Nyout

Nyout, more commonly known as Yut, Yut Nori, or Yunnori, is a traditional Korean board game usually played on the Lunar New Year (January 26^th). Nyout may also be played during the Chuseok (similar to an American Thanksgiving). Nyout is generally favored as a team game, in which 4 markers (mal) are given to each team or player. The movement of the markers on the board (malpan) is determined by the throwing of the Yut sticks. Depending on the whether or not the sticks land face up or down, the player can move their markers up to 1-5 spaces on the board. The objective of the game is to move your markers around the board back to the original starting point. Nyout is a favorite past time of many Korean families as the game serves as a symbol of harmonious unity in which everyone can come together and relax. Enthusiastic players of Nyout will throw the Yut sticks as high as they can, chanting “Doe, Gal, Gul, Yut, Moe!”

Enthusiastic fans of Nyout

Rules

To play Nyout, one needs:

1) 4 Yut Sticks: Each Yut stick is around 15 cm long with a rounded and flat surface. The upper side of the Yut is round with a dark color and the bottom side is flat with a light color.

2) 4 Mal (board pieces) for each team: The mal are generally flat circular pieces, but one can substitute any item to serve as a marker (i.e. buttons, coins, rocks, etc). The only rule is that the markers have to be distinguishable for each team.

3) Malpan (board): The malpan can be either paper or cloth. The malpan consists of 28 circles, known as stations.

Yut Sticks and Mal Pieces

Nyout Malpan Diagram

Nyout Sample

Rules of the Game:

1) Each team will place 1 mal on the malpan. Both teams will throw the Yut sticks into the air and whichever team with the highest score (according to Do, Gae, Geol, Yut, Mo) goes first.

2) Throw the 4 Yut sticks into the air. Move the markers according to the number of Yut sticks that land back side up (See Yut Stick movements below).

3) The first team to circle around to the starting point is declared the winner!

Other Rules to Remember:

*If a player throws a Yut or Mo, the player earns an extra Yut throw!

*As long as the players have extra mals outside the board, a team can either put a new mal onto the board or move a mal already on the board. The team or player can move any of the 5 mal present on the malpan.

*The mals travel around the board and can move forward only. (With the exception of the special "Back" rule - see Game Design Elements)

*If the mal lands on one of the big stations (in the corners and the center), the team can choose to take the shorter way if desired. There are four possible courses, the default course being the longest one.

Possible courses of Nyout

*If your mal lands on the same space as your opponents, the opponent’s mal must return to the start.

*If your mal lands on other mal of your own, both mals may be moved together.

This rule applies to all your mals, hence it is possible to group all 4 mals together and move as one unit. However, this move bears a higher risk. If the opponent’s mal lands on your space, all 4 of your mals must return to the starting point.

Think strategically and move the correct mal pieces in order to reach the goal!

Yut Stick Movements

a) If 3 Yut sticks have the flat side facing down and only one Yut stick has the flat side facing up, this movement is called Do. The player can move their chosen mal 1 space on the malpan.

b) If 2 out of 4 Yut sticks have the flat side facing up and the other two have the flat side facing down, this movement is called Gae. The player can move their chosen mal 2 spaces forward on the malpan.

c) If 1 Yut stick has the flat side facing down and the other 3 sticks have the flat side facing up, this movement is called Geol. The player can move their chosen mal 3 spaces forward on the malpan.

d) If all 4 Yut sticks have the flat side facing up, this movement is called Yut. The player can move their chosen mal 4 spaces forward on the malpan.

e) If all 4 Yut sticks have the flat side facing down, this movement is called Mo. The player can move their chosen mal 5 spaces forward on the malpan.

Image of Yut Stick landings and their meaning

History

Although there is no concrete hypothesis surrounding Nyout’s origination, with deciphered knowledge

from paintings and translated text, many speculate the game existed in Korea before or around the time of the Three Kingdoms (57 BCE - 668 CE).

Nyout was generally played on Lunar New Years (Seollal), or during the first full moon (Daeboreum). The suffix –nori means “to play” or “game”, such as Yut Nori meaning “to play Yut” or “to play the game Yut”. Nyout’s purpose served to be more than a game but rather a community gathering in order to promote a sense of cooperation as well as to relieve stress. During the ancient era, many people lived a communal farming life, and harmonious partnership among the villagers was essential to the success of the community.

There is also evidence that Nyout varied in play from region to region. In the southern areas, Nyout was played with chestnuts instead of Yut Sticks, and were thrown using a bowl. In the northern areas, beans were substituted for Yut sticks.

In the game of Nyout, folk songs accompanied the play. Villagers would sing about hoping for a good score so their mals would run faster. Each number of the Yut stick (Do, Gae, Goel, Yut, Moe) had a song that would go together with the move.

Nyout also served as a traditional method of fortune telling. Villagers would read the Yut sticks to determine whether or not their crops would be plentiful. Some villagers used Nyout to determine what crop they should plant. Fortune tellers would read the Yut sticks to tell women their personal fortunes, such as who they would be engaged to in the future.

