Patolli

2026-07-28

Rules quick reference

Patolli is a race game for two players, each moving four markers around a track shared by both sides. Markers start at home, off the track, and enter play as soon as a roll brings them on. Movement is driven entirely by a toss of five marked beans rather than a numbered die.

Rolling either extreme — no marked beans, or all five — is the traditional double result: it moves a large distance and grants another roll immediately, which is why watching for those results matters more than any single ordinary roll.

Racing and capturing on a shared track

Bringing a marker on isn't free of risk

Because all four of a player's markers can be brought in with any roll, there's no need to save specific numbers to unlock a piece, unlike some other race games. The decision that matters is when — entering early gets a marker moving sooner, but it also becomes a capture target the moment it's on the shared track.

Landing exactly matters more than moving far

A big roll that overshoots your own finishing count can't be used to bring that particular marker home — you need the exact distance remaining. Late in a marker's trip around the board, check the remaining distance to its finish before assuming a large roll is automatically good news for it.

Use safe points to park under pressure

Each side's own entry point on the shared loop is protected from capture. When several of your markers are exposed at once, moving one onto a safe point — even at the cost of a smaller advance elsewhere — can be worth more than pushing every marker forward blindly.

Reading the risk of every roll

Prioritise capturing when the roll allows it

Landing exactly on an opponent's marker sends it all the way back to their home area, erasing whatever progress it had made. This is usually the strongest use of a roll when it's available — a capture costs the opponent far more ground than an ordinary advance gains you.

Don't cluster your own markers needlessly

Multiple markers of yours can share a space safely, but grouping them together instead of spreading progress across all four often just delays your overall finish. Since every marker has to complete the full lap individually, advancing your most exposed or furthest-behind marker is frequently better than piling more distance onto one that's already ahead.

Watch the extra-turn rolls closely

Because rolling zero or five marked beans both move a large distance and grant another roll, a string of these can swing a game quickly in either direction. There's no way to influence which result comes up, but recognising when one has just happened — and taking full advantage of the follow-up roll — matters more than in games with only ordinary single rolls.

Common mistakes

Ignoring the exact-count rule near the finish. A marker close to completing its lap can't finish on an overshooting roll; use a different marker instead of wasting the value on one that can't land exactly.

Passing up an available capture. Sending an opponent's marker back to home is normally the highest-value use of any given roll — check for one before defaulting to your own furthest-advanced piece.

Leaving every marker exposed at once. With four markers to manage, having all of them mid-track and unprotected invites a string of captures. Rotating one toward a safe point occasionally reduces that risk.

Treating every roll as equally good. The scoring table isn't linear — a small marked count (1 through 4) moves a modest distance, while zero or five moves much further and grants another roll. Recognising which result you got changes what the best move actually is.

Forgetting markers can share a space. Unlike an opponent's marker, your own don't capture each other — there's no penalty for two of your markers occupying the same point along the way.

Frequently asked questions

What are the bean dice, and how do they work?

Patolli is traditionally played with five beans, each marked on one side. This version simulates that toss: the beans land some marked-side-up and some down, and the count of marked faces sets how far you move — following the same scoring table used in reconstructions of the historical game.

Why does a roll sometimes grant another turn?

Rolling all five beans the same way — all marked or all unmarked — is a special result. Alongside its move value, it also grants an extra roll before the turn passes to the opponent.

How does landing on an opponent work?

If you land exactly on a space occupied by an opponent's marker, that marker is sent back to their home area and has to re-enter the track from the start. Landing on your own marker is harmless — it just shares the space.

Are any spaces safe from capture?

Yes. Each player's entry point onto the shared track is marked safe — a marker sitting there can't be captured.

How do I win?

Each of your four markers has to travel exactly once around the shared track back to a finishing count. The first player to bring all four markers home wins.