On the night of the 24th of February 2025, the Indonesian Traditional Game student initiated activity was held at the G/F common room. It provided insight for our curious academians to learn about the traditional games that are often played in Indonesia. Hosted by Calysta and Krista, the Indonesian traditional game introduced 3 interesting games for our academians to play, which consisted of “Congklak”, “Bekel”, and “Stik Es-krim”. It was definite that all the participants had a great time playing all the traditional games that were provided.

The first game that was introduced to the academians that joined the Indonesian Traditional Game activity was “Congklak”. Congklak is a traditional Indonesian mancala game played on a wooden board with 14 pits and two larger “home” pits, using small shells, seeds, or stones as counters. The objective is to collect the most counters in your “home” by strategically distributing them across the board in a counterclockwise direction. As it was a paired game, the academians joined in pairs to battle each other out in the ultimate fight of strategy, counting, and patience, to end up having the most beads in their home pit. Overall, this game was extremely engaging and fun for everyone to try, especially how this game had numerous other variation that are also played in other countries.

The second game is also a game that has been seen to have their own style in other countries, which is called “bekel”. Bekel is a traditional Indonesian game played with a rubber ball and small metal objects called bekel pieces. The objective is to bounce the ball while picking up the metals and being able to catch the bouncing ball, requiring both dexterity and coordination. The game will get harder, as the current round number you are playing indicates how much metal pieces you need to pick up whilst the ball bounces. This game can also increase in difficulty if academians choose to use smaller balls which makes them harder to be caught while bouncing.

The final game, also did not disappoint as it was the most nerve-wrecking game that the academians played. It was “stik-es krim”, which directly translates to Ice cream stick. The game is a popular children’s game, usually played by primary school students. It is played by having an ice cream stick, hitting the ground using your hand, and creating a force to flip your ice cream stick forward. The game is won when you flip your ice cream stick on top of your opponent’s ice cream stick. Despite the game sounding silly, it is actually a fun game to play, when you are looking to cool off after a long day at university.

The Indonesian Traditional Game student-initiated activity was a delightful evening that brought laughter, excitement, and cultural appreciation to the G/F common room. Through games like Congklak, which tested strategy and patience, Bekel, which challenged dexterity and coordination, and the lighthearted yet thrilling Stik Es-krim, participants not only had the chance to immerse themselves in the charm of Indonesia’s traditional games but also created memorable moments of fun and camaraderie. Hosted brilliantly by Calysta and Krista, the event succeeded in fostering curiosity and joy among all academians, leaving everyone with a deeper appreciation for Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage.