How to play Yutnori: throw results, shortcuts and stacking
Learn the Do, Gae, Geol, Yut and Mo results, follow the 29-space board and choose when to stack or capture. This Denny Games version is a free, local 2–4 player game; regional Yutnori rules can differ.
What do Do, Gae, Geol, Yut and Mo mean?
Throw four sticks. The number of flat faces pointing up sets the move: one is Do (1 space), two Gae (2), three Geol (3), and four Yut (4). If all four rounded faces point up, the result is Mo (5). Yut and Mo grant one more throw after you move.
This digital board models each stick as an even 50/50 random result. Physical sticks can have different shapes and balances, so the odds in a browser game should not be treated as a measurement of real sticks.
How does the 29-space board work?
A piece enters the outer course from the yard. At an in-run corner, choose the outer route or a diagonal shortcut. A piece that takes a diagonal follows it through the shared centre to the opposite corner; it does not turn onto the other diagonal at the centre. Choosing a route commits the move immediately.
A move that would pass over the finish is unavailable in this edition. Pieces must land on the finish exactly. This is a clearly stated Denny Games house rule because families and regions use different Yutnori conventions.
When do pieces stack or get captured?
You may bring a piece out of the yard or move a piece already on the board. When your piece lands on another of your pieces, they form one stack and move together. When it lands on an opponent's stack, the whole captured stack returns to its yard and you earn another throw.
Passing over another piece does not capture it; the capture happens only when the move ends on its space. Yut and Mo also grant an extra throw, so a player may move and throw again before the next player begins.
Is Back-do included?
No. This version uses the base Do–Mo results and does not include Back-do, the optional one-step-back result found in some modern house-rule sets. The National Folk Museum of Korea describes Back-do as a later variation. We leave it out so the route and stick rules stay explicit in this first release.
Can I play with a friend on one phone?
Yes. Choose two, three or four players before starting, then pass the same device after each turn. All four pieces and the current throw are saved in this browser. There is no AI, account, online room or connection to a second device.
The first player to bring all four pieces to the finish wins. Use the route-choice buttons for shortcuts, the yard for unstarted pieces and the highlighted stacks for pieces already in play.