Game: Pachisi

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ArtEmiSa64 — 2008-11-18T22:32:42+00:00

Cayro Cover

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Meander — 2008-11-15T00:46:32+00:00

1964 Parcheesi "Gold Seal Edition"

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rober — 2008-11-14T10:30:25+00:00

overview

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Dottor_Destino — 2008-10-18T14:36:36+00:00

Board, 2-6 players, swiss edition (Eile mit Weile, Chi va sano va piano e va lontano)

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Dottor_Destino — 2008-10-18T14:35:43+00:00

Board, 2-4 players, swiss edition (Eile mit Weile, Chi va sano va piano e va lontano)

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Dottor_Destino — 2008-10-18T14:34:28+00:00

Cover, swiss edition (Eile mit Weile, Chi va sano va piano e va lontano)

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zolarasec — 2008-09-09T00:19:51+00:00

Home-made pachisi/chausar board made as tapestry, pieces are of wood

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Meander — 2008-09-05T04:43:21+00:00

As the sun sank over the Ganges the animals stood on their heads

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Flashhawk — 2008-08-30T18:44:48+00:00

custom Cirkel Fia board. Still waiting for the rules guys!!

Thread: Real 1 Dimensional and 2 Dimensional Pachisi

Flashhawk — 2008-08-12T19:37:05+00:00

So what is this all about?
To all who don´t know why we have to talk about this: Pachisi is a 1D-directed game. This means, you only go forward with your gamepiece and that as far as your dice says...
And here the Variantdiscription starts:
Don't use the base with the color of your gamepieces but the one direct opposite to it as your starting point.
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This means green starts from the blue base, red from yellow and so on.
Then you need a coin to determine positive and negative movement. Your goal is to get into your House, but your game pieces are moving forward and backwards now! All other rules apply as normal.

For 2D-Pachisi you need 2 6-sided dice of different color with the numbers -3 to +3 and a 7x7 Chessboard.
All Players start in the middle (x4,y4). Whenever both dice show the same absolut number (+3 and -3 are absolute same numbers) you get another gamepiece. The one dice shows the x-axis, the other one the y-axis. Your goal is to reach the corners of the board. If you want to make it harder, each player gets its own corner.

So have fun!
Kolja

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siuchak — 2008-08-06T14:10:27+00:00

Lego Ludo in box

Thread: "Hey Mom! At least I did better than the camels!"

dagny21 — 2008-07-13T01:06:30+00:00

Note:This review refers to the following specific Parcheesi edition:
Milton Bradley Parcheesi - the Classic Game of India by Milton Bradley
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On a recent trip to our local Friends of the Library book store, we found a basically brand new copy of Milton Bradley Parcheesi - The Classic Game of India on sale for $1.25. Since I have great memories of playing this game as a kid, of course I grabbed it.

This Particular Parcheesi Game
This particular version of Parcheesi is a little bit different looking than the standard. Instead of plain pawns, the game pieces are animals (elephants, tigers, water buffalo, and camels). The two six-sided dice are wooden, and the board has a slightly different color scheme with some Indian-ish graphics on it. Game play is exactly the same as with any other Parcheesi/Pachisi/Parchisi/Ludo game you might find.

What's in the Box?
~1 fold-out game board
~2 wooden 6-sided dice
~4 each of plastic tigers, elephants, water buffalo, and camels.
~instructions.

How To Play
Each player decides which animal he wants to be, then puts all of his pieces in their color-coded start spot. Each player then rolls both dice. Whoever rolls the highest goes first.

At the start of each turn, the player rolls both dice. He then has the option of moving one of his pieces the total spaces shown on both dice, or moving one piece one number and another piece the other number. In order to move a player from start, he must roll a total of 5 on both dice, or a 5 on one or both dice. When a player rolls a 5, he must take one of his animals out of start if he is able.

Players take turns in this way, moving around the board, until someone has all of his animals in their home spot.

Sounds simple? It is, but there are a few special rules to consider:

Bumping Players
If you land on the same spot as one of your opponents, you will bump them back to their starting spot. As an extra reward for bumping, you get a bonus of 20 spaces to move one of your pieces.

Safe Spots On all Parcheesi/Pachisi/Parchisi/Ludo/etc. games there are safe spots. In this game, they are the spots that have lotus flowers on them. When your piece is on a lotus flower, it cannot be bumped by any other player, nor can a player of another color occupy that space with you. The only exception to this is if you are sitting on the lotus right outside the starting area of another player, and he brings his pawn out. Then, he can bump you if you only have 1 guy on that spot.

Blockades
A blockade is formed any time 2 pieces of the same color are occupying the same board space. No player (not even the one forming the blockade) can move a piece past that blockade. Nor can more than 2 pieces (even of the same color) occupy the same space at any given time.

Doubles
When you roll doubles, a few different things happen depending on the circumstances. If all of your pieces are out of the start space at the time of your roll, you not only get to go the number that is facing up, but you get to turn the dice over and go the number showing underneath also. Once you have finished with that, you get to roll again. If you don't have all of your guys out of their start area at the time you roll the dice, you take your turn as normal, but do get to roll again. Should you roll 3 doubles in a row, however, the penalty can be severe. Whichever of your animals is closest to home (even if they are in the home stretch area that is generally safe) must be returned to your start area.

Getting Home
You must roll the exact number needed in order to take one of your guys home. If you have 4 spaces to go and you roll a 5, you can't move that one. If you get a guy home and still have pieces left to move, you get to move one of your pieces a bonus of 10 spaces.

