer series starring Mario the plumber — jump, run, and battle enemies through the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser; defined the platform game genre.
Super Smash Bros
From Japan
Nintendo's cross-franchise platform fighter — knock opponents off-stage rather than depleting health bars.
Superbike Racing
From United Kingdom
Motorcycle road racing on production-based sportbikes (1000cc superbikes). WorldSBK series founded 1988 by FIM as alternative to prototype MotoGP. Iconic manufacturers: Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW, Honda. Top riders: Carl Fogarty (4×), Troy Bayliss (3×), Jonathan Rea (6× consecutive 2015-20), Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (2021, 2024).
Supercross
From United States
Indoor stadium motocross — 450 cc bikes over triples, whoops and rhythm sections inside a football arena.
Surakarta
From Indonesia
Indonesian strategy game with looping corner tracks that let pieces spiral around to capture on the far side.
Surf Lifesaving
From Australia
Competitive rescue sport — beach sprints, surf swims, board and ski paddling, and iron-man/woman multi-event finals.
Surfing
From United States
Surface water sport in which a rider stands on a floating board and rides the face of an unbroken breaking ocean wave toward shore, performing manoeuvres for judged scores.
Swimming
From United Kingdom
Aquatic racing sport contested in a pool over set distances in four legal strokes — freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly — plus medley events.
Synchronized Diving
From China
Two divers perform identical dives simultaneously off the 3 m springboard or 10 m platform — judged on sync as well as execution.
Table Football
From United Kingdom
Miniature football played on a table with rotating rods and figurines — a bar-and-cafe classic worldwide.
Table Tennis
From United Kingdom
Fast-paced indoor racket sport played on a 9-foot table divided by a low net — hit a lightweight ball with a rubber paddle before it bounces twice.
Taboo
From United States
Party word game — get your team to say the target word without using any of the 5 forbidden 'taboo' words.
Tabula
From Italy
The late-Roman backgammon — the immediate ancestor of the modern game.
Taekwondo
From South Korea
Korean striking art defined by fast, high, spinning kicks — Olympic sport since 2000 with electronic-scored sparring.
Tafl
From Sweden
Family of asymmetric Norse strategy games — a king and defenders must escape, attackers must trap them.
Tag
From GLOBAL
Universal children's playground chase game in which one player is 'It' and must tag another to transfer the role — with countless regional variants (Freeze Tag, Shadow Tag, Manhunt).
Tag Rugby
From United Kingdom
Non-contact rugby using velcro flags on a belt — the beginner-friendly gateway to full rugby.
Tai Chi
From China
Chinese internal martial art of slow flowing forms — competition disciplines include taolu forms and tuishou push-hands.
Tak
From United States
Fictional game brought to life — build a road of your pieces from one side of the board to the other.
Tangram
From China
Ancient Chinese dissection puzzle — 7 flat geometric pieces (tans: 5 triangles, 1 square, 1 parallelogram) arranged to form thousands of shapes. Origin ~1815 Qing Dynasty; global craze 1810s-1820s (Napoleon owned one in exile); classic educational puzzle teaching geometry.
Tarot (card game)
From Italy
European trick-taking game family — the Tarot deck's ORIGINAL purpose, not fortune-telling.
Tarot (Card Game)
From Italy
Trick-taking card game family using TAROT DECK (78 cards including 21 TRUMPS + FOOL). Originated 15th-century Italy. FRENCH TAROT (Tarot Français) most popular — 4-player game. Also Italian Tarocchi, German Tarok, Hungarian Tarokk. Different from Tarot DIVINATION (started 18th century). Serious mind sport in France; Tarot Federation organized.
Tchoukball
From Switzerland
Swiss team sport invented 1970 by Dr. Hermann Brandt (biologist) to REDUCE INJURIES + PROMOTE FAIR PLAY. 7-a-side; throw ball at REBOUND FRAMES (like trampolines) at each end of court; opponent must not catch rebound. NO CONTACT, NO OFFSIDE — designed as maximally cooperative team sport. Small but passionate global following. FITB governs. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS since 2004.
