We have a surprise for those who are signing up to our Kickstarter campaign: exclusive access to the most popular pre-Columbian culture strategy game: the Patoli.
Patolli was played by Mesoamerican groups such as the Teotihuacans, Toltecs, Mayas and Aztecs. It was played from about 200 BCE until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and their conquest of the Aztec Empire in the early 1500s CE. The game was very popular across all social strata: there were even matches held between the rulers of neighboring villages.
The Patoli is played on a board with a diagonal-shaped cross, divided in 52 boxes that represent the Mayan calendar wheel (related to “Fuego Nuevo” – New Fire), and the “Huehuetiliztli" (104 year cycle). Black beans with a hole drilled in one side were used as dice; this is why patolli is sometimes called the bean game. The aim is to complete a full lap of the board with their pieces before the other player.
The game had a strong focus on gambling, people would bet their precious objects, possessions and even their freedom.
Aare you curious to try this ancient game?
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