There are many local varieties of the kile game. One factor that seems to be unique to the kile game in Engerdal is that the players throw rocks. Other places the players usually throw wood stubs. The competition is important. One source states that the loosing team had to treat the winning team to «kaffedokter» (coffee with booze).
The kile game arena at Blokkodden is made from the model of arenas from the Sorken/Elgå district. In Gutulia there used to be an arena used by the people at the seters (outlying farmhouse) nearby. The men would meet up over the weekends and compete. In Drevsjø there was an arena in the center of the village where the men competed in the summer. The traditions in Engerdal are definitely older than the 1800s. The game is also known in Sweden.
The rules of the kile game:
- The players try to be the first to reach 24 points. If a player gets more than 24 points, they fall back to 15 points. This is called to «burn».
- The players throw a stone of a good size, preferably a little oval.
- There is a throwing competition for the starting order. This is called the «shoeing». The players take a kil (the wooden cones) each and throw them at a decided mark. The player that is the closest to the mark begins as number one. The other players start in the order of the result from the «shoeing».
- Points:
King 12 points
Queen 6 points
Cornerkil 3 points
Lice 1 point
These points are only valid when only one kil falls on a throw. If more than on kil fall in a single throw, the player only gets one point per kil. If the king is hit and falls all the way out of the arena, the player gets 24 points and has won the game. If the king is still partly inside the arena, but can be rolled out of the arena without touching any of the other kils, it is considered as «out».
- When all the players have thrown, the players that got points get an additional throw, called a «back throw». This throw is from where their stone landed. If the stone is so close to the king that the player can take a step forward, stand on one foot and knock the king on the head, the player may stand wherever he wants for the «back throw». During the «back throw», all kils count as one point.
The kile game can be played with teams or as single contestants. The same rules apply.