Teen Patti
From India
Popular Indian gambling card game descended from the British 'Three Card Brag,' in which 3 cards are dealt to each of 3-7 players who bet blind or seen on the highest hand ranking (Trail > Pure Sequence > Sequence > Colour > Pair > High Card).
Tekken
From Japan
Iconic 3D FIGHTING GAME franchise by BANDAI NAMCO. Original 1994 arcade — first fully polygonal fighter. Realistic MMA-inspired martial arts styles per character (Karate, Muay Thai, Judo, Capoeira, Boxing, etc.). LATEST: TEKKEN 8 (2024). Massive competitive esports scene — TEKKEN WORLD TOUR $2M+ prize pool. South Korea + Pakistan dominant.
Telephone
From United Kingdom
Word-of-mouth relay — whisper a sentence around a circle; laugh at the mangled version the last player announces.
Ten-Pin Bowling
From United States
Precision sport in which players roll a heavy ball down a 60-foot wooden lane to knock down 10 pins arranged in a triangle at the far end, scoring across 10 frames.
Tennis
From United Kingdom
One-on-one (or doubles) racket sport played over a low net — win points by making the ball bounce untouchable in the opponent's court.
Tent Pegging
From India
Cavalry heritage sport — spear a small wooden peg from the ground with a lance while galloping at 40 km/h.
Tenzi
From United States
Modern speed-dice game — everyone rolls ten dice at once, racing to get them all showing the same number.
Terraforming Mars
From Sweden
Modern strategy board game — players play corporations terraforming Mars by raising temperature (-30°C → +8°C), oxygen (0% → 14%), and creating oceans (0 → 9). Designed 2016 Jacob Fryxelius. FryxGames + Stronghold Games. 1-5 players, 90-180 min. Multiple award winner. Top BGG-ranked strategy game.
Tetris
From Russia
Legendary Soviet-designed puzzle game (1984) in which players rotate + place falling tetromino shapes into complete horizontal lines to clear them — one of the best-selling video games ever with 520+ million copies sold across all versions.
Texas Hold'em Poker
From United States
World's most popular poker variant — 2-10 players receive 2 hole cards + share 5 community cards. Best 5-card poker hand wins pot. Exploded globally via 2003 WSOP Chris Moneymaker win + online poker boom + televised broadcasts. WSOP Main Event $10K buy-in draws 10,000+ players; $10M+ prizes.
The Ba' Game
From United Kingdom
Kirkwall's centuries-old mass ball game played through the streets on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
The Elder Scrolls
From United States
Open-world Western RPG series — vast provinces of Tamriel to explore in first-person freedom.
The Game of Life
From United States
Spin the wheel and live a life — college or career, marriage, kids, retirement. Whoever ends richest wins.
The Legend of Zelda
From Japan
Foundational action-adventure series — Link explores Hyrule, solves dungeons, and rescues Princess Zelda.
The Sims
From United States
Life simulator — build homes, guide little people (Sims) through jobs, relationships and every daily need.
Thoda
From India
Himachali archery-and-dance festival — two hillside villages fire blunted arrows at each other's shins while dancing.
Three-card Monte
From United Kingdom
'Find the queen' — the card version of the shell game, and the same swindle: the queen is almost never where the mark thinks.
Three-Cushion Billiards
From France
Pocketless cue sport where the cue ball must hit at least three cushions before touching the second object ball.
Throwball
From India
Volleyball-like sport where the ball is caught and thrown across the net instead of hit — huge in Indian schools.
Tic-Tac-Toe
From Egypt
The children's introductory game — take turns marking Xs and Os on a 3×3 grid; three in a row wins.
