Novuss

Novuss is a tabletop cue sport in which players use a short cue to propel wooden discs into corner pockets on a square wooden board. The goal is to sink all of your assigned discs before your opponent does, combining elements of carrom and pocket billiards.

Novuss is recognized as Latvia's national sport and is believed to have been developed in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, with roots connected to Baltic seafaring culture. It is also widely played in Estonia and among Baltic diaspora communities in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Unlike carrom, which is played by flicking discs with the fingers, Novuss uses a short cue stick to strike the wooden discs. The board has pockets in the corners like a pool table, but the playing surface is smaller and the game uses flat wooden discs rather than the resin balls found in billiards.

Yes, Novuss has organized competitive play, particularly in Latvia and Estonia where the sport has national federations. The Latvian Novuss Federation organizes national championships, and international tournaments have been held among Baltic and diaspora communities.