What is this board game called “Crokinole”?

Every country has something that proudly shouts its identity. It could be through their cuisine, architecture or even plants! But today, we’ll share a board game that is fully Canadian through and through—Crokinole!

It’s like a board game version of curling (another sport popular in Canada), but instead, you have disks you have to flick with your finger.

You’d be surprised at Canada's number of games and game creators. In fact, they even have their own version of Wordle—Canuckle! We recently had a great talk with its creators, check out our podcast here!

Five game insights we think will pique your interest!

If we’re talking about Canadian games, then there’s no sport more loved in Canada than hockey! Hockey is deeply ingrained in Canadian culture, and if you’re interested in playing it right in the comfort of your home, there are a lot of video games out there that emulate it, such as NHL 24.

Want a slice of Canada in a video game but sports games aren’t cutting it for you? Then The Long Dark might be something you’d be interested in playing or watching. It’s a game that’s set in the Canadian wilderness, showcasing a survival experience that is both gritty and beautiful.

What symbolizes Canada better than beautiful snow and hockey? That’s right, maple! Maple is such a Canadian thing that it’s even on their flag. And if you’re planning to play on a nice weekend, then a few treats will make the experience even better. Here’s a quick recipe for maple syrup thumbprint cookies that you can easily make at home. Remember, use real maple syrup!

Remember Trivial Pursuit? Yeah, the classic, colorful board game? Canadians Chris Haney and Scott Abbott invented it after being inspired by Scrabble. Haney, over a couple of beers, asked whether they could invent a game as good as Scrabble. And they immediately got to work and the rest was history.

From Crokinole to a video game about surviving in the snowy wilderness, Canada is doing great in the games department! Who knows what more wondrous things Canucks have in mind when it comes to providing entertainment and innovation, especially in the games industry?

There are many ways to show your pride and love for your homeland, and one of the most creative ways to do it is to present it via games. And to that, we share this quote from Jade Raymond, Canadian game producer and founder of Haven Studios:

“Games are an incredible medium for exploring who you are, who you could be, and who you want to be.”

That’s it for this week. We hope that you’re enjoying the content of our podcasts as much as we enjoy making them. And if that’s not enough for you, then give some of our games a spin!

And if you want to learn more about what we’re up to at Hey, Good Game, you can find out more right here. 

It makes you wonder if those who created the sport of hockey just whacked these puck-like rocks and thought to themselves:

Hey, Good Game!