Ticket to Ride
From United States
Modern strategy board game for 2-5 players in which players collect train cards to claim railway routes across a map, connecting cities for points and completing hidden destination tickets.
Time Crisis
From Japan
Namco's light-gun rail-shooter series — foot-pedal cover system and a plastic pistol against terrorist henchmen.
Toe Wrestling
From United Kingdom
The English pub sport — two competitors interlock big toes and try to pin the opponent's foot on a wooden "toedium".
Total War
From United Kingdom
Turn-based grand strategy meets real-time battles — command entire empires, then command their armies in real time.
Touch Rugby
From Australia
Non-contact rugby variant — touching the ball carrier instead of tackling, mixed-gender competition.
Touring Car Racing
From Germany
Race saloon cars modified from road cars — WTCR, DTM, BTCC and Supercars are the marquee tours.
Tower of Hanoi
From France
Mathematical disc-stacking puzzle — move stack of discs from source peg to destination peg via auxiliary peg, one disc at a time, never placing larger on smaller. Invented 1883 by French mathematician Édouard Lucas. Minimum moves = 2ⁿ−1 (7 discs = 127 moves, 8 = 255). Classic algorithm demonstration + brain teaser.
Track Cycling
From United Kingdom
Olympic velodrome-based bicycle racing on a banked oval indoor/outdoor 250m track — includes explosive sprint events (200m flying, keirin, team sprint) and endurance events (individual + team pursuit, points race, omnium).
Trail Running
From France
Long-distance running on mountain trails and technical terrain — often self-supported over huge climbs.
Trampoline Gymnastics
From United States
Gymnastics discipline — athletes perform aerial acrobatics on trampoline. Invented 1936 by George Nissen + Larry Griswold (Iowa). Olympic since Sydney 2000 (individual + synchronized). Athletes reach 8+ meters height performing multiple twisting somersaults. China + Russia + Belarus dominant.
Trampoline Gymnastics
From United States
Judged aerial acrobatics on a competition trampoline — 10 skills, up to 8 m of height per bounce.
Trap Shooting
From United Kingdom
Clay target shooting — a machine slings clays going away from you across five firing points, break as many as possible.
Traveller
From United States
The original science-fiction RPG — 2d6-driven interstellar adventure, and characters can die in generation.
Treasure Hunt
From United Kingdom
Clue-following expedition — follow a chain of written clues and location markers to find a hidden 'treasure' at the end.
Triathlon
From United States
Endurance multi-sport combining swimming, cycling, and running in sequence with fast transitions — Olympic distance (1.5km swim + 40km bike + 10km run), Ironman (3.8km + 180km + 42.2km) and other distances.
Triominos
From United States
Triangular Domino variant — each tile has three numbered corners, matched to adjacent tiles along their edges.
Triple Jump
From Greece
Hop-step-jump for distance — three linked take-offs from a runway into a sand pit.
Trouble
From United States
Roll the die under the Pop-O-Matic bubble — Ludo-style race with a snap-domed built-in die.
Truco
From Spain
Latin American bluffing trick game — bid on your hand's value while playing three-trick rounds; bluff, lie and taunt.
Truth or Dare
From United Kingdom
Classic PARTY GAME with ancient roots. Players take turns choosing 'TRUTH' (answer personal question honestly) or 'DARE' (perform requested action). No formal rules; based on social + revelation dynamics. Popular teenager + adult game night activity. Ancient — variants documented in 17th century BRITISH 'QUESTIONS AND COMMANDS'; modern form ~19th-20th century.
Tug of War
From Greece
Team strength contest — two eight-a-side teams pull opposite ends of a rope until one is dragged over a central line.
Tuho
From China
Ancient East Asian throwing game — players throw arrows/sticks into narrow-necked jar or pot from distance. Originated CHINA (Zhou Dynasty ~1046 BCE); spread to KOREA + JAPAN. In Korea, popular ROYAL COURT + folk game; still played traditional holidays. Similar to horseshoes / cornhole conceptually. Elegant, minimalist, cultural preservation focus.