Age Appropriate
The box says this game if for 6 years and up. I think that's about accurate. It's a very simple game that a younger child could easily learn the mechanics of, but I wouldn't recommend it for younger than 6 because with all of the bumping of opponents back to start it can last quite awhile, and most 4 or 5 year olds won't be able to sit through that. Also, there is a little strategy here. Even my 6 year old has to be reminded to look carefully and think about who he should move and to remember that he can either move the total amount with one piece or split the move up.

How Many Players?
The box says it can be played with 2 players, but we think it's only really good with 3. 2 players makes it a faster, but much more boring game with very little bumping action going on. With only 8 pawns on the board, players tend to stay out of each others way and simply race to the finish line. 4 players can stretch the game out interminably. It's still fun, but gets a little too chaotic, particularly for children. There can be a lot of bumping, a lot of opportunities for strategy, but the game can also be stretched out for a long time.

Our Experience
In our family of three, we love this game. For some reason, no one ever seems to play the camels. So, my son came up with the joke that at the end of the game we can all at least be proud that we did better than the camels (who didn't play at all). We really like this game. It's a fun way to while away the evening, and there's enough strategy to make it fun. We all take great pleasure out of bumping each other back to start and then of course swearing revenge on each other.

Final Thoughts
This is a good family game ideal for 3 players. Adults enjoy it but it's simple enough for little children to learn. In a pinch, an even younger child can play, but you might want to go easy on the bumping and the blockading with them. There are lots and lots of versions of this game available in a variety of themes and under a few different names, so it's easy to come by. I like this one because of the Indian feel.

Thread: Drop the special roll to leave home rule

jaredhayter — 2008-03-18T22:59:51+00:00

I particularly dislike some of the rules idiosyncracies which set this family of games apart from backgammon-related games. One of the worst offenders is the rule that pieces can only move from home on a special roll of the dice. This makes the game take longer than necessary and deprives players of meaningful choices or even any actions at all. Try letting pieces come out on any number that is not blocked and I think you will find the game to play considerably faster with more decision making to be had for everyone.

Thread: Wahoo: Oklahoman Rules & Beginning Strategy

ShaneB — 2007-12-16T18:21:29+00:00

Wahoo has as many variants as people playing the game. The following rules for Wahoo, used religiously by my family, offer much more strategy than can be found in the commercially available versions of the game (Aggravation, Sorry, Trouble, Parcheesi, etc).

We make our own boards, so the Board Description (below) refers to the paint style we use.

Wahoo can be played as a single game, or Tournament style. In Tournament style, the team who wins two out of three games is the winner.

CONCEPT:

Players team up to be the first to move their marbles around the track from their bases to their homes.

SETUP:

1. Determine teams: 2 teams of 2 for the four-player side, and 3 teams of 2 for the six-player side. Partners sit across from each other. Note: For six-player games, 2 teams of 3 is not recommended.

2. Each player selects one die to use.

3. Each player rolls his or her die to determine who plays first. Highest roll wins the bid, and play revolves clockwise starting with that player. For consecutive games, the losing team goes first, with the two players of that team either rolling for high or verbally agreeing who will roll first.

4. Players place all four of their marbles in their Base.

BOARD DESCRIPTION:

Track: The holes forming a Cross (4-player) or Star (6-player) pattern, around which the players move.
Base: The painted holes outside the track (off-track).
Start Position: The painted hole to the right of your Base.
Home: The painted holes to the right of your Start Position, inside the track.
Shortcut: The bronze-painted hole in the center of the board.
Corners: The bronze-painted holes surrounding the Shortcut. The unpainted corners have no special function.

RULES of PLAY:

1. A turn consists of a player rolling one die, and, if possible, moving one of their marbles.

2. A player may not move his or her partner’s marbles unless they are Playing Together (see below).

3. A player may move one marble into his or her Start Position if: a) that player’s Start Position is not occupied by one of his or her own marbles, and b) that player rolls a 1 or 6. If a partner's marble occupies your Start Position, you cannot move a marble out if you have other marbles in play. If you have no other marbles in play, you must knock off your partner.

4. Marbles move clockwise around the board. Counter-clockwise moves are not allowed.

5. Marbles move the number of spaces indicated by the player’s die roll. You must use all of the die roll (for example, you cannot move only 3 spaces when you’ve rolled a 5).

6. A single roll cannot be distributed among your marbles. One roll=one marble moved.

7. If a player rolls a 1 or 6, that player may take another turn after the present turn is complete. That player may continue taking turns as long as a 1 or 6 is rolled.

8. If a marble lands in a space occupied by another marble, that marble is knocked off (sent back to base, from where it must start again). It is not legal to knock off one of your partner’s marbles, unless that is the only move you can make--in which case you must take the move. Players are never allowed to knock off their own marbles.

9. If a player cannot move, that player’s turn is over (unless the die shows a 1 or 6, in which case he or she may roll again).

10. You may pass, or jump over, any other marbles, including your own.

11. Once a marble reaches the space directly outside its Home, that marble may not move forward along the Track any more.

12. If you move a marble to a new space and then take your hand off that marble, that marble is considered played. You may not take the move back, even if you see a better move. Note that this rule only applies to a marble that occupies a new space at the time your hand is removed.

13. If the die lands on the board, or on any object or surface other than the table, that roll does not count and the player must roll again. If the die rolls across the board (or other object), and lands on the table, the roll is good and must be played.

