Dadu — Play the Traditional Cowrie Shell Board Game Online

Cowrie Throws (5 Shells):

• 1 Flat up: Move 1 space + Bonus Throw. Mandatory: if you have any pieces in reserve, a roll of 1 MUST be used to enter one.
• 2, 3, 4 Flat up: Move 2, 3, or 4 spaces.
• 5 Flat up: Move 10 spaces + Bonus Throw.
• 0 Flat up (Bust): 0 spaces, all pending throws lost, turn ends!

Movement & Safe Squares:

• Pieces travel the shared track around both oval yards. Squares marked with an X are safe.
• Friendly pieces may freely stack on the same square.
• Reaching the center home (Ghar) requires your team to have captured at least one enemy piece first.
• Bearing a piece off from the Ghar requires a roll of exactly 1, and zero pieces left in reserve.
• 🔒 A player's rolls can't move any piece until they've personally rolled a 1-flat at least once in the match.

Entrenched Attack (in place):

• A roll of 1 lets you eliminate an enemy camped alongside one of your pieces, if that enemy's team has zero in reserve.

King (Nakto) Mechanics:

• Unprotected King (Nakto) captured → ALL pieces of that team return to reserve!
• King (Nakto) + friendly pawn → pawn is sacrificed to shield the King.
• King (Nakto) captures opposing King (Nakto) → entire opposing force wiped out!