Twilight Imperium
From United States
Epic 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) space-empire strategy game. Designed 1997 Christian T. Petersen; Fourth Edition 2017 Dane Beltrami. Fantasy Flight Games. 3-6 players, 4-8 hours. Featured on stream shows, cult classic. TI4 sold 200,000+ copies. Top-3 BGG ranked game. Considered pinnacle 'epic' board game — dedicated all-day event.
Twister
From United States
Physical-contortion party game — a giant mat of coloured dots, and a spinner shouting 'left hand red!'
Two Truths and a Lie
From United States
Universal icebreaker party game — each player states 3 statements about themselves (2 true, 1 false); others guess which is the lie. Simple, no equipment, ages 8-adult. Standard in workplace icebreakers, classroom introductions, dating events, kids' parties.
Two Truths and a Lie
From United States
Icebreaker classic — say three statements about yourself, two true and one false, and let the group guess which is the lie.
Ulama
From Mexico
Living descendant of the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame — hit a heavy solid-rubber ball only with your hips.
Ultimate Frisbee
From United States
Self-officiated non-contact team sport played 7v7 with a flying disc on a football-sized field — advance disc down the field by passing (thrower can't move), score by catching in the endzone; first to 15 wins.
Ultra-Distance Cycling
From France
Non-stop cycling races over 1,000 km+ — Paris-Brest-Paris, Race Across America, and the Transcontinental.
Ultramarathon
From United Kingdom
Any foot race longer than the marathon — the road classics 50 km, 100 km and 24-hour races.
Underwater Hockey
From United Kingdom
Six-a-side team sport played on the bottom of a swimming pool — push a lead puck with a small hand stick.
Underwater Rugby
From Germany
Six-a-side sport played in three dimensions in a deep pool — throw a saltwater-weighted ball into the opposing basket.
Unicycling
From Germany
Riding sports on a one-wheeled cycle — track racing, freestyle, mountain (muni), basketball and hockey.
Uno
From United States
Family shedding card game with a custom 108-card deck — match colour or number, use action cards to disrupt opponents, and shout 'UNO!' when you have one card left.
Vallam Kali
From India
Kerala's giant snake-boat race — up to 140 oarsmen row 30-metre chundan vallam boats to drum, song and roar.
Valorant
From United States
5-vs-5 tactical first-person shooter esport by Riot Games — combines CS-style bomb defusal with hero-shooter abilities (23 unique 'Agents' with signature powers), on maps designed for precise gunplay + tactical utility use.
Vampire LARP
From United States
Live-action version of Vampire: The Masquerade — costumed vampires in atmospheric venues, resolved by rock-paper-scissors.
Vampire: The Masquerade
From United States
Gothic-horror personal-horror tabletop RPG. First published 1991 by Mark Rein·Hagen (White Wolf). Players are recently-embraced VAMPIRES navigating politics of hidden vampire society (Camarilla, Anarchs, Sabbat, Independent clans). 5th Edition (V5) 2018 current. Iconic 1990s counterculture RPG; core of World of Darkness setting.
Vigoro
From Australia
Australian women's team sport combining cricket, baseball and tennis — 12-a-side with a paddle-shaped bat.
Volleyball
From United States
6-a-side team sport where players use hands and forearms to send a ball over a high net, aiming to ground it on the opposing side within three touches.
Vovinam
From Vietnam
Vietnamese martial art combining strikes, kicks, joint-locks and its signature flying scissor kicks.
Wakeboarding
From United States
Water sport of riding a short board pulled by a boat or cable, performing tricks off the wake.
Wallyball
From United States
Volleyball played inside a walled racquetball court — walls are in play like squash.
War
From France
Simplest card game there is — split the deck, flip cards, higher card wins. Ties go to 'war'.
