Time for another entry into my ancient board game series! This time we’re focusing on the Aztec game Patolli, which means “beans” in English. Of course, the game wasn’t just played by the Aztecs; it was also played by the Mayans, the Toltecs, and other Mesoamerican peoples.
The rules for this game have been reconstructed, but they’re a bit sketchy and may or may not accurately represent all of the rules of the original game.
You see, the game can be traced to about 200 BC, but after the Spanish conquistadors invaded in 1,500 AD (CE) it was banned. These great nations quickly fell into decline, their cultures nearly evaporating and the game Patolli with them. As such, it’s hard to reconstruct the rules of this game, but people have done it and the game is playable today. I’ll teach you how in a jiffy, but it’s time for more history!
The game was played by both commoners and nobles alike. The Spanish noted that Montezuma II enjoyed watching the nobility play the game, perhaps because of the focus on gambling.
The game uses dice, but not the dice you’re thinking of. They used black beans (hence the name) with holes drilled into them on one side. Boards were painted on matting as opposed to being carved into clay or stone as we saw with Nine Men’s Morris.
Before the game, players would meet and see what each had available to bet. Eat your heart out, Vegas, because the gambling spirit was really strong here. There were usually six items being bet, as each player had six game pieces. Blankets, gold, and food were often wagered – you know, things you really didn’t want to lose!
The Aztec god Macuilxochitl was apparently a fan of this game, perhaps even overseeing it. A small pile of offerings was laid beside the game board during each game, and winners were able to collect the offering (in addition to all the other items wagered) as a supposed gift from the god, bestowed to the clever winning player.
Rounds are won when a player becomes the first to move all of their game pieces around the board while collecting one piece from each player.
The game is won properly when one player wins all of their opponent’s game pieces. Given that you can have up to four players, you can imagine the challenge of doing this.
What is Needed to Play
2-4 Players
A Game Board (You can print them from the Internet or just buy a handmade set from a place like Etsy)
Six “counters” per player. These can be made of anything, such as paper, coins, beads, tokens scavenged from other games, etc. The only thing you need to make sure of is that you won’t mistake your pieces for anyone else’s.
One dice or five beans you’ve fashioned into dice to give it a more authentic feel.
How to Play
1. Decide who moves first by rolling the dice or throwing the beans.
2. To begin, each player has five tries to roll a 1. If they fail, their turn ends and they forfeit one of their game pieces to an opponent. If they do role a 1, they may place a game piece on the board, specifically on a space at the top of the “arm” closest to the player.
3. Game pieces move clockwise around the board.
4. Once a player has a game piece on the board, they are allowed only one roll per turn. They can choose to move a game piece already on the board, or, if they roll another 1, they can opt to place a new game piece on the board.
5. One one game piece can be moved at a time, you must move it the full count of the die. If a player cannot move a game piece, they lose a turn and must forfeit one game piece to their opponent.
6. You cannot place your game piece on a square that’s already occupied.
7. In order for a game piece to be considered to have completed a round, it must land on the exact square it started on.
8. If a player lands on either of the two spaces at the end of each arm, the player can take another turn.
9. If a player lands on any of the spaces marked with a triangle, he or she must forfeit one game piece.
10. If a player is forced to land on another opponent’s game piece, the opponent’s game piece is captured. This means that the piece is removed from the board and can only be placed back on it if a 1 is rolled again.
There you have it. Another exciting ancient game!
