Skittles is an old
European lawn game, a variety of
bowling from which
ten-pin bowling,
duckpin bowling,
candlepin bowling (in the
United States), and
five-pin bowling (in
Canada) are descended. In regions of the
United Kingdom and
Ireland the game remains a popular indoor
pub game. A
continental version is popular in
Germany,
Austria and
Switzerland. Other varieties of bowling are more popular in
Australia, but the similar game of
kegel, based on German
nine-pin bowling, is popular in some areas. In
Catalonia,
bitlles, a local version of this game was formerly popular.