14. If you roll out of turn, the roll does not count, and must be re-rolled when your turn begins.

15. Players may not touch an opponent’s die unless given permission.

16. If you need to leave the table for a short time, your partner may roll for you if all players agree.

17. Table Talk between partners is not allowed.

TABLE TALK

Table Talk is any verbal or non-verbal suggestion or hint as to how a partner should play their marble(s). There are four exceptions to this rule:

1. If a player thinks that he or she cannot move when in fact there is a legal move possible, players must point out the legal move and the player must take it.
2. If a player miscounts or for any reason does not move the full amount indicated by their die roll, the other players must alert them. If this results in an illegal move, see the rules above.
3. See below, under Playing Together.
4. Table Talk is allowed after a game, and between games.

It is acceptable to suggest moves (no matter how illegal or ridiculous) to your opponents. In fact, any form of heckling is encouraged, noting that they may do the same to you. However, it is not always wise to make even ridiculous suggestions to your opponents because doing so might call attention to a marble they had forgotten about.

PENALTY: The penalty for team Table Talk is unwritten, and left for the players to decide before play. This penalty may be a standing house rule, or it may change with each game or Tournament. Whatever the penalty, it should be severe enough to deter Table Talk. Penalty suggestions include:
a) the accused player must remove one of their marbles from the track and return it to their base. If that player cannot remove one of their marbles, he or she must remove one of their partner’s marbles.
b) The player who rolled loses his or her turn and therefore cannot make the offending suggested move.

The SHORTCUT:

If a marble is in any one of the bronze corners, and that player rolls a 1, that player may move the marble from the corner to the shortcut. If another 1 is rolled (either in that turn, or any subsequent turn, provided another player has not knocked off the marble), that player may move from the shortcut to any bronze corner. Generally, it is preferable to move from the shortcut to the corner closest to your Home. However, there are times when moving to another corner is the preferred move (even moving back to the corner nearest your Start Position, which in this case does not count as a counter-clockwise move).

PLAYING TOGETHER:

When a player has moved all of his or her marbles Home, that player is safe. For the duration of the game, that player’s rolls move his or her partner’s marbles (this being the third exception to the No Table Talk rule, the logic being that you are now only rolling for one set of marbles, and thus “of a mind”). If a player moves his or her last marble Home with a 1 or 6, that player, as per the rules above, may take another turn, moving his or her partner’s marbles.

HOME:

1. To move into Home, the move must be exactly as the die indicates (as per the rules above).
2. Once a marble is Home, a player may move it along the Home track (if space permits, and, again, never backwards) instead of moving a marble on the Track.
3. You may not move your marbles into your partner’s or an opponent’s Home.

WINNING:

A Team wins when they have moved all of their marbles to their respective Homes.

BEGINNING STRATEGY:

1. Be aware of rule 2 under Home (above). Save any possible moves within the Home track until the end of the game (when you are moving your last marble toward Home). By doing this, you will always have extra move options for use with lower die rolls. It may save you from knocking off your partner, or from moving one of your marbles into a weak or dangerous position.

2. Get all of your marbles out to the Track as soon as possible.

3. Leave one marble on your Start Position whenever possible. This discourages your opponents from moving around your Start Position.

4. Avoid landing on an opponent’s Start Position.

5. If your partner has only one marble left, try not to get ahead of that marble. Your partner stands a great chance of knocking you off because he or she, having only one marble, no longer has options.

6. Sometimes, sending an opponent’s marble back to Base is not the best move for you (and/or for your partner).

7. Keep your partner’s situation in mind at all times. How will your move affect your partner?

8. Try to protect your partner’s marble(s) when they are in the Home stretch by moving your own marble(s) behind approaching opponents.

9. While Wahoo subjects you to the vagaries of a die roll, you can do a lot to increase your chances of rolling what you need. It is a numbers game, but many beginning players mistakenly limit their needs. The first step toward getting what you need is to expand your needs. Try not to move marbles so that two or more of your marbles require the same die roll. When you get the roll, you will be stuck as to which marble you should move. Try instead to position your marbles so that you can use a number of die rolls. If you only need a 6, your chances are 1 in 6. If you need a 2, 3, or 5, however, your chances are 3 in 6.

10. If you have to move in front of an opponent, try to position yourself in a way that provokes a tough decision. For instance, if they have a marble in a corner, waiting to use the Shortcut, move your marble one space in front of them. If they roll the 1, they will be forced to make a choice—knock you off, or move to the Shortcut. Neither choice is particularly appealing in this context.

11. If you must move ahead of your opponent, and forcing a decision is not possible, try to move your marble(s) out of range of a single die roll.

12. Try not to move your marbles in a cluster around the Track. Doing so only slows you down.

13. The game isn’t over until it’s over. Even when your situation seems hopeless, you can still come back. As your opponents take the lead, they also retain fewer and fewer marbles, limiting their movement options and weakening their protective abilities. Many a game has turned at the last second, delivering a win to the underdogs.

Thread: Pachees variants: Chaupur

dogmatix — 2007-12-03T02:02:46+00:00

I recently found a fantastic Kalamkari [South Asian cloth hand-dye/decoration technique] Pachees set in a local thrift lumped in with bolts of remnant fabrics.

The set included the obligatory 16 beehives [nicely lacquered] along with 2 hand-carved 4-sided wooden "long dice" that are pipped 0-3 on each [in a bag of a matching design] rather than the cowries I would have expected.

I was struck by the dice, so started googling and came across a Pachees variant called Chaupur that used these dice (though uses 3 dice with more pips than the set I have.)

The rules that I came across for Chaupur struck me however, as a potentially more challenging version of this game. I had hoped to upload the variant here as a file, but the originating site [which makes *beautiful* wood sets] has a fairly onerous requirement for posting their material on other websites, including a request for a link for each page of rules posted. As they had several variants [which may or may not be considered a "page"], I'm pretty sure the Geek would balk at this.

