Zohn Ahl

Zohn Ahl, also know as The Awl Game or The Ahl Game, is a race game played by the Kiowa Indians of North America. Similar games played by the North American Indians are: Settilth (Navaho), Owasokotz (Keres), and Tasholiiwe (Zuni). The name comes from two locations on the board, the Zohn (creek), and the wooden lots that are cast to move about the board, the Ahl (wood).

Rules

There must be an even number of players, up to four. Zohn Ahl is traditionally played by only girls or women. The players are divided into two teams when playing.

Game pieces:

1. The "Ahl Cloth", historically this was a cloth or drawn on the ground but will more likely be found now in a hard board form. Functionality is the same either way.
2. Two Ahls, used as markers on the board. Placed at the "creek" locations.
3. The "Ahl Stone", a flat boulder placed in the center of the board.
4. Wooden lots, four prepared sticks called the "Ahl"
5. Eight other sticks used as placeholders.

Turns:

Players sit at the four corners of the board. These spots on the board are called knee's because it would have been where the players kneeled. Turns are made in a clockwise fashion.

The end of a round in marked when a player returns their piece to the staring location. When that happens the other team or player pays the winner their placeholder.

Movement:

Three of the four ahl are marked with a red stripe running down the middle, the fourth has a blue. The four ahl are cast against the ahl stone. If they all land with the grooved side down it's called "white" and 10 points are awarded. This points are recorded by moving one of your pieces along the spaces in the board. If they land grooved side up it's called "red" and five points are awarded. Both of those rolls allow the player to take another turn. Other rolls award as one grooved side up one point, two sides two points, and three sides three points.

One team moves their four placeholder pieces clockwise and the other counterclockwise. If you land on a creek space, the 21st, you failed to jump over the creek and the piece is sent back to the creek at the bottom, space 1. If you land on the opponents placeholder that piece is sent back to the beginning.

Victory:

To achieve victory one team must collect all eight of the placeholders, or if the game ends prematurely the team or player who collected the most placeholders wins.

History

Zohn Ahl is originally played by the Kiowa Indians of North America. Little is known of its origins within the culture.

Game Design Elements

Zohn Ahl is a basic race game in which players travel is determined by a roll. Casting the ahl against the ahl stone is not something that can easily be cheated and the simple rule set allow for beginners and experts to play against each other.

Art

The board of Zohn Ahl has no artistic features. The ahl sticks used to "roll" are marked three with a red line and one with blue, these markings are key to gameplay. There are other markings on the ahl sticks resembling the fletching of an arrow, but only serve for aethstetic purposes.

Zohn Ahl

Rules

History

Game Design Elements

Art

References

Links