List of cross and circle games

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cross and circle is a board game design used for race games played throughout the world. The design of most cross and circle games involves a circle divided into four equal portions by a cross inscribed inside it; the classic example of this design is the Korean game Yut. However, the term "cross and circle" is typically widened to include boards that replace the circle with a square, and cruciform boards that collapse the circle onto the cross; all three types are topologically equivalent.

The Indian game Pachisi and its many descendants are perhaps the most well-known of all cross and circle games.[1] Not all cross and circle games are descended from Pachisi; there are numerous examples of other similar games independently developed in other cultures.

List of games[edit]

Name Image Place of origin Movement Notes
Aeroplane Chess China Single six-sided die Features airplane-themed pieces rather than abstract markers.
Aggravation United States Single six-sided die Trademarked; accommodates up to six players, unlike most cross and circle games.
Ashte kashte Bengal, India Four thrown cowry shells Played on a seven-by-seven grid with four "resting spaces" on which pieces cannot be captured. Players may sit two of their own pieces on one square to block movement of enemy pieces.
Chaupar India Six thrown cowry shells, or three four-sided long dice Played on a cross-shaped fabric board.
Coppit Germany Single six-sided die Originally named Fang Den Hut, or Capture the Hat.
Cranium United States Single six-sided die rolled after completion of an activity Trademarked; players travel a circuit completing various activities in order to advance.
Dayakattai Tamil Nadu, India Two four-sided brass long dice The game is named after the brass long dice used to determine movement.
Headache United States Two standard dice within a clear plastic "pop-o-matic" dome in the center of the board. Unlike most cross and circle games, the object is not to arrive at a "home base", but to mark all of the opponent's pieces with one's own color first.
Edris A Jin Syria and Lebanon Similar to pachisi
Jeu des petits chevaux France Single six-sided die In English, the name translates to "the game of little horses," in reference to the game's small horse-shaped pawns.
Kimble Finland One standard die within a clear plastic "pop-o-matic" dome in the center of the board. Trademarked; Finnish release of the American game Trouble There is an identical British version called 'Frustration'.
Ludo England Single six-sided die Derived from the Indian game Pachisi, with simplified rules. Sold worldwide under a variety of local names.
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht Germany Single six-sided die In English, the name translates to "hey, don't get angry," in reference to the fact that the game involves capturing other players' pawns.
Patolli Mesoamerica Five or six thrown marked black beans Ancient Mesoamerican game played by a variety of Pre-Columbian cultures.
Pachisi India Six or seven thrown cowry shells Has been played in India since at least the 16th century, and is considered the ancestor to many Western cross and circle games such as Ludo, Parcheesi, and Sorry!.
Parcheesi United States Two six-sided dice Trademarked American adaptation of the Indian game Pachisi.
Parchís Spain Single six-sided die Generic-name Spanish adaptation of the Indian game Pachisi.
Parqués Colombia Two six-sided dice Parqués boards can be adapted to accommodate four, six, or eight players.
Sorry! England Cards drawn from a game-specific deck. Trademarked; the game's title comes from the many ways in which a player can negate the progress of another, while issuing an apologetic "Sorry!"
Tock Quebec, Canada Cards played from a hand of standard playing cards Some playing cards have special functions such as extra movement. Some variations include joker cards.
Trivial Pursuit Canada Single six-sided die Players travel around the board answering trivia questions on six different topics, and must correctly answer one from each topic in order to make it to the centre and win the game.
Trouble United States One standard die within a clear plastic "pop-o-matic" dome in the center of the board. Trademarked; sold in the UK under the name Frustration. The game's dice have Arabic numerals rather than the typical pips.
Uckers England Two six-sided dice Primarily played in branches of the British Armed Forces, particularly the Royal Navy, which lays down the official game rules in its regulations.
Wahoo Appalachia, United States Single six-sided die Regional variation of the traditional cross and circle game. Aggravation is a licensed version of the same game.
Yut Korea Four thrown marked sticks Traditional board game associated with Korean New Year.
Zohn Ahl Great Plains region of the United States Four thrown marked sticks Traditional board game of the Native American Kiowa people.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ MacKenzie, Colin; Finkel, Irving L. (2004-01-01). Asian Games: The Art of Contest. Asia Society. p. 57. ISBN 9780878480999.

External links[edit]