Aztec Mesoamerica · Race Game · 2–4 Players
How to Play Patolli
Patolli is a sacred Aztec race game played on a cross-shaped board of 52 spaces — a number that mirrors the 52-year cycle at the heart of the Aztec calendar. Played with marked bean dice, players race pieces around the board while knocking opponents back to start, wagering goods, and invoking the patron god of games. One of the oldest games in the Americas, and one of the most cosmologically rich.
The Board
The Patolli board is a large cross shape with 52 spaces arranged along the four arms and around the perimeter. The cross design mirrors the Aztec calendar's structure, with each arm corresponding to a cardinal direction. The four corner spaces where the arms meet are safe squares — no captures can happen there.
The Dice
Patolli uses 5 black beans, each with one side marked with a dot or hole. Throw all 5 beans and count how many marked sides land face-up:
| Marked beans up | Move |
|---|---|
| 0 | Move 5 spaces (special — all blanks) |
| 1 | Move 1 space |
| 2 | Move 2 spaces |
| 3 | Move 3 spaces |
| 4 | Move 4 spaces |
| 5 | Move 5 spaces (and roll again) |
A roll of all 5 marked beans up is both the highest roll and earns an extra throw.
Setting Up and Entering Pieces
- Each player has 6 pieces, which all start off the board.
- Each player has a designated entry space on the board. Pieces enter one at a time when a player rolls a 1.
- You cannot move pieces already on the board until at least one has entered. On a roll of 1, you may choose to enter a new piece or move an existing one.
Movement and Capturing
- All pieces move counterclockwise around the board.
- You must move exactly the rolled number of spaces — no splitting moves.
- Capture: if you land on a space occupied by an opponent's piece, their piece is sent back to start (off the board) and must re-enter. You cannot land on a space occupied by your own piece.
- Safe squares: the four corner spaces are safe — no captures can occur there, and multiple pieces of different players may occupy them simultaneously.
Winning
The first player to move all 6 pieces around the full circuit and off the board wins. A piece exits the board by passing its entry point after completing the circuit.
Strategy and Cultural Significance
- Protect clumps. Pieces that are close together are harder for opponents to isolate and capture.
- Use the safe squares. Parking a piece at a corner gives it immunity while you build up other pieces.
- Chase or flee. Sending an opponent back to start delays them by several turns — worth doing if the race is close.
Patolli was not merely entertainment — it was a ritual act. The Aztec god Macuilxochitl, patron of games, gambling, and pleasure, was believed to watch every match and punish dishonest players with illness and poverty. Spanish chroniclers reported that Aztec nobles would wager their entire fortunes, their homes, and even their freedom on Patolli outcomes.
The Spanish banned Patolli in the 16th century, calling it idolatry. Despite centuries of suppression, traces of the game survived in rural communities, and modern scholars reconstructed the rules from colonial-era documents, including detailed illustrations by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún.
Play Patolli Free Online
No download. No account needed. Play in your browser right now.