Variant Library
Pachisi is an ancient Indian cross-and-circle race game documented from approximately 500 CE, with precursor forms identified in the Painted Grey Ware period (c. 1100–800 BCE). The name derives from the Hindi word paccīs (twenty-five), the highest score achievable in the standard cowrie shell throw.
The game is the direct public domain ancestor of several major modern commercial titles:
- Ludo (1896, UK)
- Sorry! (1929, United States)
- Trouble (1965, United States)
- Aggravation (1962, United States)
- Parcheesi (US commercial edition)
This library documents only the original public domain Pachisi forms. Ludo, Sorry!, Trouble, and their commercial descendants are not included.
This library includes 3 variants.
Variants
- Standard Pachisi — 4 players, six cowrie shells, the foundational form
- 2-Player Pachisi — 2-player adaptation with teams on the standard board
- Seven-Shell Pachisi — 7-cowrie variant with named throw values