Aztec Mesoamerica · Race Game · 2–4 Players
How to Play Patolli
Patolli is a sacred Aztec race game played on a cross-shaped board. Historically it had 52 spaces — a number that mirrors the 52-year cycle at the heart of the Aztec calendar (this playable version uses a 44-space track). 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 arranged along the four arms and around the perimeter. Historical boards have 52 spaces — a number that mirrors the Aztec calendar's 52-year cycle — while this playable version uses a 44-space perimeter track. Certain spaces (the four arm-tips and four arm-midpoints) 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 10 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) |
Rolling all blanks (0 marked) is the special high roll, advancing a piece 10 spaces. A roll of all 5 marked beans up moves 5 spaces 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. On any roll, you may bring a new piece onto the board (it enters at a square counted from the entry point), one piece at a time.
- On any turn you may choose to enter a new piece or advance a piece already in play.
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 marked safe spaces (the arm-tips and arm-midpoints) 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Patolli?
In Patolli, players throw five marked black beans as dice and move their pieces counterclockwise around a cross-shaped board, with the bean count determining how many spaces a piece advances. Landing on a square held by an opponent sends that opponent's piece back to start, while the eight safe squares at the arm-tips and arm-midpoints protect pieces from capture.
Where does Patolli come from?
Patolli is a sacred Aztec race game from Mesoamerica and one of the oldest games in the Americas. It was a ritual act tied to the Aztec calendar and the god Macuilxochitl, patron of games, and the Spanish banned it in the 16th century as idolatry, after which scholars reconstructed its rules from colonial-era documents.
How do you win at Patolli?
A player wins Patolli by being the first to move all six of their pieces around the full circuit and off the board. A piece exits by passing its entry point after completing the circuit.
How many players do you need to play Patolli?
Patolli is played by 2 to 4 players.
Can I play Patolli online for free?
Yes, Patolli can be played for free on Cultural Games at playculturalgames.com. It runs in any web browser against the computer or a friend, with no download and no account required.
What do the dice in Patolli do?
Patolli uses five black beans, each marked on one side, and players count how many marked sides land face-up to determine their move. One to five marked beans move a piece that many spaces, rolling all five blanks moves 10 spaces, and rolling all five marked beans moves 5 spaces and earns an extra throw.
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