Sjoelen

About this board game

Sjoelen is a Dutch dexterity game for 1–4 players, with a playing time of about 30 minutes. Also known as Dutch Shuffleboard in English and Jakkolo in German, it challenges players to slide wooden disks along a two-metre-long table.

Each player has three rounds to send 30 disks toward the far end of the table. There, four arches divide the board into compartments numbered 1 to 4. The aim is to guide disks through the arches and build the highest score through careful, controlled sliding.

Scoring in Sjoelen rewards more than simply targeting the highest-numbered compartment. Every set of four disks—one in each of the four compartments—scores double: 20 points instead of the usual 10. This makes the lower-scoring compartments strategically important and gives each shot a meaningful role in completing valuable sets.

• Players: 1–4
• Play time: about 30 minutes
• Core challenge: slide 30 wooden disks through four numbered arches
• Scoring twist: each complete set of four disks scores double

Originating in the Netherlands, Sjoelen remains particularly popular there. The game has also developed an international competitive scene, with World Championships held every two years; the most recent event listed here took place in Germany from 30 May to 1 June 2019, with the next planned for the Netherlands in 2021.

The word sjoelbak refers to the board, not the game itself. With roots reaching back to 1870, Sjoelen combines straightforward rules, physical precision, and satisfying scoring decisions in a timeless tabletop challenge.