So, that being said, rules, along other variants, were here: http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/pachisi-rules.htm

(And the disclaimer is here: http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/rules-legal.htm )

These folks also have some info, variants and rules: http://pachisi.vegard2.no/chaupar.html . [NOTE: this site is bound and determined to pop advertising up at every chance. It's not malware as far as I can see, but pop-ups drive me mad. You've been forwarned]

Hopefully, when the wife returns from Pakistan with the digicam, I'll be able to take a few pictures of this lovely cloth board and the wooden bits for upload.

Thread: Re: Tock game should have its own entry

carthaginian — 2007-11-14T15:11:44+00:00

does this work like wikipedia? can you add an entry and it gets reviewed, or an admin have to split the pachisi one?

Thread: Tock game should have its own entry

carthaginian — 2007-11-13T22:34:04+00:00

I don't know if it's something that came up until now, but I do believe that Tock has enough differences to allow for a distinct entry.

You are dealt 7 cards, that allow you to move your pieces, So even if a part of randomness exists you also have some strategy. Some of the cards are used for particular moves : 4 is backwards, 11 swap pieces, and 7 allow you to move 2 different pieces. Other variations add different moves.

I think the Tock game, even if its origin is obviously Ludo, adds enough 'innovative' game mechanics (the cards) to allow for a distinct entry in the database.

Thread: Re: Raising Ingrates and Playing to Win

El Hidalgo — 2007-10-17T04:07:48+00:00

Maybe Parchesi was the inspiration for Diplomacy. At some point in time all agreements and mutual backscratching get fractured. Being nice did not exactly rub off in this game and your response indicates that it can either work really well, or it can merely be a ploy to get a break from someone.

So I am thinking that I may encourage deal making and see how it evolves between my girls. Maybe we will graduate to Diplomacy and other Negotiation games.

Thread: Re: Raising Ingrates and Playing to Win

BFoy — 2007-10-16T12:12:46+00:00

Lol, when I was a kid, Parchesi was infamous in my non-gaming family. The first thing I'd do is put out a blockade in my home area. Then I'd maintain that blockade as I moved the other 2 pieces around. There were games where all their pieces were stuck behind my blockade. For some reason they wouldn't set up their own blockades. When I finally got 2 of my pieces close to the finish, I'd break the blockade and race one piece forward while the other stayed back. Talk about a target rich enviroment as everyones pieces started going past my last one.

Then when I was a teen, I played a truly infamous game with my 2 sisters and my younger cousin. I convinced my cousin to gang up on the girls and not hit each other. That worked really well for both of us. Till the turn I broke the agreement, hit him twice and raced in for the win. My cousin was upset about that.

Thread: Raising Ingrates and Playing to Win

El Hidalgo — 2007-10-16T05:27:54+00:00

My daughters are now into gaming in some way shape or form. The youngest (7) readily engages Crazy Eights, Hearts, and Dominoes. The middle daughter (9) goes for Magic the Gathering, and Set. One game they both go for is Parchesi .

So here we are on a Monday early evening and they ask for Parchesi. We whip out the game and take our rolls to start.

Hope gets to start with Joy following and Daddy dead last. They all know the rules about rolling doubles, the penalty for rolling doubles three times, the 20 move bonus for sending someone back, and the 10 move bonus for getting home.

Hope starts off strong getting all of her pieces out in her first few rolls. Joy's luck is better than mine and I end up getting my pieces out slowly. This actually works for me later in the game and I may just use this intentionally as a tactic in the next few games.

As we play Joy implements her strategy of just moving her pieces as far out front as she can. She does not pay too much attention to sending people back and only stumbles on that feature once in awhile. She just wants to get one piece home at a time and only has her other pieces out to give her options. This is how she won the last time.

Hope has latched onto the strategy of the barricade. She doubles her pieces up whenever she can, and looks to send anybody back. She is the first to get one of her pieces home.

Being last out of the blocks both of my girls pieces are before me. Joy has worked her pieces furthest along the board but has gotten a piece sent back by Hope on two occassions. Hopes barricade is in front of my three pieces so I just wait until her die rolls force a barricade break up. I have my pieces on alternating spaces so I can maximize sending her back. Joy ends up sending her back once. When it happens from me...she shrugs it off with a bit of disappointment. When I am poised to do it again the big baby blues of my daughter and her mournful appearence lead me to mercy...and I move a different piece instead.

Grateful...she proceeds on her next turn to send two of my pieces back in one roll of the dice. Some Gratitude

I am stunned...what kind of ingrate have I raised??? But in a way she has shown me that she is ready to play with the big boys. Sooooo...no more mercy...that means I will not look at her eyes anymore.

The game shifts from fun to who can send the most people back...and the evil laughs that go with that. I actually do not get a chance to send anyone else back...but now Joy has gotten a taste of the bonus 20 moves and she is all about playing tag.

While Joy and Hope slug it out...daddy slides in for a victory. Now before you guys go feeling sorry for my girls...this is the first time I have ever won at this game with them. I am usually too busy helping them optimize their moves to gain any advantage. Additionally, Hope smokes both Joy and I in playing SET...my little mathematician and engineer makes me proud. Joy just loves games and plays a mean game of chess intuitively.

I will continue to raise these little ingrates to enjoy the games, and watch them play daddy like a fiddle to win. The next round of Parchesi all the gloves come off.

Thread: Re: Fia med knuff / Pachisi / Ludo - How many games do we re

Trembyle — 2007-05-23T22:43:46+00:00

The "Wa-Hoo" version seems very similar to Fia med knuff, but with the addition of a center space you can jump to from an inside corner by rolling a "1" You can then jump out to another inside corner with the roll of a "1" or risk being knocked off of that center space by a competitor.

