Learn Royal Game of Ur: Tutorial

The game uses 4 tetrahedral dice (pyramid-shaped), each with 2 marked and 2 unmarked corners. Each die gives a result of 0 or 1.

The total roll ranges from 0 to 4:

- Roll 0: No move. Your turn passes immediately.

- Roll 1-4: Move one of your pieces forward that many squares.

A roll of 0 has about a 6% chance, while rolls of 1-4 have varying probabilities. A roll of 2 is the most common.

Here, Player 1 has rolled a 3 and must select a piece to move.

Pieces start off the board (position -1). When you roll, you can either enter a new piece onto the board or advance an existing piece.

Entering a piece places it at the position equal to your roll (e.g., roll 3 places the piece on square 3). Moving an existing piece advances it forward by the roll amount.

You cannot land on a square already occupied by your own piece. If you have no valid moves, your turn is skipped.

Here, Player 1 has entered two pieces onto the board (positions 2 and 5) and has five more waiting.

Three squares on the path are marked with a rosette (flower pattern) at positions 3, 7, and 13.

Landing on a rosette grants an extra turn -- you roll and move again immediately!

The rosette at position 7 (in the shared middle section) is special: a piece on this square is safe from capture. Opponents cannot land on it.

The rosettes at positions 3 (entry) and 13 (exit) also give extra turns, but pieces there can still be interacted with normally.

Here, Player 1 has a piece on the safe rosette at position 7. Player 2 cannot capture it.

In the shared middle section (positions 4-11), both players' pieces share the same squares. If your piece lands on a square occupied by an opponent's piece, the opponent's piece is sent back to the start (off the board).

The opponent must re-enter that piece on a future turn. Captures can only happen in the shared section -- pieces in private entry/exit sections are safe.

Remember: pieces on the rosette at position 7 cannot be captured!

Here, Player 1 has rolled a 2. The piece at position 4 can advance to position 6, capturing Player 2's piece there.

A piece at the end of its path must reach position 14 with an exact roll to bear off.

For example, a piece on position 12 needs exactly a 2, and a piece on position 13 needs exactly a 1. If you roll too high, that piece cannot move.

Landing on the rosette at position 13 gives you an extra turn -- and then you need exactly a 1 to bear off from there.

Here, Player 1 has pieces on positions 12 and 13. A roll of 2 could bear off the piece at 12, or a roll of 1 could bear off the piece at 13 (and grant an extra turn from the rosette!).

The Royal Game of Ur blends luck with tactical decision-making. Here are key strategies:

Control the safe rosette. Position 7 is the most valuable square -- your piece is safe from capture and you get an extra turn.

Capture aggressively. Sending an opponent's piece back to start forces them to spend turns re-entering it.

Spread your pieces. Having pieces at different positions gives you more valid moves and reduces the chance of wasting a roll.

Watch the exit. The exit squares (12-13) are private, so focus on getting pieces past the shared section where they are vulnerable.

The first player to bear off all 7 pieces wins the game!

The game is a race, but the shared middle section creates constant tension. You must balance advancing your own pieces with blocking and capturing your opponent's.

A typical game lasts 10-20 minutes, with plenty of dramatic swings as pieces are captured and sent back.

Player 1 has borne off all 7 pieces and wins the game!