Objective of the Game
Dosenstechen is a dexterity game where players aim to knock bottles or cans off a stand or table using a stick. The player who knocks over the most cans or bottles wins the game.
What You Need
- Cans or Bottles: These should be easy to topple and can be made of plastic or lightweight metal.
- Stand or Table: An elevated surface to place the cans or bottles on.
- Sticks or Other Throwing Objects: These can be balls, rings, or specially made throwing sticks.
Setup
- Set Up the Playing Field: Arrange the cans in a row or pyramid formation on a table or stand.
- Mark a Throwing Line: Decide on a line from which players must throw their sticks or other objects.
- Decide the Order: Determine the order of play. This can be done by rolling dice or simply going clockwise.
How to Play
- Aim and Throw: The first player stands at the throwing line, picks up a stick, and attempts to knock over as many cans as possible.
- Scoring: Each can that falls down counts as one point. Some variations assign different point values to different cans.
- Next Player: After the first player throws, the next player takes their turn.
- End of Round: A round ends once all players have had their turn.
- Tally the Points: At the end of the round, count the points scored by each player.
- Determine the Winner: After a set number of rounds, the person with the most points is the winner.
Strategies
- Aim at the Base: Throw the stick to hit the base of a can. This might knock over multiple cans if placed closely.
- Controlled Power: Use enough force to knock over cans, but avoid overexerting which can make the throw inaccurate.
- Observe Arrangement: Take note of how the cans are arranged and adjust your throwing strategy accordingly.
Variation
In some versions, the cans are placed at varying heights, which makes the game more challenging. It can also be drawn who should "manage" which height in the next round.
Dosenstechen is easy to learn and provides a lot of fun for the whole family. It combines skill with a healthy dose of competition and is perfect for playing outdoors!
