Dice games
How to play Sugoroku
From Nihonbashi to Kyō,
fifty-five post towns, one roll at a time.
A race along the old Tōkaidō road: roll two dice and choose which one to move by. Get past barriers, a flooded river and the Seven-Ri ferry on your way to Kyō. For 2-6 players.
No sign-up, nothing to install. Enter a name and you're at the table. No opponent? Play the CPU right away.
- Count
- 2-6
- Play time
- 10-20 min
- Ages
- 6+
- Equipment
- 2 dice
What is Sugoroku?
Sugoroku is a Japanese race game. This one follows the Tōkaidō, the old highway from Nihonbashi in Edo through fifty-five post towns to the Sanjō Bridge in Kyō. On your turn you roll two dice and move by one of them. Some towns lend you a fast palanquin; mountain passes send you back, and checkpoints hold you up for a turn. At Miya you choose between crossing the bay by boat or walking round by land. You must reach Kyō with an exact roll, so choosing your die matters right to the end.
Playing Sugoroku at Kirakuken
- Choose which of your two dice to move by, and see where each one lands and what happens there first
- Fifteen events: fast palanquins, passes, checkpoints, the yam soup, the Ōi river halt and the Seven-Ri ferry, plus tailwind, rain shelter, teahouse, highwayman, courier and festival
- Three forks: over Hakone, the Imakiri ferry and the Seven-Ri ferry (Miya only is a table setting)
- Afterwards, the journey log lets you read back who rolled what and where they went
- Choose the CPU's strength: Easy, Normal or Strong
Rules of Sugoroku
These rules always apply at our tables.
- Start
- everyone sets out from Nihonbashi in Edo, bound for Kyō (Sanjō Bridge in Kyoto). Any number of travellers can stay at the same post town.
- Your turn
- roll two dice and move by the number on either one. On a double, you may move by their total instead.
- Fork (Miya)
- you always stop at Miya and choose boat or land. On the Seven-Ri ferry, roll one die on your next turn: 2 to 6 lands you in Kuwana and you carry on, but a 1 means rough seas, back to Miya, and you choose again next turn. The Saya road over land adds three towns (Manba, Kamori, Saya) but gets you there for sure.
- Arriving
- you must reach Kyō with an exact roll. Any extra is walked back from Kyō.
- End
- play continues until everyone reaches Kyō, ranking every traveller; it ends when only one is left on the road.
Events at the post towns
What happens when you stop at these towns. Nothing happens at the other towns.
| Event (towns) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Move ahead, go back, rest | |
| Fast palanquinTotsuka, Hamamatsu | Stop here and a palanquin carries you two towns ahead from Totsuka, three from Hamamatsu. |
| Mountain passesSatta Pass at Yui, Suzuka Pass at Sakanoshita | Stop here and you are sent back two towns. |
| CheckpointsHakone, Arai | Stop here for inspection and miss your next turn. |
| Yam soupMariko | Stop for the local speciality, catch your breath and roll again. |
| River closedShimada | The Ōi River can't be crossed. Even if your roll would take you past Shimada, you stop there. |
| TailwindFukuroi, Shōno | Move three towns ahead and roll again. |
| Sheltering from rainNissaka, Tsuchiyama | Miss a turn, along with anyone in the same town or the towns either side. |
| TeahouseMitsuke, Seki | Like the yam soup, catch your breath and roll again. |
| HighwaymenYoshida, Kusatsu | Go back one town, then swap places with whoever is last (unless that's you). |
| CourierOkabe, Ishiyakushi | Dash ahead to the town of whoever is in front on the same road (nothing happens if you are in front). |
| FestivalFuchū, Yokkaichi | Everyone, you included, moves one town ahead (except anyone just before Kyō, or at Miya still choosing a road). |
If an event moves you to another town, that town's event doesn't also happen.
When a palanquin, tailwind or courier carries you, you don't stop at forks or the river on the way (but if you land on a fork, you choose your road there).
Optional rules
You choose these when opening a table.
- Forks (Odawara, Maisaka)
- when the table is set to "three forks", you also stop at Odawara (crossing Hakone) and Maisaka (the Imagiri ferry) and choose the short cut or the long way. For a short cut, roll one die on your next turn: the old Hakone road takes you over to Mishima on 2 to 6 (on a 1, choose again at Odawara), and the Imagiri ferry takes you past Arai to Shirasuka on 3 to 6 (on 1 or 2, miss a turn and choose again at Maisaka); then carry on. The long ways (the Yusaka road via Yumoto, Hatajuku and Yamanaka; the Hime road via Kiga, Mikkabi and Honzaka) add three towns but are sure.
- Overshooting finishes
- a roll that would take you past Kyō still counts as arriving (choose this when opening a table).
- First home wins
- the game ends when one traveller reaches Kyō, and the rest are ranked by how close they got (choose this when opening a table).
FAQ
- How many players can play Sugoroku?
- 2-6 players. If you're short of players, the host can add CPU players, so you can start a table on your own.
- What age is Sugoroku suitable for?
- We suggest 6+. There's no age check, so treat it as a guide.
- Does it cost anything?
- Nothing at all. No account and no app to install: enter a name and you're straight in.
- How long does a game take?
- About 10-20 min.
- Can I play on a smartphone?
- Yes. It runs in the browser, so the same URL opens on iPhone and Android alike.
- How do I invite friends?
- Open a table and press "Invite link" to get its URL. Anyone you send it to comes straight to your table.
Done reading? Take a seat.
Last updated: 2026-11-03