Popular traditional games in Malaysia

Gaming lovers today are the luckiest people in the world in terms of game selection. You have the option of playing modern titles on a gaming powerhouse like 7slots. You may also opt to explore traditional games to get a feel of what the experience was like in the past. Did you know that you may end up enjoying titles that were produced before you were born? It happens all the time! On that note, check out some of the most popular traditional games in Malaysia to see if there is one that piques your interest.

Congkak

A two-player title, Congkak is believed to have originated from Southeast Asia by Arab or Indian traders in the 15th century. The name of the title was derived from congak, a Malay word that means mental arithmetic. At first it was a game that was exclusively for girls, but after sometime everyone could play without any issue. The traditional board game involves two persons sitting in front of each other using a wooden board designed with 16 to 18 holes normally carved out in two rows. Several seeds or marbles are placed in the holes on the board. The player’s main objective is to collect more marbles or seeds than the opponents.

Batu Seremban

Also known as Selambut, Batu Seremban is the Malay local version of jacks. It involves 2-5 players and a few round pebbles or stones are used to play the game. It is a simple title to play anywhere from public parks to school compounds. Note that round or triangular cloth bags filled with saga seeds can substitute the round pebbles or stones when playing Batu Seremban. Participants take turns tossing them into the air and have to quickly collect the stones already in the ground before they catch the one that has been tossed in the air. You survive when there are no stones or bags on the ground. Failing to do so for five consecutive times eliminates you from the game. The last player standing is declared the winner.

Gasing

Also referred to as Spinning Top, it is a famous traditional Malaysian game that was mostly played during the rice harvest season as it was believed it would lead to bountiful harvest. It was usually played on a flat open area by adults and kids. Playing gasing is not a simple task. It requires speed, strength, and skill. The steps to follow to successfully play the title are:

• Wrapping a rope around a player’s hand or finger properly to ensure it does not unravel;
• Wrapping the rope around the top of the item that will play the game tightly and neatly for more spin, precision, and power;
• Player then launches the item to ensure that the top keeps spinning for the longest time possible;
• The participant who will spin the longest is the winner.

There are more than 100 variations of this game giving players tons to enjoy.

Guli

Marbles or Guli was quite the catch back in the days. A game suitable for both girls and boys aged between 7-11, they played this on a flat open surface. A one-meter diameter is drawn on the ground and marbles made from clay, glass or limestone are placed inside it on the surface. The maximum number of people who can play the sport are limited to 5. The primary aim of the title is to take turns flicking your marbles at the other players’ marbles, trying to push them off the circle. The game ends when the circle does not have any marbles left and the winner gets to keep all the marbles. While it may appear like a simple title, it normally requires great hand-eye coordination to be in a position to hit each marble accurately.

 Ceper

A simpler name for this game would be bottle caps. It is a title that originated in the 1970s and was a favorite with young lads. To play this game, two or more boys had to look for 5 metal bottle caps. It began by determining which participant will play first by placing all the bottle caps on their palm. The player then tosses them into the air and attempts to catch as many caps with the back of their hand before repeating the process. A single bottle cap in the title was worth 2 points. The player that earned the most points gets the opportunity to start the second part which is spinning the caps in the air before using the same bottle caps to hit one another. It is a game that requires accuracy and dexterity where a person only emerges the winner after successfully weighing the number of bottle caps and adding the total points earned.

Keeping Traditional Games Alive!

Games have always been a great pastime since time in memorial. Just as people love and play modern games, so were traditional games a huge hit among both adults and children. The primary difference may be that most traditional titles were played outside while modern ones are typically accessible through computers and smartphones. It may be time to revisit the traditional titles to help more people spend time outdoors while having fun.