Thread: Re: Pachisi - Battle of Barricades

Karlsen — 2007-05-10T15:04:01+00:00

GreatAtuin wrote:
Not quick enough sometimes! Melissa and I played a game with Daughter the Elder when she was almost five. Melissa and I were actively trying to finish the game, we were not trying to block anyone, just get our pieces home. Daughter the Elder was not, she was setting up vicious blocks and generally enjoying herself. With the two adults trying to make the game go as quickly as possible it still too 45 minutes

Ludo was banned as a just before bedtime game after that!

Thread: Re: Pachisi - Battle of Barricades

GreatAtuin — 2007-05-10T12:43:11+00:00

Not quick enough sometimes!

Thread: Re: Pachisi - Battle of Barricades

Karlsen — 2007-05-10T00:13:50+00:00

GreatAtuin wrote:
Game play: Pawns enter the board on a roll of 5 on 2d6. For example: 2+3=5, take a pawn out; or 5+4=9, take a pawn out and move 4 additional spaces. If a pawn ends its move on the space of an opposing pawn, the opposing pawn is sent back to start. The player may then move any pawn they control 20 spaces. Each time you land on an opposing piece you gain this 20 space bonus. there are a few "safe" spaces around the board which prevent opponents from sending you back to start.

Wow, never heard of that ruleset before. We play it under the guise of Ludo. We play with 1d6, you can only enter a pawn on a roll of a six. If you land on someone, their pawn is sent back to the start, no bonus move. Your version sounds like it should play quicker

Thread: Pachisi - Battle of Barricades

GreatAtuin — 2007-05-09T19:32:00+00:00

Pachisi is one of the first games I ever played. For about 10 years whenever I would mention it, all I would get is blank stares from people. (You've seen those stares, like when you tell you're non-gaming friends about your new game purchases.) It is a roll and move game with simple strategy, but can be fun to play.

You may play this game as Parchesi.

Components: Most of us are playing this with plastic animal pieces or non-descript wooden pawns. However I have seen some very pretty sets made from wood.

Game play: The object of the game is to advance all 4 of your pawns around the board and into a home area. Pawns enter the board on a roll of 5 on 2d6. For example: 2+3=5, take a pawn out; or 5+4=9, take a pawn out and move 4 additional spaces. If a pawn ends its move on the space of an opposing pawn, the opposing pawn is sent back to start. The player may then move any pawn they control 20 spaces. Each time you land on an opposing piece you gain this 20 space bonus. there are a few "safe" spaces around the board which prevent opponents from sending you back to start.

If you land on a space already occupied by another of your own pawns; you form a blockade or barrage. No pawns, including yours, may move onto or past such a formation. Since all pawns must go around the board, barrages startegically placed can bottle up multiple pawns for multiple players.

There is also a 10 space bonus when a pawn reaches "Home." This can be used by any pawn on the board that the player controls.

That is basically the general gameplay.

If the game is played "Trouble-style" is can be boring. The real fun is setting up the roadblocks so that your opponents are bottled up, but you have 1 or 2 pawns moving freely around the board. One tactic is to form a barrage on the opponent's entry space. This will prevent them from entering a pawn. (Which pretty much sucks for them)

More than in some other games, who sits next to you can determine your success or failure. If the person to your right is intent on forming a barrage early, well you're going to be trapped and "stomped on" by the players to your left. Especially if the player on your left is pursuing a "get a few pawns out and around as fast as possible." If you choose to play multiple games, it would be wise to change seating order between games.

As I play with children of different ages at one time, I usually try to sit to the right of the oldest child playing. It usually provides the needed handicap which allows the younger children to enjoy the game longer. Also, I try to form a barrage "late" rather than early - usually after I have all 4 pawns entered and have advanced partway around the board.

Thread: Star Runners Ludo

Fitzinnhacihts — 2007-03-28T02:22:44+00:00

As title indicates, this is a Ludo variant. It is played on a Chinese Checkers Star. Team runners run around game path on edges of star. Some terminology derives from baseball.
..........................1.....................o-game path
.........................o o....................0-home base & center spot
........................o 2 o...................1-batter's box
...................+ o 2 2 o + + + + + + .....2-dugout
........o o o o @ 3 2 3 @ o o o o +.......3-locker room
...........o x x x 4 3 3 x x x x o +........4-home path
............o x x x 4 5 x x x x o +.........5-manager's team color
.............o x x x 4 x x x x o +..........@-safety bases in game path
..........+ @ x x x 0 x x x @ +...........+-spots added for 11X11
.........+ o x x x x 4 x x x o............ Hex expansion to make a
........+ o x x x x 5 4 x x x o........... Chinese Hexy Checkerboard
.......+ o x x x x 3 3 4 x x x o..........
......+ o o o o @ 3 2 3 @ o o o o.........These are locations for top
.....+ + + + + + o 2 2 o +................bottom teams. Others points
..........................o 2 o...................are similar.
...........................o o....................
............................1.....................
Ludo is similar to Parcheesi, but it does not have a dual game path and only a single die is tossed. To win, you (as a team manager) must be the first to move all of your team or partnership runners clockwise around star edges and back to their locker room.

Six teams may play. If five play, leave a vacant star point behind first team (counter-clockwise). If four play, leave another behind second team. Have intervening vacant points if three teams and play opposite points if two play. Game may be played by two or three sets of partners, each facing an opponent. Partner/Manager who has brought all his runners back to locker room, is then permitted to use his turns to move patner's runners. Two or three managers may each take a "silent" partner by playing two points of star instead of only one.

