윷놀이 Yutnori — Korean Traditional Board Game
Full Authentic Rules · Center Choice (직진/꺾기) · Finish Gate Rule · Smart AI
Complete Yutnori (윷놀이) Rules: Center Choice, Finish Gate & All Official Rules
Yutnori (윷놀이) is Korea's most celebrated traditional board game, played during Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Harvest Festival) for centuries. This fully interactive version implements all authentic rules including the center intersection branching choice (직진 vs 꺾기), the finish gate waiting rule, the Back Do "went around" special, and correct stacking mechanics.
Objective & Board Layout
Race all your pieces (Mal) from the Base, around the square board (Malpan), back through the Start/Goal corner to score. The first team to score all pieces wins.
- The Board: 29 intersections — 20 outer perimeter stations plus diagonal shortcuts meeting at the center.
- Start/Goal Corner: The bottom-right corner is both the starting point and finish gate. Pieces are NOT scored immediately upon returning there — they need one more roll.
- Base: Pieces not yet on the board wait at the Base. Base count decreases when pieces deploy.
Yut Stick Results
- Do (도 — 1 Step): One flat up. Symbolizes the Pig.
- Gae (개 — 2 Steps): Two flat up. Symbolizes the Dog.
- Geol (걸 — 3 Steps): Three flat up. Symbolizes the Sheep.
- Yut (윷 — 4 Steps + Bonus Cast): All four flat up. Symbolizes the Cow. Roll again!
- Mo (모 — 5 Steps + Bonus Cast): All four round up. Symbolizes the Horse. Roll again!
- Back Do (빽도 — 1 Step Backward): Only the marked first stick is flat; others are round. Active piece steps back one node. If no pieces are on the board, the turn is skipped.
The Finish Gate Rule (도착점 규칙)
This is a core authentic rule: arriving at the Start/Goal corner does NOT immediately score a goal. A piece must land there, wait (shown with a ⭐ golden border), then roll Do (1) or higher on the next turn to exit and score. Pieces that reach the goal corner with excess steps (e.g., rolling Gae from the penultimate node) automatically pass through and score immediately.
Back Do "Went Around" Special Rule (빽도 한바퀴 규칙)
If a piece was just deployed from base and receives Back Do, it cannot go back to base. Instead, it is considered to have gone around the entire board once and is placed at the Finish Gate. On the next positive roll, it scores a goal. This is a rare but dramatic rule reversal!
Center Intersection Choice: 직진 vs 꺾기
When any piece reaches the Center node (중앙), the player must actively choose their path:
- ↙ 직진 (Go Straight): Continue along the diagonal toward the bottom-left corner, then follow the outer path to the finish gate. Longer route.
- ↗ 꺾기 (Take Shortcut): Turn diagonally toward the finish gate directly (via nodes 27 → 28 → Finish Gate). The shorter route and generally preferred.
The two choices appear as separate action cards in the dashboard above. Corner nodes (top-right node 5, top-left node 10) automatically take diagonal shortcuts — only the center requires your decision.
Stacking (업기) — Correct Rules
If your moving piece lands on a node occupied by your own piece, they combine into a stack that moves together. Stacking does NOT count as scoring a goal. Only when the stack actually exits the board through the finish gate do those pieces count as goals. Stacks carry risk: if captured by an opponent, all pieces in the stack return to base!
Capturing (잡기)
Landing on an opponent's piece (or stack) captures it — sending all captured pieces back to Base. Capturing always awards an immediate bonus cast! Combined with Yut or Mo rolls, chains of bonus casts are possible and can turn the tide dramatically.
Strategy Tips
- Always choose 꺾기 (shortcut) at the center unless capturing on the straight path is possible.
- Aim to land on corner shortcuts (top-right, top-left) to activate diagonal routes.
- Stack pieces to move two at once, but protect stacks from capture on key nodes.
- Remember the finish gate: don't assume you've won until you roll Do or more from the gate!
