Hounds & Jackals

How to play

Inspired by ancient Egypt's "58 Holes" palm-tree race, played here on a shorter 30-hole track with two peg-shaped pieces styled as a hound and a jackal. Cast the throwing sticks and choose which of your two pegs to advance toward home.

Rules

  • Press Throw sticks to cast four sticks; the number of light faces up is your move (0 up counts as a grand throw of 5).
  • Choose which of your two pegs to advance that many holes — you don't have to move the same peg every turn.
  • Some holes are linked by cords: green ▲ holes shoot you straight ahead to a later hole, red ▼ holes slip you back to an earlier one.
  • A grand throw of 5 earns another throw. Get both of your pegs all the way home first to win.

Tips

It's not a pure dice race — you choose which peg moves, so line a peg up so its next likely throw lands on a green cord, and keep pegs clear of the squares that feed straight into a red one.