Patolli

Cast five marked beans and run six markers around a cross-shaped loop — every capture and tip square shifts the wagered tokens.

How to play

Patolli is an ancient Aztec race-and-wager game played on a cross-shaped loop of 24 cells. Each side runs six markers around the loop and home to the centre, while a stake of tokens passes back and forth on captures and special squares. The cast comes from five beans whose marked faces decide your move.

• Five beans give a move of 1 to 5 (their marked faces up); casting a 0 forfeits the turn, and a 5 earns another cast.
• Click a highlighted marker to move it forward by the cast value.
• Landing on a lone enemy sends it back to the yard and wins you one of its tokens.
• Landing on any of the four tip squares pays a token to your rival.
• Bring all six markers home by exact count to win — your tokens are the wager.

Game modes

• Vs computer: easy, medium, or hard CPU, ranked per difficulty.
• Hot-seat: two players share one device.
• Online: create an invite, join by code, or quick-match on a shared cast.

Controls

• Desktop: click Cast the beans, then click a highlighted marker to move it.
• Phone & tablet: tap to cast, then tap a glowing marker — valid markers are outlined for you.

Tips & strategy

• Chase captures when you can — each one both resets an enemy and grows your token stack.
• Steer clear of the four tip squares unless the cast leaves you no safer landing.
• Hold back a marker for the exact count the centre requires so a big cast never strands you.

Origins

Patolli is one of the oldest games of the Americas, a race-and-gambling game played across Mesoamerica by the Aztecs and the cultures before them. Players bet precious goods on the throw of marked beans, under the eye of a god of games. After the Spanish conquest the colonial authorities banned and burned it, yet versions of it survived.

About Patolli

Patolli is an ancient Mesoamerican race game that fused movement, capture, and gambling on a cross-shaped track. This is an original, free browser recreation with bean casts, token wagers, and an exact-count finish — no download, sign-up, or real money.

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