Imagine the scene – you want to go to a bar with your pals, and you need to find one with Shuffleboard or games like shuffleboard to keep everyone entertained and enthused.
After all, Shuffleboard has been around for 500 years, so it is typically one of the most popular games you can find in a bar.
Except not every bar contains a shuffleboard table or not everyone in the group will be aware of the shuffleboard rules, so you may need other options.
Alternatively, you may want suggestions of games like shuffleboard that you can play at home without having to fork out at the expense of your own shuffleboard.
And that’s also probably why you’ve stumbled across our article, in which we’ll explore 7 different bar games you may come across, teaching you exactly how to play them.
7 Games like Shuffleboard
AIR HOCKEY
Players: 2 (single) or 4 (doubles)
Playing Time: 5 – 10 minutes.
Age: All ages, as long as they can reach the table.
Game Type: Bar games, Indoor games
Game Overview:
A real bar classic and sometimes found in arcades, Air Hockey gets played very similar to shuffleboard as it’s all about timing but also has the fast-paced gameplay of regular hockey.
You can either play against 1 other person or in teams of 2 (there’s not enough space for more players), although games are over so quick that others won’t have to wait around too long.
The goal is to be the first player to score 7 points, do this by hitting the puck towards your opponent’s goal, which is a small slit on the opposite end of the table.
RELATED: Air Hockey Rules.
RELATED VIDEO: How to play Air Hockey.
KLASK
Klask was ranked as the #1 party game of 2015 in Sweden and Norway!
Carefully designed in the finest regions of Denmark with a lovely wooden finish to help the game stand out.
Players: 2 players only.
Playing Time: 10 – 15 minutes.
Age: Older children + adults.
Game Type: Indoor games
Game Overview:
Somewhat of a cross between shuffleboard and air hockey, this scaled-down version of air hockey is all about getting your puck into the opponent’s goal.
Like all other games on this list, Klask requires players to be precise about where they hit the puck to get the greatest chance of success.
Using magnets, players can move their pieces all over the game board to get the puck into the opponent’s goal – the first player to get 6 goals wins the game.
RELATED: Klask rules.
BILLIARDS
Players: 2 (single) or 4 (doubles)
Playing Time: 10 – 20 minutes.
Age: All ages, as long as they can reach the table.
Game Type: Bar games, Indoor games
Game Overview:
Like shuffleboard, you’ll need good hand-eye coordination and excellent dexterity skills to succeed in billiards; having great patience is super helpful as well.
Also played in either pair or individually, billiards is also known as pool, and there are many different billiard games to play, each with its own rules.
Players either need to pot all 7 of their striped or spotted balls, finishing with the black 8 ball before their opponent/s to become the victor.
Be sure you know how to rack pool balls as well before you begin!
RELATED: 9 Ball rules | Billiards terms.
RELATED VIDEO: How Billiard is played.
SKEEBALL
Players: At least 4, as you’ll need 2 even teams.
Playing Time: 15 – 30 minutes.
Age: All ages, as long as they can reach the table.
Game Type: Bar games, Indoor games
Game Overview:
Skeeball requires players to have the same skillset as they do in shuffleboard to succeed as they are played in pretty much the same way.
It’s also played quite similarly to ten-pin bowling, just a much more scaled-down version that is slightly harder to play, but again the skills are transferable.
To play, teams go head to head against one another and take turns rolling 3 balls into the skeeball arena to gain as many points as possible.
Once everyone has had 3 rolls each, the teams with the highest combined total wins.
PINBALL
Players: 1+.
Playing Time: 5 – 10 minutes.
Age: All ages, as long as they can reach the machine.
Game Type: Bar games, Indoor games
Game Overview:
Despite being primarily played as a single-player game, Pinball is a great alternative to shuffleboard as it’s all about being precise with your movements and having good timing.
Rather than pushing the puck, though, pinball has 2 buttons on the side that control the pincers at the bottom of the machine.
With expert timing, when the ball drops onto one of the 2 pincers, players need to press the button to send the ball into the main pinball area.
Depending on where the ball lands, points get awarded until the ball drops past the pincers giving a final score to the player. The biggest final score in your group wins.
BOCCE BALL
Players: 2 players, or more if played in teams.
Playing Time: 20 – 40 minutes.
Age: All ages.
Game Type: Outdoor games.
Game Overview:
Occasionally found in a bar garden in the summer, bocce ball is like an outdoors version of shuffleboard as it’s all about being precise with your throws.
In teams, players take turns throwing their team’s bocce balls toward the pallino in the middle, which awards points depending on how close each ball is at the end of the round.
The winning team naturally is the team who has the highest combined score at the end of the game.
It’s also the game on the list that is easiest to be able to play at home, so be sure to check out the best bocce ball set if you wanted your own set.
RELATED: Bocce Ball rules.
RELATED VIDEO: How to play Bocce Ball.
CROKINOLE
Players: 2 – 4 players.
Playing Time: 10 – 20 minutes.
Age: Recommended for ages 10+.
Game Type: Indoor games.
Game Overview:
Pretty much exactly like shuffleboard except played on an octagon as opposed to a rectangle, Crokinole is an ideal alternative that you can play in your own home.
The goal is to push your pucks into the highest scoring area whilst simultaneously pushing your opponents puck out of the higher scoring areas.
Once all pucks have been played, the game ends, and the player with the highest collective score wins.
RELATED: Crokinole rules.
RELATED VIDEO: How to play Crokinole.
