Over the last couple years of camping with friends and family there have been two essentials to our camping trips other than tents, sleeping bags and beer. Ladder Ball and Cornhole. These two games have not only been a linchpin to our camping trips but for many others as well. I have seen these two games pop up everywhere from the coast of Oregon to the mountains of Montana to the shores of Yooper Land. It begs the question as to which one is the true king of camp gaming. What game rules supreme as the ultimate time waster when you have to spend quality time with friends and family you barely know? Which game, if you were forced to choose only one because you lack some serious car packing skills, would come away victorious and earn the right to make the trip? Is it Ladder Ball or Cornhole as the best camping game in America right now? To find out we will judge these two games on four criteria to find a victor: 1) accessibility, 2) complexity, 3) can I hold a beer while playing, and 4) does beer make me a better player?
First, here is a brief summary of each game. If you don’t know any of these games then you need to put down your game controller and get outside right now. Or, just see if the Wii game exists.
Ladder Ball: A simple game where you toss or throw bolas, usually two golf balls connected by a string, onto a 3 ring ladder. If you wrap the bola on the top bar it is worth 1 point, the middle bar is worth 2 points and the bottom bar is worth 3 points. The first team to earn 21 points without going over wins. It can be played by 2 individuals or in teams of 2. If your name is Russell Westbrook and you find yourself on a team, feel free to ignore your teammate at any time no matter how good your teammate is.
Cornhole: Otherwise known as bean bag toss, this is another relatively simple game to play. Each player gets three bean bags and takes turns tossing the bean bag about 20-30 feet towards a raised and slanted platform with a hole in the top center. If your bean bag hits the platform and stays on it is worth 1 point. If your bean bag goes through the hole it is worth 3 points. Again, you play to 21 without going over and can be played individually or in teams of 2.
Accessibility
Cornhole: This game can be played by just about anyone from older grade school kids to their grandmas. Unlike its counterpart Ladder Ball, the bean bags are easier to throw making Cornhole accessible to just about any age group. Like Ladder Ball, you need a flat surface to play on to make things even for both sides. In short, none of these games can be played if you are camping at Craters of the Moon. The game is easy to setup with very little maintenance needed during play. Cornhole is one of the most accessible games to any camping trip, easily beating out camp favorites like touch football and shotski.
Ladder Ball: Accessible for sure, but not as accessible as Cornhole. Younger kids may find it harder to toss the bolas, especially for the required distance, and aim will almost certainly be an issue. Stay clear of any kids with bolas in their hand, their ability to harm you just shot up about 90%. Older kids and adults can play with little difficulty, but this game requires a little better technique in aiming than Cornhole. The one flaw with Ladder Ball is that the ladder rings are typically made from the same material as Tony Romo’s late game confidence which may come undone during the game requiring some maintenance here and there.
Advantage: Cornhole. Good fun for whole family and more kid friendly.
Complexity
Cornhole: Both games are easy to follow if you can count to 21 so this automatically disqualifies the Jacksonville Jaguars offense from being able to compete. Cornhole, like Ladder Ball, can be played while cancelling out points. For example, if one player gets a total 5 points on a turn and his opponent gets 3 points, the winning player only receives a total of 2 points for that turn. It makes for longer games and more strategic thinking. There are not many rule variations for Cornhole that I have come across. Cornhole is a straight forward game with relatively little arguing over the rules and point system.
Ladder Ball: This game can be a bit more complex if you let it. Not only are there point cancellation rules like Cornhole, but you can vary how many points a throw earns and this can change from day to day or game to game or even toss to toss. We affectionately call these rules Tyler Rules based on the many variations a family friend of ours as made on this game. It’s like having your own BCS system at the camping trip. Tyler Rules can be any one or all of the following: if you bounce the bola on the ground first and it wraps around any of the bars you get 1 extra point. If your bola wraps around any of the bars 4 times you get an extra 1 point. If you go over 21 points you go back to 14 or 17 or stay the same, whichever Tyler feels like on this particular day. This can lead to some disagreements here and there and the occasional swear word leading to this game being much less accessible than originally intended. But it can make for more exciting, if not confusing, matches as well as a more strategic approach to the game if you have a first-rate ‘Barry Bonds’ who goes for home runs rather than singles, doubles or triples.
Advantage: Toss-up. Depends on how complex you like your game and how much time you have on your hands. Both can be very easy but Ladder Ball can be a lot more complex if you like.
Can I hold a beer while playing?
Cornhole: Yes, but not required. Minors are free to have a Root Beer in hand or their favorite soda of choice. Ditto for Ladder Ball.
Ladder Ball: Yes, but not required unless you are playing by Tyler Rules in which case you lose a point with every toss without a beer in your hand.
Advantage: Cornhole
Does beer make me a better player?
Cornhole: There is no solid evidence to say it does but after a few beers who cares about evidence at all. Just ask any creationist. From what I have witnessed, if you are good at this game in general then you are going to be good at it even after slugging a few back. If you stink at this game, you will stink at it no matter how many libations and liquid confidence you drink up and nobody will want to be your teammate. Ever. Just ask Tim Tebow.
Ladder Ball: Not from what I’ve seen. In fact, unlike Cornhole, I would say you are more likely to play worse the more you toss back. In fact, I would say the accessibility limitation applies here to those who have had a couple too many and the probability of you harming someone also goes up about 90%. It won’t hurt to get hit by a bean bag but it will hurt to get hit by a couple of flying golf balls. Caution is extremely suggested here.
Advantage: Cornhole
Winner: Cornhole!
Although my personal preference would be Ladder Ball, Cornhole is a simpler game to play that any member of the family can take part in with very little variation and disagreement on rules . So, for this year anyway, Cornhole is the ultimate camp game.
With the summer season winding down and the last of the camping trips to take place, any one of these games will heighten your camping experience. I recommend both as part of your time killing experience. Just whatever you do, do not play egg roulette. Have a great rest of the summer!
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