Rules

Patolli

Patolli is an ancient Mesoamerican board game, best documented among the Aztecs, with examples dating back at least to the Early Classic period (around 300–550 AD), which makes it well over 1,500 years old. It was played on a cross-shaped board, and in the Aztec version players used marked beans as dice to move their counters around the track, trying to complete the circuit while also capturing opposing counters. Patolli was also closely linked to gambling: players wagered goods and valuables on the outcome, and historical descriptions say that people could bet anything from everyday possessions to precious objects, and in extreme cases even their freedom. More than just entertainment, the game had ritual and cultural importance, and it was associated with Macuilxochitl, the Aztec deity connected with games, pleasure, and chance.

Rules

Goal of the Game: Be the first player to move all your buttons around the board and don’t stay without tokens.

Game Items:

Player 1 buttons – 6
Player 2 buttons – 6
Tokens – 20 (10 per player)
Bad luck markers – 2
Safe space markers – 2

How to play

1-Set Up:
Each player chooses a colour and takes 6 playing buttons.
All playing buttons start outside the board.
Each player has a starting space on a black square in the centre.
Decide who plays first by rolling the die. The highest roll starts.

2-Entering a Button
To bring a button onto the board, you must roll a 1.
When you roll a 1, place one of your buttons on your starting space.
If you already have playing buttons on the board and roll a 1, you may choose to:

enter a new button, or
move one of your buttons 1 space

If you have no buttons on the board and do not roll a 1, your turn ends.

3-Moving
On your turn, roll the die and move one of your buttons exactly that number of spaces.
Buttons move around the board clockwise and must travel all around the board.
If you roll but cannot make any legal move, your turn is skipped and you must pay 1 token to the bank on the board.

4-Special Dice Rule
Because traditional Patolli used bean dice, use this adaptation:

Roll 1–4: move that number of spaces
Roll 5: move 5 spaces and roll again
Roll 6: move 6 spaces, but do not roll again

5-Capturing
If your button lands on a space occupied by an opponent’s button, the opponent’s button is captured.
The captured button is removed from the board and must start again by rolling a 1.
When you capture a button, the opponent must pay 1 token to the bank on the board.
You cannot land on a space already occupied by one of your own buttons.

6-Safe Spaces
Decide with the opponent which 2 spaces will be safe spaces and mark them with SAFE BUTTONS.
Buttons on safe spaces cannot be captured.
Two opposing buttons may share a safe space.

7-Penalty Spaces (Bad Luck)
Choose 2 spaces and mark them as BAD LUCK BUTTONS.
These cannot be the grey corner spaces.
If your button lands on a bad luck space, pay 1 token to the bank.

8-Bonus Spaces (Grey Corners)
The grey corner spaces are special bonus spaces:

If you land on a grey corner, you may make a second move immediately
Grey corners cannot be chosen as bad luck spaces
Grey corners are always safe from penalties

9-Finishing a Button
A button must travel all the way around the board and return to its starting area.
To finish, you must roll the exact number needed to leave the board.
If your roll is too high, choose another button to move or skip your turn.
Once a button finishes, remove it from the board. It is safe and cannot be captured.

10-Winning
The first player to finish all 6 buttons wins the game, or if a player loses all their tokens.
The winner gets all tokens from the bank.

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