Pacchisi (Royal Cloth Board Game)

Setup:

•Place the cross-shaped Pacchisi board on a flat surface.

•Each player chooses a set of four pawns in a distinct color and places all of them in their starting area (one of the four arms of the cross).

•Traditionally, cowrie shells are used to determine moves, but if unavailable, use dice.

Objective:

•The goal is to move all four of your pawns around the board and into the central “home” square, completing a full loop.

Gameplay:

1.Rolling the Dice (or Shells):

•Players take turns rolling the dice or tossing cowrie shells. Each shell or die result represents the number of steps a pawn can move. For shells, typically:

2.Choosing a Pawn to Move:

•After rolling, the player selects one of their pawns to move. You can move a pawn only if it can advance without being blocked or if it’s already in play (not in the starting area).

•Bringing Pawns into Play: A player needs a specific roll (e.g., 6 or a certain shell count) to move a pawn out of the starting area.

3.Movement and Capture:

•Move the selected pawn clockwise according to the roll or shell count.

•If a pawn lands on a square occupied by an opponent’s pawn, the opponent’s pawn is “captured” and sent back to its starting area.

•Some squares are safe zones, marked with special symbols; pawns in these zones cannot be captured.

4.Reaching the Center:

•Once a pawn completes the loop around the board, it must enter the central square with an exact roll.

•The first player to bring all their pawns to the center wins.

Illustrations:

•Diagrams can include examples of dice rolls, safe zones, and a pawn capturing another.