tibetan dice game SHO 2.5.1

SHO is a Tibetan game that utilizes dice for gameplay. In a game with three players, each starts with 9 coins at their own home. The game board consists of 64 shells arranged in a line, with the start spot located before the first shell and the goal spot after the last shell. Players take turns rolling two dice and move their coins according to the sum of the dice outcome. The objective is to successfully move all 9 coins to the Goal spot to win.

How to move the coin:

• PLACE: Coins move to a new spot based on the sum of the two dice.
• STACK: If another coin already occupies the destination spot, the moving coin can stack on top. Stacked coins can move together.
• KICK: If a player’s coin is present at the destination spot, the opponent’s coin must return to their home. However, if the opponent’s stacked coins outnumber yours, you cannot perform the kick.

(1) First Turn:

At the initial turn, two coins leave the Home to reach the Start spot.

• When rolling [1] and [1]: Three coins will advance to Start.
• When rolling [1] and [2]: Three coins will advance to Start.
• If an opponent’s coin occupies your target spot, your coin's value should be one more than that of your opponent's stack for it to advance to Start.

(2) Turn after all your coins are Kicked back:

If all your coins were kicked back, two coins restart from Home to reach Start.

• When rolling [1] and [1]: Three coins will advance to Start.
• When rolling [3] and [6]: Nine coins will advance to Start.
• If an opponent’s coin occupies your target spot, your coin's value should be one more than that of your opponent's stack for it to advance to Start.

(3) Ordinary Turn:

If you have a coin at Home, one coin will move to Start. Failure to move it will result in its return back to Home.

• When rolling [1] and [1]: You have two choices:
  • You can move any coin by two spots.
  • You can reroll the dice and move any coin based on the addition of two and the new dice outcome.

If you kick an opponent's coin, you are allowed an additional dice roll. However, once all of a player's coins are back at Home, this option is no longer available.