Game starts with managers rolling the die. Highest roller chooses star point and places team runners of same color in their dugout. Other managers occupy star points in order of their roll of die or their current seating positions at table. High roller takes first turn. When a SIX is rolled, manager may choose to move a runner to his batter's box. (Allow same if a ONE is roll for a faster game.) Any team runner on game path may be move according to number tossed, if it is a legal move. A turn is lost when there is no legal move for any team runner. A roll of SIX entitles manager to a second roll in same turn, if the SIX was used. A runner may not land on a teammate or land on an opponent occupying a safety base. If opponent runner is NOT on a safety base, or in his own batter's box, he is sent back to his dugout to start over. Try to keep your team runners on safety bases.

Variants: 1) Shortcut across the star via "center spot"(aka)home base. If a manager rolls a FOUR while a runner occupies one of the first two safety bases he encounters along game path, runner may (it is not a mandatory move)take a shortcut across the star by moving onto the center spot not occupied by a teammate. Runner pauses on center spot until manager subsequently rolls a FOUR, at which time runner is freed to move the rest of the way across to the opposite safety spot. The center spot which is also home base, it is NOT a safety base and runner sitting there is sent to his dugout if an opponent runner hits him off.
2) Blockcades are impossible in Ludo,unless team runners occupying spots one behind the other in game path is considered a blockcade. If so, No runner my pass over them. Limit time of blockcade to three turns, but blocking manager may dismantle it sooner by moving a blocking runner.
3) A manager can split a roll of FIVE, between two runners on game path either forward or backwards. This is the only backwards movement in game and it may send an opponent runner back to his dugout. The split cannot land a runner of Home base, or on (or off) the center point.

Note:A 9x9 Hex game and 5X5 grid games may be played on a regular board. For the grid, skipping every other hole,use 5 holes of middle row in middle of center hexagon. Use two other similar rows above and below middle row with an unused row betweem all rows. Some other games to play on a Chinese Hexy Checkerboard are Abalone, Hexma, Unlur, GIPF etc.
I made my board on a LiteBrite game pegboard from a thrift store. See www/boardgamegeek.com/thread/158390

Thread: Re: Fia med knuff / Pachisi / Ludo - How many games do we really have here?

dr.mrow — 2006-08-09T02:01:42+00:00

Well, actually, I have it on good authority that in the traditional Indian game, you're actually supposed to throw six cowrie shells rather than dice. You count the "mouths" that face up and move 25/10/2/3/4/5/6 for 0/1/2/3/4/5/6 mouths. If zero, one, or six mouths face up, you also get a "grace" which can be used to bring a new counter onto the board.

However, after about ten minutes it became obvious that dice make for a much faster and more tactical game than cowries. After about an hour we gave up with only two pieces home.

Thread: Re: Fia med knuff / Pachisi / Ludo - How many games do we really have here?

SkipM624 — 2006-06-08T15:01:53+00:00

Definitely different games. I think that Pachisi is the oldest of these, though I could be wrong. . the thing about the Pachisi board layout is that from one's "Enter" space (which, by the way, requires the roll of a "5", not a "6") to the first "safe" space (which you called "fortress) is 7 spaces; the most common roll with two die. There is something statistically significant in that, which IMHO makes it superior to game variations that mess with that "7" space formula, whether by subtraction (Ludo, with its five spaces) or alteration (the ability to slide pieces in the game of Sorry). FYI, I've played Pachisi (which I've always known as Parcheesi) with a three-player variant I dubbed The Rogue. Parcheesi site here has it listed under variants, I believe.

Thread: Re: Fia med knuff / Pachisi / Ludo - How many games do we really have here?

Keng Ho — 2006-06-08T13:44:19+00:00

I should mention that a distinct Chinese variant is Fei Xing Qi or Aeroplane Chess. This has its own entry at http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/14538

The distinguishing features are that the individual squares are of four different colours and the pieces have pictures of aeroplanes on them. When a piece lands on a square of its colour, it can jump to the next square of that colour. There are also short-cuts that cut across the arms of the cross.

If you see a set with a board like this, it's Fei Xing Qi:
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Thread: Re: Fia med knuff / Pachisi / Ludo - How many games do we really have here?

Bad News [bnw] — 2006-04-18T22:31:21+00:00

I agree, they seem different enough for me. I do believe that "Ludo" is norwegian/danish for "Fia" though.

There also exists other mutant boards for Fia made by manufacturers who don't really care that much, with 6-square arms, or with bent outer tracks making the arms in effect 5.5 squares long, and the like.

I really think that Fia needs its own database entry, and really, what's stopping us? It's just to file a new entry for it I suppose? If noone else does it I'll get to it when I find the time.

Thread: Re: Fia med knuff / Pachisi / Ludo - How many games do we really have here?

CameronL — 2005-08-29T16:24:29+00:00

I agree. These games on the surface appear the same, but there's enough variation in rules for them to have different entries. I've always considered Ludo/Sorry/Aggrivation/Waahoo/Trouble/etc. to be simplier version of Pachisi/Parchisi.

Thread: Re:Fia med knuff / Pachisi / Ludo - How many games do we really have here?

TheCat — 2004-12-26T19:42:44+00:00

Parchisi also allows two pieces (of the same player) to occupy a single space on the board. This cannot happen in the fortresses. A space with two pieces is blocked, and cannot be passed by any pieces of any player until the block is removed.

imho these are different games, and should have separate entries. Another variation on the theme is Aggravation http://boardgamegeek.com/game/2272 which does get its own entry.