Warhammer 40,000
From United Kingdom
Iconic tabletop miniature wargame set in the grim dark future of the 41st millennium — players assemble, paint, and battle armies of intricately detailed plastic + metal figures across science-fiction battlefields.
Warhammer 40,000
From United Kingdom
The world's biggest miniature wargame — grim-dark far-future sci-fi with Space Marines, Orks, Tyranids and Eldar.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar
From United Kingdom
Games Workshop's high-fantasy tabletop miniature wargame — successor to Warhammer Fantasy Battle after 2015 'End Times' reboot. Stormcast Eternals + Sylvaneth + Skaven + Nighthaunt + Ogor Mawtribes + 20+ factions battle across Mortal Realms. 4th Edition launched 2024. Sister game to Warhammer 40k.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
From United Kingdom
Grim-dark fantasy RPG set in the Warhammer world — start as a Ratcatcher and be lucky to live to see level 5.
Warmachine
From United States
Steam-powered fantasy miniatures game — 'warcasters' control massive 'warjacks' in the Iron Kingdoms.
Water Polo
From United Kingdom
Aquatic team ball sport where two teams of 7 players tread water in a deep pool and try to throw the ball into the opposing goal.
Water Skiing
From United States
Water sport where rider on skis is towed behind a motorboat via handle attached to towrope; disciplines include Slalom (zigzag through buoys), Trick (rotations + flips), and Jump (ramp launches for distance). Invented 1922 USA; peak popularity 1950s-80s. Barefoot skiing + wakeboarding are related.
Weightlifting
From Greece
Olympic sport in which athletes lift a loaded barbell overhead in two competition lifts: the Snatch (single motion from floor to overhead) and Clean & Jerk (two-motion lift to shoulders then overhead).
Werewolf
From France
Mafia in a village — hidden werewolves eat one villager per night while villagers argue and lynch a suspect by day.
Wheelchair Basketball
From United States
Basketball played in specialised wheelchairs — same 10 ft hoop, same court, adapted travelling rule.
Wheelchair Curling
From Switzerland
Paralympic curling for wheelchair athletes — no sweeping, stones delivered from the wheelchair using a stick.
Wheelchair Rugby
From Canada
Full-contact Paralympic sport on a basketball court — carry the ball across the goal line in specially reinforced chairs.
Wheelchair Tennis
From United States
Grand-slam tennis in a wheelchair — same court, same rules, but the ball may bounce twice.
Whist
From United Kingdom
Classic 18th-century English 4-player partnership trick-taking card game — direct ancestor of Bridge. 52 cards, 13 tricks per hand; last card determines trump; simple scoring based on tricks over 6. Historically dominant card game 1700s-1900.
Whitewater Rafting
From United States
Team sport of navigating an inflatable raft down whitewater rapids — sprint, slalom and downriver events.
Wife Carrying
From Finland
Timed obstacle race — a man carries a woman through a 253.5 m course with hurdles and a water pool.
Wiffle Ball
From United States
Backyard baseball with a perforated plastic ball that curves crazily — no gloves, no base running.
Windsurfing
From United States
Water sport combining surfing + sailing — rider stands on a board with mounted sail via universal joint; controls direction by leaning sail; jumps, wave sailing, freestyle tricks. Olympic sport since 1984 (RS:X + Mistral historic classes; iQFOiL foil class from Paris 2024).
Wing Chun
From China
Southern Chinese close-range martial art built on the centreline principle — the style of Ip Man and Bruce Lee.
Wing Foiling
From United States
Hold an inflatable hand-wing while riding a hydrofoil board — the fastest-growing wind sport of the 2020s.
Wingspan
From United States
Modern engine-building board game about birds. Designed 2019 Elizabeth Hargrave (first prominent female Kennerspiel des Jahres winner). Stonemaier Games. 1-5 players, 40-70 min. 170+ North American birds; expansions add Europe (2019), Oceania (2020), Asia (2022). Sold 1M+ copies; Kennerspiel des Jahres 2019 winner.
