Players | 2 or 4
Equipment
- 6 cowrie shells
- 16 markers (4 each of 4 colors)
- Playing board
The Basics
The goal of the game is for a team to move all 8 of their pieces all the way around the board and back to the Charkoni (the large square in the middle of the board)
Teaming up
Players are in teams of two: Yellow and Black play against Red and Green. A team only wins when all 8 of their markers are back in the Charkoni
Starting
All of the pieces are placed into the Charkoni. The highest throw moves first. Play then rotates counter-clockwise around the board. The first piece moved out of the Charkoni does not need a grace – although all subsequent pieces need to have grace before they can leave the Charkoni.
Moving
Moves are decided by throws of the cowry shells. Each marker must move down the middle of the arm nearest the player, around the edge of the board counterclockwise and back up the middle arm into the Charkoni.
- More than one piece from the same side can occupy the same square
- A piece is not allowed to finish on a castle square that is occupied by one or more enemy pieces
- Moving is not compulsory – a player may decide not to move after throwing the cowries
- If a piece finishes on a non-castle square inhabited by one or more enemy pieces, the enemy pieces are captured
- Captured pieces are placed back in the Charkoni to start over
- A piece completing a circuit can carry around the board a second time
Tossing Shells
If a grace is thrown, a marker can be moved out of the Charkoni onto the board and the player can make another throw.
| Cowries mouth up |
Spaces Moved |
| 0 | 10 + grace |
| 1 | 25 + grace |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 6 | 6 + grace |
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