Rocky RukShuk: Soon To Be on a Screen Near You?

What is old becomes new again -- is this inspired by Stonehenge or other ancient rock formations built by our ancestors?

(Or is there a simpler reason grasshopper?)

Rukshuk, "The Game of Rock Balancing" -- offers a "refreshing departure from the high-tech world of video games dominating the current landscape" and a global ecological theme.

Every Rukshuk rock formation, which players attempt to build by balancing specially crafted game rocks, is named for a natural rock phenomenon somewhere on the planet.

Here's creator Malcom Bisiker's take on it:
“Mother Nature has been building rock formations for a long time. People around the world have also built rock formations for cultural reasons and as landmarks for thousands of years. Rukshuk delivers this age-old idea in the form of an exciting, point-scoring game."

Players race against the clock to build different Rukshuk rock formations by balancing their blindly chosen game rocks. (Scrabble anyone?)

If a formation topples, it must be rebuilt quickly. Points are scored for each rock standing at the end of the allotted time, with bonus points added for the successful use of specific rocks and the completion of the formation. The player with the highest score wins.

Bisiker's inspiration? Rukshuk was conceived in 1998 in a cafe (are you sure this doesn't mean "pub"?) in London, England, where he watched as a group of friends nearby attempted to stack sugar cubes. He wondered what was so addictive about the balancing act, tried it himself and was instantly hooked.

(See how you can turn your idle time into inspiration?)