As time passed, the need for fortune telling grew less and less popular. As people evolved, Nyout no longer became an important social function, but rather a simple game. However, many families still play Nyout on the holidays emphasizing its symbol of friendship, harmony and community, these remaining traits of Nyout have never disappeared.

Game Design Elements

The game of Nyout is so simple that anyone, even a child, can learn to play. However, there are certain rules of play that can add strategy and increase the difficulty.

The malpan consists of 5 large stations, 1 in the center and 4 on the corners. There are smaller stations surrounding the larger stations. If one lands on the larger station, you can start using shortcuts within the smaller stations to quickly reach your goal. This method of using shortcuts adds variety to the game, as there is more then one way to win.

The throwing of the Yut sticks also invites chance, as one never knows which move they will be rewarded with. It is by using a combination of the moves and the placement of the mal pieces chanced upon the player that one can win.

The player also has the chance to gain an advantage if their mal lands on the same place as their opponent, thereby sending their opponent’s mal back to the start.

The board piece called the Mal, means “horse” in Korean. The horse is considered the fastest animal, which is why throwing the Mo rewards you with 5 moves and an extra turn.

The number of moves according to each animal is a representation of their speed. For example, the Do or Pig moves 1 space, the Gae or Dog moves 2 spaces, the Goel or Sheep moves 3 spaces, the Yut or Cow moves 4 spaces, and the Mo or Horse moves 5 spaces.

When one reads of moving markers known as horses on places of the board known as stations, the game almost reads as a pattern of war. The ability to even group your mals together into one unit can read as a unit of an army. However, there is no actual evidence of Nyout being regarded as a game of war, but rather the actual meaning of the malpan has to do with the constellation (see Art below).

The ingenious use of a flat and rounded stick allows for rather straightforward results. The sticks either fall flat side up or down, and each pattern has a clear meaning. The use of uncomplicated materials allows Nyout to be easily crafted for use of play. One only needs some basic Yut sticks, a diagram of the malpan, and some items for use as board markers. If one knows the malpan diagram, one can even draw the board onto the floor or the ground.

In modern play, one can add new special rules to enhance their experience with Nyout.

Special Rules

* The Seoul rule can be played if one of the sticks is labeled with the word Seoul. If this stick is the only one facing down (you must be able to read the word “Seoul”), a mal can be placed directly into the center station of the malpan (in this case called “Seoul”).

* The Busan rule is similar to the Seoul rule as in one of the sticks must be labeled with the word Busan. If this stick is the only one facing down (you must be able to read the word “Busan”), a mal can be placed in large upper left station.

This rule may only be played if all 4 of the mals are not already on the malpan.

* The Back rule can easily net the player an early victory if chance smiles upon them. One of the Yut sticks is labeled with the word “Back”. If this is the only stick facing down, one of the mals has to go back one step.

If a team has a mal on the station next to the starting point, if “Back” is cast, that mal can move one step back to the starting point, therefore achieving victory in one move!

Art

unknown. It is popularly thought that the outer stations represent Heaven and the inner stations represent Earth. Considering that each side of the Yut stick indicates the sky and the earth, the malpan can be understood as a symbol of imagery reflecting universal symmetry and celestial procession, both elements of Korean Taoism.

The throwing of the Yut sticks that represent sky and earth can symbolize the relationship man has with nature, and the need for harmony between the two forces.

The Yut sticks may also be decorated with grooves or images of traditional or modern artwork to give a unique look. These purposes are purely decorative and do not serve an important function in the game. Likewise, the malpan may be stitched into various cloth material or etched onto different types of wood. Though the look may be elegant, the level of play is still the same. Traditionally, the malpan was drawn on paper or cloth to allow for easy crafting or to be carried around.

The game of Nyout has significant design elements that surround the elements of play. The malpan’s 28 stations represent the stars, and the movement of the mals signifies the circulation of the stars. The movements of the stars serve as a decorative and functional element when used for fortune telling.

While each station of the malpan has their own unique name, the actual meaning of the names is

Samples of various Nyout design

References

“Yut playing, a traditional four-stick game”. Sang-hoon Kim. Friendly Korea. 24 February 2005. Web. 1 February 2010.
“Yunnori Stick Game”. Jai-sik Suh. Koreana WINTER 2002. Web. 1 February 2010.
“The Korean Home Run”. Kim Hee-won. The Yonsei Annals. Web. 2 Februray 2010.

Links

http://www.prkorea.com/engnews/index.cgi?action=detail&number=398&thread=10r01 (Reference Link)
http://eng.actakoreana.org/clickkorea/text/11-Living/11-02win-yunnori.html (Reference Link)
http://annals.yonsei.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=19 (Reference Link)
http://www.hyonjooparklee.com/korea-beauty/culture/korean-new-year-day-lunar-new-year-day-seolnal-yutnori.html (Basic information regarding celebration of Seollal and playing Nyout)
- http://www.transparent.com/korean/yut-nori-%EC%9C%B7%EB%85%B8%EB%A6%AC/ (Basic information about Yut Nori, includes video footage)

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