The Best Yard Game? | Cornhole Review

Our journey to find the best yard games could start at no other place than the game that has won all our hearts these past few years. Cornhole’s rise in popularity has seen it showing up seemingly everywhere that people have inhabited. Backyards, front yards, ranches, restaurants, beaches, BBQs, tailgates, and even weddings — the game of cornhole certainly is doing its part to give yard games everywhere a good name. Let’s dive into this cornhole review and see if all this love is warranted, or if it’s just a fad that will fade.

Fast Facts: Cornhole

Alternate Names: Bags, Baggo, Bean Bag Toss
Game Type: Casual
Price: $180 to $300
Weight: 60 lbs. (25lbs. / board + 8lbs. bags)
Dimensions: 2 ft. by 4 ft. by 6 in. (packed up)
Setup Time: 1 minute
Space Needed: 35ft. by 10ft.
Number of Players: 2 to 4

Game Summary

For those that might not know yet, cornhole is a game of tossing 6 in. bags filled with corn (or resin) at 2 ft. x 4 ft. ramped boards with a 6 in. hole towards the top. You get 3 points for going in the hole, and 1 point for landing it on the board. First person (or team) to 21 wins (check the full cornhole rules here).

We know, this sounds like a weird game to be sweeping the country, but it really hits that sweet spot that all casual yard games try to hit. Fun, easy to watch, and great for many different hang out situations. Let us break it down for you so you can see how this game is hitting all the marks. (see this overview post for details on how we rate games)

Cornhole Portability

With only two slanted boards with holes and eight 16oz. bags filled with corn (or resin). Cornhole definitely gets points for it’s simplicity. And this makes it very easy to set up and take down. With legs folded, a set of cornhole boards fit in a 2ft. by 4ft. by 6in. space. Not bad right? Well, then let us quickly get into the main negative of cornhole. They are HEAVY. A good board weighs at least 25 lbs. Get 2 boards (50 lbs.) and 8 lbs. of bags, and you’re looking at lugging around close to 60 lbs. So while these do store flat and are easy to set up, they’re not the most fun to carry around.

Portability Score: 6

Cornhole Durability

A good cornhole set is about as durable a yard game as you can get (yes, ours fall in this category 🙂 ) . Yes, there are dingy little knockoffs that you can get at big box stores or amazon, but these are not true cornhole boards. Regulation cornhole boards are made from solid 5/8″ or 3/4″ plywood (preferably baltic birch), glued and screwed at all joints, and then sealed to withstand the elements.

How do we know that cornhole is durable? Just go to any event with young kids and cornhole boards and you’ll see them battle tested for hours (for some reason, kids think cornhole boards are ramps to run on). Good cornhole bags with double stitching also helps with the durability.

The only negative that true cornhole boards get in the durability category is that they are not fully waterproof. Left out in the weather and you will eventually lose the playing surface to the rain and sun (so just don’t do that and you’re good). Overall, cornhole is very durable if you get a well built set (hint hint).

Durability Score: 9

Cornhole Playability

Perhaps cornhole’s most valuable attribute is its playability. First, pretty much anyone can play it. By simply scooting the boards closer together, young kids can play (toddlers even love just dropping the bags in the hole over and over). It also doesn’t require too much athleticism to play, and the rules and scoring are simple, so most anyone can at least get the hang of it. Second, you can play cornhole anywhere with a decently flat and open area. Obviously, the ideal situation is a 40ft. by 8ft. area, but as was said earlier, playing closer together is doable as well. Due to its popularity, simple rules, and ease of setup, cornhole is very playable.

Playability Score: 10

Cornhole Addictiveness

Cornhole strikes a wonderful balance of being simple, yet still challenging. Because cornhole has many levels of expertise (there is even a professional level!), it keeps you coming back for more. If you’re at all competitive, then you’ll keep playing to get better.

There are other attributes that gives cornhole a good Addictiveness score. The pace of play is casual, but also not too slow (unless you’re playing with THAT guy. You know, the guy that gets distracted between throws). Also, the fact that the game is almost everywhere these days, makes it fun to become good at it (because then you can show off your sweet corn throwing skills).

For some though, it might be too rudimentary to keep them coming back. For that lack of creativity, cornhole loses a couple points. Still a solid score in addictiveness.

Addictiveness Score: 7

Cornhole Value

Cornhole comes in as one of the most expensive yard games out there. A solid cornhole set averages about $225, which is about triple what the other games on our Ultimate Yard Games List are coming in at. Do you really need to spend this much money on a yard game to have a good time? Probably not (you’ll see that there are a lot of good alternatives in our future posts). But if you’re going to spend money on a yard game, you won’t be wasting it by getting good cornhole set.

As we’ve covered above, it checks a lot of the boxes for a great game. Cornhole sets last for many many years. You can also customize them to look exactly how you want (something you don’t get with most other games). So while this is an expensive yard game, we still feel you’re getting good value when you buy a set. Regret is not something you typically feel after purchasing a cornhole set.

Value Score: 8

Final Results

Cornhole is a game that people have enjoyed for years now, and it will be enjoyed for many more. Cornhole is a classic. It is a chameleon that fits all situations. It can be played pretty much anywhere with anyone. Cornhole is THE yard game. Coming in at 40 points out of 50, cornhole will always be at the top of the any list of yard games. Hopefully now you can see why.

If you don’t yet have a cornhole set of your own, you should definitely go about to rectify that situation. If you do have one already, then get off your phone or laptop right now and go, GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY!