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Patolli is one of the Americas' oldest board games.
It was played almost everywhere in ancient MesoAmerica. Patolli is both a race game and a war game. It is played on an X-shaped board between two players or two teams. To win, a player/team must roll their set of two-sided beans (the Aztec word for bean, “patolli”, is the namesake for this game) in order to move all of their pieces around the board. Although it is similar to Pachisi, it also has distinct differences that convince most historians that the two games do not share similar roots. This game was usually heavily associated with gambling, and also likely had religious meaning to its ancient players.
Rules
Rules
Patolli is a very old game that has been altered over time, and as no ancient Aztec account of the game exists, historians are not entirely certain on the way it was played. However, accounts of the invading Spanish who encountered the game offer enough information for a relatively solid understanding to be reached:
The goal of Patolli is for the player to obtain all of the treasure their opponent bets. Every time a player moves their piece around the board and to the final space, their opponent owes them a piece of their treasure. Because of this, play can continue longer than one round, in which all pieces are moved around the board.
Each player starts with six or so playing pieces.
Both players then throw the “dice”, five beans marked on one side. Whoever throws the highest score (the higher number of beans mark-up) will play first.
This player will throw the beans again. They will be able to move one of their playing pieces onto the board if they throw a score of one; four beans mark-down and one bean mark-up. Otherwise, they can do nothing and it is the opponent's turn.
Once a player throws a score of one, they may place their first piece on the board. Pieces start moving in the “arm” of the board nearest the player, from the top left box just below the center four squares.
Play begins in the top left box of the arm nearest the player.
On the player's next turn, they can move their piece around the board. If the player throws two, they move two spaces, and so on. However, if the player throws five (all five beans are mark-up) then they move ten spaces. If they throw another score of one, they may place another piece on the board.
Play continues down and then back up the arm, through the center squares and then around the board clockwise. Thus, the player moves first down the left arm of the board, and then down the right.
Players move around their own arm and then clockwise around the center of the board.
The end space is the top right square of the arm to the right of where the player started. Once this space is reached, the piece may be removed from the board and the player wins some of their opponent's bet objects. The end space must be landed on exactly, however; for example, if a player is three spaces away from the end, they must roll a three and land exactly on the end space. If this does not happen, the player does not move and loses their turn.
If one player's turn would have them land on a square already occupied by their opponent, the player does not move and loses that turn.
If one player's turn would have them land on a square already occupied by their opponent in one of the center four squares, however, the opponent's piece is “captured” and is forced off of the board. The opponent must throw a one in order to return the piece to play, back at the starting square.
If a player's turn would have them land on one of the darkened squares at the end of each arm, the player may take another turn.
The game continues until one player has nothing left to bet.
History
History
Patolli's exact date of origin is, of course, difficult to determine. The game was played during the Aztec period, around 1500 CE, although historians say it's roots likely extend at least to 200 CE. It was played all over MesoAmerica and by most of the cultures that existed there, including the Teotihuacanos, who existed as long ago as 200 BCE, the Toltecs, 700-1000 CE, and the Aztecs, as well as all the peoples they conquered.
Patolli was played by all levels of people, from nobles to commoners. It had religious meaning to the Aztecs. It has been theorized that the throwing of beans that are used as dice were associated with divination: the casting of the beans would be used to predict the future. Also, before playing, sacrifices were made to the god of games, Macuilxochitl (also called Xochipilli), after which players would bet with confidence knowing that Macuilxochitl was “on their side”.
The Aztec God, Macuilxochitl.
Because of its clear religious meanings, the game was outlawed and nearly terminated by European invaders. Those who were caught playing would have their hands burned as punishment, as well as their Patolli boards and accessories destroyed. The game survived only in locations far away from Spanish settlements.
Game Design Elements
Game Design Elements
Patolli is both a race game and a war game. The end goal is for the player to get all of their pieces to the end position first, as is the goal in any race game. However, the qualities of a war game are seen in the players' ability to capture each others pieces. Also, because either player can win their opponent's bet objects for every piece they get to the end, there is great incentive to prevent the opponent from reaching the end.
The use of the marked beans makes movement largely controlled by chance. However, because a player can have multiple pieces on the board at one time to choose to move, strategy becomes necessary in order to capture opponent's pieces or obtain rewards in the form of extra turns.
The movement on the board is entirely linear: although a player can choose which pieces to move, they cannot choose where to move them. Of course, players' location on the board is still very important, as the spaces on which action can be taken against the opponent or for rewards are limited. A great deal of planning may be necessary to play successfully.
Art
Art
The Patolli board was likely connected with the Aztec calender. For example, the board contains fifty-two squares that a piece can land on, which is also the number of days in each period of the Aztec year as well as the number of years in the Aztec religious cycle. The number four also plays a role in the game: there are four arms of the board as well as four squares in the center. This number likely connects to the four periods of the year, four seasons, or four directions of the world. The board itself was most likely painted on a leather or straw mat which could be rolled up and taken away with the player. Although the “dice” were generally made with beans, the playing pieces could be made with many differently colored types of stones, such as jade.
References
References
"Ancient Aztec Games." Aztec-history.com. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. <http://www.aztec-history.com/ancient-aztec-games.html>.
"Aztec Patolli." Xmission.com/~psneeley. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. <http://www.xmission.com/~psneeley/Shareware/aztecpat.htm>. Hessong, Athena.
"How To Play Patolli." Ehow.com. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. <http://www.ehow.com/how_5108184_play-patolli.html>.
"Patolli." Pachisi.vegard2.no/. 1 May 2006. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. <http://pachisi.vegard2.no/patolli.html>.
Links
Links
http://www.ehow.com/how_5108184_play-patolli.html - Instructions for playing Patolli.
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