Sey and Klah Klok
Some of the games may sound familiar. For instance, have you ever owned a Hacky Sack? This game is similar to the traditional Cambodian game called Sey. Instead of the round bean bag used for Hacky Sack, they use a feather attached to a rubber disk, called a shuttlecock. The only objective is to keep the shuttlecock in the air without using your hands.
Klah Klok is a traditional betting game. Three dice are used that have pictures on each side, instead of numbers. The players bet on which pictures they believe will be rolled and place their wagers on a game board. Then, the dice are rolled into a bowl. The players win if a picture they wagered on appears. If more than one of their pictures are rolled, then their winnings multiply.
Bay Khom and Chol Chhoung
In Bay Khom, the game pieces are small beads, but players can also use pebbles or seeds as long as there are a total of 42 pieces. It is a type of mancala game. For this two-person game, the players dig ten holes in the ground, creating an oval-shaped board. Five beads are placed in the two holes on one end, and the remaining eight holes will have just four.
The first player takes all the beads from any hole he chooses and drops them one at a time into the other holes. He must drop the last bead into a hole that is beside an empty one. Then, he gets to take all the beads in the hole next to it. The object of the game is to have the most pieces when the game ends, and the game ends when all the holes are empty.
Chol Chhoung, or just Chhoung, is said to create passion and attraction, which makes it a favorite among teenagers and young adults. As with most Cambodian games, very few materials are needed to play. The ''chhoung'' is a rolled-up scarf tied at one end to create a tail. The players are divided into two groups, and the one with the ''chhoung'' is the tossing team.
The tossing team will use the tail of the ''chhoung'' to toss it up in a high arch over to the other group. If caught, that player will throw it back, trying to hit a member of the tossing team. If a person gets hit, they must then sing and dance as they return the ''chhoung.'' In some versions of the game, a traditional song and dance are performed. In others, the players are free to create lyrics to tease each other, giving them a chance to be a bit flirtatious.
Leak Kansaeng and Bos Angkunh
If you have ever played Duck, Duck, Goose, then Leak Kansaeng (sometimes spelled Konsaeng) should sound familiar, too. The game is also known as Hide the Scarf. To play, all the players sit in a circle except for one. That person will have the ''kansaeng,'' which is a Cambodian towel or scarf twisted and knotted into a round shape with a tail. This person will walk around the circle and try to secretly place the ''kansaeng'' behind one of the players. When the chosen player realizes it is behind them, they must grab it and chase after the person sitting next to them, so they can beat them with the ''kansaeng.'' Ouch!
Another game that leaves the players a little sore is Bos Angkunh, also spelled Bos Ongkunh. In this game, the players use a round, hard fruit with two flat sides called an ''angkunh.'' The players are divided into two groups. One team creates a playing area in front of them by arranging their ''angkunhs'' on the ground in a triangular or semi-circular shape. The other team will then step a few feet back and throw their ''angkunhs'' towards the play area, trying to knock over the ones on the ground.
A player loses if their ''angkunh'' is knocked over. The player who knocked it over is the winner. What do they win? They get to place two ''angkunhs'' against the loser's knees and knock them to make a clacking sound. Double ouch!
Lesson Summary
In summary, the traditional games of Cambodia are simple but entertaining. Most can be played anywhere and with basic materials:
- Chab Kon Kleng is a game of chase with roles of the hen, the crow, and the chicks.
- Sey is a game of Hacky Sack that uses a shuttlecock.
- Klah Klok is a popular betting game with dice with pictures.
- Bay Khom is a game of strategy, like mancala, played on the ground with small pebbles or beads.
- Chol Chhoung is a popular game involving tossing a scarf, singing and dancing, and perhaps a little bit of flirting.
- Leak Kansaeng involves hiding a scarf behind someone, then the person with the scarf chasing the person next to them and hitting them with it.
- Bos Angkunh is a tossing game using hard fruits. The losers get their knees knocked with the fruits!