Wingsuit Flying
From France
Aviation sport using specialized suit with fabric between arms + legs to enable horizontal gliding flight after skydive/BASE jump. Modern wingsuit invented 1994 by Patrick de Gayardon (France); commercialized 1998 Jari Kuosma + Robert Pečnik (Birdman). Glide ratios 2.5:1 to 3.5:1; horizontal speeds 100-250 km/h; extreme risk in proximity flying.
Winter Triathlon
From Italy
Cold-weather triathlon — run on snow, mountain bike on packed trails, then cross-country ski to the finish.
Word Ladder
From United Kingdom
Puzzle chain — transform one word into another by changing one letter at a time, each rung a valid word.
Word Search
From United States
Grid of jumbled letters — find and circle every hidden word from a target list.
Wordle
From United Kingdom
Web word game — guess the daily 5-letter word in six tries; green means right letter right place, yellow means right letter wrong place.
World of Warcraft
From United States
The definitive MMORPG — millions of players adventuring across Azeroth for two decades.
World Rally Championship
From France
FIA world championship for rally cars raced against the clock over closed roads.
Wushu
From China
Modern Chinese martial art with two competition disciplines — Taolu (choreographed forms judged on technique + artistry) and Sanda (full-contact combat with punches, kicks, throws, and takedowns) — descended from thousands of years of traditional Kung Fu.
XCOM
From United Kingdom
Turn-based tactical squad game — defend Earth from an alien invasion, permadeath, one shot at a time.
Xiangqi
From China
Ancient Chinese strategy board game played on a 9×10 grid with a central 'river' — pieces move on line intersections; goal is to checkmate the enemy General.
Yabusame
From Japan
Japanese horseback archery — shoot three wooden targets at full gallop down a 255 m course.
Yacht
From United States
Five-dice scoring game — the 1938 predecessor of Yahtzee, with 12 categories and a maximum 'yacht' bonus.
Yahtzee
From Canada
Dice game where players roll five dice up to three times per turn and try to score in 13 different categories, aiming for the eponymous 'Yahtzee' (5 of a kind).
YINSH
From Netherlands
Fifth game in the GIPF project — form five-in-a-row rings on a hex grid to score.
Yo-yo
From Philippines
Ancient skill toy consisting of an axle-connected pair of disks with string wrapped around axle — spun down/up with wrist flicks, modern competitive scene includes tricks like 'sleeping,' 'walking the dog,' complex string manipulations in 5 competition divisions.
Yo-Yo
From Greece
String-and-spool skill toy — 'walk the dog', 'around the world', 'trapeze' and thousands more tricks; competitive world championships since 1932.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
From Japan
World's #3 collectible card game — 2 players duel with decks of 40-60 monster/spell/trap cards. Based on manga/anime by Kazuki Takahashi (1996). Launched Japan 1999; global anime boom 2001+. Guinness Record most sold TCG (2011): 25.1+ billion cards sold; Blue-Eyes White Dragon + Dark Magician iconic; Konami owns rights.
Yubi Lakpi
From India
Manipuri seven-a-side rugby played with an oiled coconut instead of a ball — carry it across the opposing line to score.
Yut Nori
From South Korea
Traditional Korean board game played especially during LUNAR NEW YEAR (Seollal). 4 wooden STICKS (yut) tossed as dice; landing curved/flat determines move (Do 1, Gae 2, Geol 3, Yut 4, Mo 5, Back-do reverse). Race 4 pieces around cross-shaped board. Origins Three Kingdoms period Korea. UNESCO recognized cultural heritage.
ZÈRTZ
From Belgium
Give-away game from the GIPF project — force your opponent to hand you the marbles you need.
Zorbing
From New Zealand
Roll down a hill inside a giant transparent double-walled plastic sphere — for time (hydro) or free-form fun.