Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku
A race game on a real Qing-dynasty Chinese print: spiral through the Legend of the White Snake, hop between twin pictures and reach the Leifeng Pagoda. 2–6 players, about 15 min, free.
Play over time
Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku in 30 seconds
- Setup2–6 players. Everyone starts on Setting Out, the gourd shape at the left edge. Solo players face 3 CPUs.
- MoveRoll one die and move that many squares anticlockwise along the spiral.
- Twin picturesEvery picture appears twice. Stop on one and you move to its twin (our reconstruction).
- WinThe first to reach the Leifeng Pagoda in the centre wins.
At a glance
| Item | This game |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–6 players |
| Play time | About 15 min |
| Type | Board |
| Ranked play | No |
| Practice against the CPU | Yes |
| Price | Free (no account needed) |
| Rights holder | A public-domain classic game |
| Last updated | 2026-09-25 |
How to play Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku online with friends
- Tap "Play with friends"A party is created with a 6-character code. No account is needed.
- Send a link or QR codeShare it on LINE, or just read the code aloud.
- Everyone opens it in a browserOnce 2–6 players have joined, the host taps "Start".
Rule highlights
Setup, play, winning, and house rules
Setup
- The board is a real print, the Leifeng Pagoda Board Game, made in China in the Qianlong period (1736–95). The Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0.
- 2–6 players. Playing alone, you face 3 CPUs.
- Everyone places a piece on Setting Out (起馬), the gourd shape at the left edge. Each piece has its own shape, so you can tell them apart even on a shared square. Pieces never block or capture each other.
How to play
- Take turns rolling one die and move that many squares. From Setting Out the route runs down to the bottom left, then spirals anticlockwise three times to the Leifeng Pagoda in the centre. The squares are not numbered on the print, so BGJ numbers them 1 to 40.
- The 40 squares show 20 characters and scenes from the Legend of the White Snake, each exactly twice. The labels are printed at an angle, facing the centre; BGJ spells out the current square's number, name and reading in the label box under the board.
- Each picture has a twin somewhere on the board. When you stop on a picture, you move to its twin — forward if it lies ahead, back if it lies behind. You do not move again from the twin.
- Neither the print nor the museum gives any rules. The twin-picture design matches the Chinese spiral game hulu wen (gourd game), so we follow its way of playing: this is our reconstruction.
Winning
- The first to reach the Leifeng Pagoda in the centre wins. Extra pips do not matter.
- A house rule makes you land exactly: extra pips move you back from the pagoda by that many squares.
- By default the game ends when the first player finishes; the others are ranked by how far they got. A house rule lets you play on until everyone is ranked.
House rules
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finishing | "Over is fine", the default, lets any roll that reaches the Leifeng Pagoda win. "Exact roll" needs the exact number; extra pips move you back from the pagoda by that many squares. | Over is fine | Can be changed |
| Rank everyone | When on, play continues after the first player gets home until only one is left. Off by default (the game ends when one player gets home). | Off | Can be changed |
| Rotate first player on Again | Pressing Again passes the first turn of the next game to the next player. | On | Can be changed |
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FAQ
What is this board, and where is it from?
It is the Leifeng Pagoda Board Game, a woodblock print made in China in the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty (1736–95) by an unknown artist. On a 31 × 29.8 cm sheet, characters and scenes from the Legend of the White Snake spiral towards the centre. The original is in the Cleveland Museum of Art (accession number 2025.105).
Where does the board image come from?
From the image the Cleveland Museum of Art shares as CC0 (no rights reserved), cropped to the printed frame. The pieces, square rings and route arrows are drawn by BGJ on top; the picture itself is not altered.
How many can play?
2 to 6. Playing alone, you face 3 CPUs.
Why do you move to the matching picture?
Neither the print nor the museum gives any rules. Twenty pictures that each appear exactly twice is the design of the Chinese spiral game hulu wen (gourd game), so BGJ follows it: stop on a picture and you move to its twin. This is a reconstruction, and we will correct it if the original rules come to light.
What is in the centre?
The centre ring shows the Leifeng Pagoda, a figure with loose hair looking out from under the pagoda, and a seated figure in a red robe and black cap. In the Legend of the White Snake, the White Lady is finally sealed under the Leifeng Pagoda by West Lake in Hangzhou. It is the goal.
What are the characters in the four corners?
Reading anticlockwise from the top right: 起, 馬, 金, 剛 — the same characters as the start, Setting Out (起馬), and the first square, Vajra Guardian (金剛).
How were the squares named?
The print has no numbers, so BGJ numbered the squares 1–40 along the route from Setting Out and took each name from the characters on its label. The first character of Raising a Son (養子) is worn and could also be read 眷, and the third character of Fish Spirit & Child (魚精送子) is partly a guess. We will correct them as better readings turn up.
How is it different from the Japanese picture sugoroku?
Hokusai's and Kuniyasu's boards follow a road or a tour of sights, with inns and a shortcut. Here every picture has a twin, and each stop moves you to the other one — a big leap forward or a step back — as you spiral to the centre.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. No app is needed — just open it in a browser. You can join the same party as people on a PC or tablet.
Can two people play?
Yes. This game supports 2 or more players.
Can we play without being online at the same time?
Yes. Choose “Turn-based (told each turn)” and you can make one move whenever you like. We tell you when it is your turn. A table ends automatically, with no winner or loser, after 45 days without a move.
Rights holder and physical edition
This is a public-domain classic game. The rules follow the standard reference rules.
Board image: Leifeng Pagoda Board Game (Qing dynasty). The Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0
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Last updated 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.