Yut Nori--윷놀이, A Korean Classic

Yut Nori box

Any of you familiar with Sorry!, or slightly less so with Trouble, popular American games, will recognize the similarities with this classic Korean game.  Interestingly enough, this game, or variations of it are popular the world over, and can also be known as Pachisi, or Cross and Circle Game.  

Played all over the globe, we recognize its appeal to pass time and quell boredom and teach life lessons... Which life lessons it teaches I cannot tell you, but let's move on.

The game is very simple and can have many variations, but the condensed description is this: you throw the sticks which serve as dice and count the number facing up.  If all are showing the flat side up then the value is 4.  If all 4 are facing down then the value is 5.  One stick generally has Xs and if it is the only one rolled then it is a -1.  

If you roll 4 or 5 then you can roll again and if 2 is rolled you can go 4 with one piece and 2 with another, or vice-versa, that is, you can split up your rolls with different pieces.  If you land on an opponent's piece you send him home and get to roll again.  If you land on your own piece you can piggy back and move together from that point forward.  The first player to get all his pieces home wins the game.

Very simple.  It is very much like Sorry! but the sticks make it a fresh variation, and it only costs approximately 2$ US.  A great price if you ask me.  

Sources:

Wikipedia.org entry: Yut.

Yut Nori 'dice'

Yut Nori game board

Image taken from this Nate.com forum.
A variation of the Yut Nori board.