Sugoroku: Rules and How to Play
Sugoroku is a 2-to-6-player, roughly 10-minute Japanese picture-sugoroku race: roll a die, move along a single path, and be first to reach the goal. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Setup
- Sugoroku (picture-sugoroku, the roll-around kind) is a dice race enjoyed in Japan since the Edo period: move along a single winding path of squares.
- 2 to 6 players. On your own, play against three computer players.
- Everyone starts a piece at square 0. Choose one of three boards: Round the Seasons, A Short Walk, or Treasure Hunt.
- Each piece carries its owner's mark (a shape), so pieces sharing a square can be told apart. Pieces never collide and are never captured.
How to play
- Take turns rolling one die and move your piece forward that many squares.
- Follow any instruction on the square you land on: move forward or back (never before square 0), rest one or two turns, roll again (up to three times in a turn), go back to start, or jump to a numbered square — six kinds in all.
- By default you also follow the instruction on the square an instruction sends you to (up to 5 in a row; it always stops even around a loop). Turn the local rule chaining off to make each instruction trigger only once.
- A resting player is automatically skipped when their turn comes around, with their remaining rests counted down by one each time. Even if everyone is resting, the count keeps falling, so someone always ends up rolling.
- You can roll again up to three times in one turn. A fourth roll-again is cut off automatically and play passes to the next player.
Winning and scoring
- By default, reaching or passing the goal square wins outright. A local rule, exact, requires an exact roll instead, bouncing back by the extra amount.
- By default, play ends as soon as one player reaches the goal; the rest are ranked by how far they travelled. A local rule, play on for places, keeps going until only one player is left.
- You can also resign. A player who resigns is ranked last (tied), and play continues if two or more players remain.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–6 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Which board to play. Round the Seasons (50 squares) is the standard mix of effects, A Short Walk (30) is shorter, and Treasure Hunt (50) has more effects. | Round the Seasons | Can be changed |
| Reaching the goal | "Over", the default, lets a roll that passes the goal still win. "Exact" bounces back by the extra amount instead. | Over (any roll that reaches it) | Can be changed |
| Chain effects | Landing on an effect can trigger the next square's effect too (up to 5 in a row). On by default; turn it off for one effect only. | On | Can be changed |
| Play on for places | On, keep playing after the first player finishes, until only one is left. Off by default. | Off | Can be changed |
| Rotate first player | Play again passes the first turn to the next player. | On | Can be changed |
Terms
- Start
- Square 0, where every piece begins.
- Goal
- The last square on the path. Reaching it wins.
- Chaining
- A local rule where landing on one effect can trigger the next square's effect too.
- Rest a turn
- Landing here skips your next turn (or next two, on some squares).
FAQ
What instructions can a square give?
Six kinds: move forward, move back, rest one or two turns, roll again, or jump to another square. Their placement differs by board, so even the same board plays out differently each time.
What happens if I roll past the goal?
By default (over) you still win outright. A local rule, exact, requires landing exactly on the goal, bouncing back by the extra amount if you overshoot.
What if everyone is resting at once?
Turns still rotate, counting each rest down by one, so someone always ends up rolling and play never stalls.
What does chaining mean?
By default, you also follow the instruction on the square an instruction sends you to (up to 5 in a row; it always stops even around a loop). Turn the local rule chain off to make a square's instruction trigger only once.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-23 · Run by Qdan, Inc.