Thread: Fia med knuff / Pachisi / Ludo - How many games do we really have here?

pinkunicorn — 2004-12-26T18:48:04+00:00

]]>
In just about any Swedish home, you will find a copy of "Fia med knuff". This is played on a board that looks like
and everyone knows how it works (in theory; in practice there will always be disputes about whether you actually need to stop on the center space, and whether you need to reach it exactly or not, but let's ignore that for now).

The board has four arms and each arm is five spaces long. Players roll one die each turn and move clockwise around the board. On a one, you may move one pawn from your "home" and out on the track. On a six, you may take out two, or take out one and move it five spaces. Also on a six, you may roll again. If you end up on a square where someone is, you knock them back to their home ("knuff" means "push" in Swedish). When you've finished a complete tour of the board you move along the center of your arm and when you reach the center of the board, that piece is saved. The first person to save all their four pawns wins.

When I first found BGG and wanted to enter my collection I didn't find "Fia med knuff", but after a while I was told that "Ludo" was the same thing, and a brief look at the images confirmed that (I didn't look too closely then, as we'll soon see). This game entry also had lots of other synonyms like "Pachisi" and "Mensch ärgere Dich nicht".

I recently bought an old book about board games, and that had a chapter on "Fia med knuff" and another chapter about "Pachisi". From the entry here on BGG, one gets the impression that they are the same game. The book has a different opinion.

]]>
The description of "Pachisi" goes like this: The board has four arms and each arm is eight spaces long.
There are three "fortresses" on each arm. Players roll two dice each turn and move counter-clockwise around the board. On a six, you may start a pawn off from the center space and out on the track along your arm. If both your dice show the same number, you may move each die's number twice. If you end up on a square where someone is, you knock them back to their home, unless they are in a "fortress" space. When you've finished a complete tour of the board, you move back along the center of your arm, and when you reach the center of the board, that piece is saved. The first person to save all their four pawns wins.

Obviously, these are two quite similar games, but there are still a number of differences both in how the board looks and in the rules.

Are there more variations among the games listed here on BGG under the same game entry? Are there national variations? Is this really one game with lots of more-or-less minor variations, or two (or more?) distinct (but similar) games that have been lumped together here by accident?

Thread: User Review

violentzen — 2004-08-13T00:04:45+00:00

Pachisi or Parcheesi is, I believe, one of the oldest "race games", meaning that players race their pieces from Start to Home, propelled in this case by dice.

Each player (two to four) selects a set of four pawns. Usually the pawns are sets of different basic colors, but as a public domain game, your pawns can be anything. I have a set in which the pieces are different colored animals: red tigers, green water buffalo, etc.

Each player starts by placing his four pawns in the Start space at one of the four corners of the board. Players then decide who goes first by rolling a single dice, highest roll wins with play continuing to that players left. Players must roll a 5 to move out of their Start space; 3/2, 4/1 or a 5 and whatever else on the other dice. Once a pawn is out, it moves along a track around the board, back almost to the Start space and up its home row (where it is now safe) and up into home.

Along the way, pawns will get "hit" (much like Backgammon) and sent back to Start where that piece will only move out onto the track again with a roll of 5. They will get hit again and again and again. The only way to safeguard a pawn is it to land on one of many “safe spaces”, or to have two pieces on one space, which brings me to the important but endlessly infuriating strategy, the “block”.

If being hit back to Start makes you angry, getting stuck behind an opponents blockade, futilely rolling while other opponents come up behind you and hit all your exposed pawns, one by one, will make you apoplectic. Next to dancing on the Backgammon bar with your opponent’s board closed, this is the single-most enraging game rule in the history of gaming. I very strongly recommend a house rule of some kind lessening the devastation of blockades. For example: a particular roll (1/1, 2/1, whatever) means you must remove a blockade, or you can only have a blockade for 3 turns. Anything.

There are bonuses one can win that with the right kind of dice luck, can send you careening around the board in a hurry. When a pawn makes it to home, you can move a pawn of your choice 10 spaces. When you hit an opponents pawn back to start, you can move a pawn 20 spaces. By hitting other pawns multiple times in one turn those bonuses really move you along.

There are some rules to keep in mind that keep a bit of a leash on the carnage of this game. Doubles (with a bonus roll reward) are self-explanatory. Doubles become Doublets when all your pawns are out of the Start space. What this means is that you get to move the amount of pips on the top and bottom of the dice. A roll of 6/6 means you get to roll 6, 1 and 6, 1. A roll of 4/4 allows you to move 4, 3 and 4, 3. Another important thing to remember about Pachisi is that each dice, and with Doublets, each dice and the top and bottom, are separate moves, not a combined total. Another example: with a roll of 5/2 you may move one pawn 5 and another 2, or you may move one pawn 5 and then 2. But you may not move a pawn 7. The reason is that you might have an opponent on a safe space or blocking the space you would land on if you moved 5, preventing this move. But if you combine the dice for a 7, you would illegally fly right over him. It is especially important to keep this in mind with doublets. On a doublets roll of 3/3 you have four separate moves: 3, 4, 3, 4—not 14! One pawn may make each of those separate moves, or any combination of pawns may make them. But never consider it a sum (doublets will always equal a total of 14, as the total of the top and bottom of a die will always equal 7). Additionally, if you cannot take every one of the four moves resulting from a doublets roll, you may not take any of them! Your doublets are wasted.

Another rule to remember is that the bonus moves may not be broken up. If you cannot move a pawn 10 or 20, you may not take your bonus!

There is a doublets penalty rule states that if you roll three doublets (not doubles) in a row (remember, you may roll again if you rolled doubles/doublets), the pawn closest to Home must be returned to Start. Because, you know, this game isn’t frustrating enough.

