Strategy and Chance
Players combine thoughtful decisions with the outcomes of dice or other traditional throwing pieces.
What Is Pagade?
Pagade is a traditional Indian board game that combines strategy, chance, and friendly competition. Played using a game board or cloth mat, playing pieces (pawns), and traditional dice or cowrie shells, the game challenges players to move their pieces along a prescribed path and reach the destination according to the rules.
The game is associated with Karnataka and belongs to India's rich heritage of traditional board games. It shares similarities with other cross-and-circuit games, such as Pachisi, although the board layout, movement rules, and winning conditions can vary by region and family tradition.
Pagade brings people together through play while encouraging strategic thinking, counting, decision-making, and social interaction. It can be enjoyed by family members and friends across generations, making it both an entertaining pastime and a way to preserve traditional Indian gaming culture.
Choose a Pagade product photograph in the block settings.
What Makes Pagade Special?
Family Bonding
The game encourages interaction and friendly competition across generations.
Cultural Heritage
It represents the diversity of India's traditional board-game traditions.
Learning Through Play
Players practise counting, planning, observation, and decision-making.
Pagade Across Regions
Discover the Regional Names and Related Traditions of Indian Board Games.
Traditional Indian board games are known by different names across regions and communities. Pagade is associated with Karnataka and shares similarities with several related cross-and-circuit games found in India and beyond.
| Region | Alternate Name / Related Names |
|---|---|
| Karnataka | Pagade, Pagade Kayi Ata |
| North India | Pachisi, Chaupar, Chausar, Chopat |
| Tamil Nadu | Dayakattam, Sokkattan |
| Maharashtra | Pagdi Pat |
| Telugu-speaking regions | Pachikala Ata |
| Outside India | Parcheesi, Parchís (related adaptations) |
Pagade at a Glance
Everything You Need to Know Before You Play
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 2–4 players, depending on the board and rules |
| Recommended age | 6 years and above |
| Playing duration | Approximately 20–60 minutes |
| Game type | Traditional race and strategy board game |
| Skills developed | Counting, strategic thinking, planning and decision-making |
Equipment Required to Play Pagade
Understand the Traditional Components of the Game
Game Board or Mat
A cross-shaped board printed or stitched on cloth, or a traditional board drawn on a surface.
Playing Pawns
Usually 16 pawns in total, with four pawns per player across four colours.
Traditional Dice (Daala)
Two long dice are used in the Karnataka variant described by Roll the Dice. Other versions may use cowrie shells or different dice.
A traditional Karnataka game
How to Set Up and Play Pagade
Learn the Setup, Dice and Essential Rules
Add a Pagade board or product image in the block settings.
Game setup
Place the Board
Spread the Pagade mat on a flat surface so that all players can reach it comfortably.
Choose the Players
The game can accommodate 2–4 players, depending on the board design.
Distribute the Pawns
Each player selects a colour and takes the corresponding pawns. A common four-player set has four pawns per player.
Identify the Starting Areas
Each player places their pawns in their designated starting or home area.
Prepare the Dice
Keep the traditional Pagade dice ready for throwing.
Decide Who Starts
Players can take turns throwing the dice, with the highest throw going first, if this method is agreed upon.
Rules of the game
Throw the Dice
Players take turns rolling the two traditional long dice (daaLa). Each die has faces marked 1, 3, 4 and 6 in the Karnataka variant described in the Roll the Dice guide.
Move the Pawns
Move one pawn by the combined total of both dice, or move two separate pawns according to the individual numbers rolled. Follow the prescribed route on the board.
Form a Pair (Jodi)
When two pawns of the same colour occupy the same block, they form a jodi. A pair can move together when both dice show the same number, according to this variant's rules.
Capture an Opponent's Pawn
If your pawn lands on a block occupied by an opponent's single pawn, the opponent's pawn is sent back to its starting area. Special rules apply on designated ghatta blocks and when capturing a pair.
Reach Home
Move your pawns along the complete route and bring them into the central home square. Follow the board's prescribed path and any finishing conditions in your rule set.
The path to victory
How to Win Pagade
Bring Your Pawns Home to Claim Victory
Individual Play
The first player to bring all four of their pawns into the central home wins.
Team Play
When two players form a team, the first team to bring all eight of its pawns home wins.
Regional Variations of Pagade
Explore How Traditional Race Games Differ Across Regions
Pagade and related Indian cross-and-circuit board games have developed different playing traditions across regions. Their boards, throwing equipment, pawn movement and rules may vary according to local customs and the version being played.
Southern Karnataka — Pagade
- Commonly played by 2–4 players.
- Uses long, four-sided throwing dice called daaLa.
- The board features marked crossing squares called ghattas and a central home.
- Pawn movement, capturing and paired-pawn rules follow the local version being played.
North Karnataka — Pagade Kayi Ata
- Traditionally played on wooden boards, cloth mats or boards drawn on the floor.
- Playing pieces may be made from shells, cowries or other locally available materials.
- Both dice and cowries are documented as throwing equipment.
- Board designs and playing conventions can differ from one community to another.
North India — Pachisi, Chaupar and Chausar
- Related cross-shaped race games have their own regional traditions.
- Pachisi is traditionally associated with cowrie-shell throws, while Chaupar versions may use elongated dice.
- The number of throws needed to enter the board, extra turns, movement and capture rules can differ.
- These games are closely related to Pagade but should not automatically be treated as identical rule sets.
Tamil Nadu — Dayakattam and Sokkattan
- These are related South Indian race-game traditions.
- Some versions use traditional throwing pieces rather than standard numbered dice.
- Board layouts, movement values and local rules may differ from Karnataka Pagade.
- The names should be understood as related regional game forms, not necessarily exact synonyms.
Main Differences Between Regional Versions
Understanding the Rules, Equipment and Board Variations
Pagade and related traditional Indian race games can differ in their board layouts, throwing equipment and gameplay conventions. Understanding these differences helps players appreciate each regional tradition and choose the rules that match their particular game set.
| Feature | How Variations May Differ |
|---|---|
| Board layout | Number of squares, marked safe spaces and home paths |
| Throwing equipment | Long dice, other dice or cowrie shells |
| Starting positions | Where pawns are placed before play |
| Pawn movement | Whether dice values can be combined or used separately |
| Capturing | Whether an opponent's pawn returns to the start and which spaces are protected |
| Paired pawns | Whether two same-colour pawns can move together and under what conditions |
| Winning condition | Whether all pawns must reach home and how teams are formed |
The Cultural Significance of Pagade
More Than a Game — A Tradition Shared Across Generations
Family Traditions
Pagade has been played in homes and communities as a shared recreational activity, bringing different generations together.
Marriage Customs
Research records that Pagade game sets have been given to daughters as marriage gifts in parts of North Karnataka, illustrating the game's role in cultural transmission.
Learning Through Play
The game encourages counting, planning, anticipation and decision-making while providing an opportunity for friendly competition.
Regional Identity
Local names, handmade boards and traditional playing pieces reflect the diversity of Karnataka's material and oral heritage.
Cultural Storytelling
Dice games have a wider place in Indian literature and mythology, including the dice episode in the Mahabharata. However, this broader association should not be treated as proof that the modern Pagade game existed in the same form in ancient times.