In the end, 8 times out of 10, the player who most effectively used a blockade (whether it was a blockade with his pieces or he capitalized on another players blockade by cleaning up behind it) wins. Cynical? Yes. But simply true after 50+ plays of this game.

A fun, but frustrating game. Don’t play it with people you already dislike, or there will be an incident.

Thread: User Review

potterama — 2004-05-28T21:20:42+00:00

Game Review: Pachisi

The Quick and Dirty:
Takes longer than it should, even for what it is, which ain’t much.

Rules/Mechanics:
Pachisi and its variants are extremely ancient in origin, and versions have appeared in many cultures, so there is a good deal of variety in terms of specific mechanics, board shape, and so on. In the most commonly available commercial version, players are given a set of pawns in a single color, which they place in a matching corner of the board. A long track which snakes in and out of the center of the board, winding its way past the starting positions of the other colors before returning to the ‘home’ position. On their turns, players roll a pair of dice. Whenever a target number (usually a five) is rolled, the player may enter one of his pawns onto the track from his or her starting position. With subsequent rolls, players assign each die’s roll to one of their pawns (or both dice to a single pawn) and move them around the track the matching number. If a pawn lands on a space occupied by a pawn of another color, it sends that pawn back to its starting position, and it must begin the circular trek all over again. In some variants of Pachisi, only two pawns may occupy any one square, so a player can “protect” their pawns from being sent back by maneuvering them into pairs. In other editions, certain squares, marked by circles, are considered naturally “protected,” and no pawn may be captured there. In some editions of the game, other rules, such as a bonus movement points awarded for capturing opposing pawns, or for rolling doubles, are applied.

Strategy:
The only real decision to be made in Pachisi is which pawn to apply movement points towards, and this is usually fairly obvious. There is a clear benefit to keeping your pawns less than a single die-roll behind your opponent’s pawns, whenever possible, in order to maximize the chance of capturing opponents pieces. Correspondingly, it is often worthwhile to devote as many movement points as possible to pawns which are at risk of being captured, in hopes of moving them beyond the threat range of pursuing opponents. In the commercial version, the final section of each color’s track is labelled “home” in its entirety, and constituted protected space, so it is always worthwhile to move a piece into that zone and then to devote all remaining movement to getting the next piece in position, and so on. Specific strategies will vary with local rules, track layout, and so on.

Components:
As an ancient game in the public domain, there are a wide variety of sets available, with any degree of production values. One commonly available commercial edition, published by Hasbro, replaces the color-distinction with an animal theme, and pawns are replaced by brightly colored stylized plastic elephants, camels, and so on. The board is usually very colorful, often given an “Indian” flair with pictures of the Taj Mahal or other examples of Indian architecture, etc. As the national game of India, finely carved and detailed wooden sets, with inlaid boards, are available for purchase from many suppliers.

Remarks:
Pachisi is by no means the worst game in the world, but it’s not particularly engaging, either. There are few decisions to be made, and those which there are possess the same sense of statistical inevitability of gambling. For this very reason, however, the game has found a wide audience in those who favor a trance-like gaming experience, one which allows the players to carry on full conversations and over the temporary social ‘glue’ of the gameplay itself. The simple rules and straightforward, luck-driven strategy also lends itself to family gaming, since Pachisi can be played equally well by an adult and any four-year-old capable of counting as high as twenty.
Beware the demon of frustration, however. There’s nothing quite like getting within two spaces of one’s home track, only to be sent back ALL THE WAY TO THE BEGINNING by an opponent’s lucky dice roll. This (to my mind fatal) flaw is particularly important in relation to younger gamers, who may be easily (and justifiably) frustrated when a whim of chance ruins many minutes worth of dice rolling and calculation. It’s not quite as bad as Snakes and Ladders, but there’s definitely room here for house rules which could, say, halve that penalty.

Caveat: while all efforts have been made to correctly represent factual information, all comments are solely representative of the article author, and not necessarily the opinions of Board Game Geek, its hosts, editors, or moderators. Please send corrections directly to the author.

Thread:

Torve — 2004-05-18T07:55:43+00:00

Pachisi is very popular in Vietnam, in fact appears to be the most popular board game in that country judging by how often it seen being played on the streets.

It is called da' ngu'a, literally 'kick horse'. This is because the pieces are what Vietnamese call horses or what I would call knights from a chess set.

The Vietnamese rules closely resemble what I think are Indian rules, that is a single piece blocks an opponents move. Hence the need to 'kick' the opposition's 'horse' out of the way. This is usually done very flambouyantly.

The key tactic is to block an opponent then, while they are trying to get the correct roll to kick your horse, you rush round a second horse from behind to kick them.

Thread: Re:General Comment

CameronL — 2004-04-27T16:11:25+00:00

Actually, the true Indian game of Pachisi uses shells instead of dice.

Thread: 3-Player Variant - The Rogue

SkipM624 — 2004-03-17T18:38:38+00:00

Having found over the years that 3 players are easier to assemble than 4 players, I developed this “Rogue” Variant of Parcheesi.
All standard rules of the game apply.
With three players, add the four starting pieces for a fourth player in the remaining start space.
In turn order, each player gets to roll and move for the phantom fourth player – The Rogue. You can use the Rogue to set yourself up; to send other players home; to do, in essence, anything you’d like to do. Oddly enough, I have played a game of this variation in which The Rogue won.

Thread: General Comment

BoardGameGeek — 2002-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

This is an Americanization of PACHISI, the Royal Game of India. The differences are that the American pattented game uses two dice instead of one. Two pieces are required to create a block and cannot be captured while forming a block. Other minor variations include the use of doubles in Parchisi and the way in which one enters home base.

Any other information is appreciated.