Quick Start
Goal: Score more points than your opponent over 5 rounds.
How to Play: Throw 4 knucklebones and score based on which sides land up.
How to Win: The player with the highest total score after all rounds wins.
The Bones (Astragali)
Astragali are the ankle bones of sheep or goats. Each bone is irregular and can land on one of four sides:
Rare (10%) - The bulging side
Common (40%) - The broad flat side
Common (40%) - The hollow side
Rare (10%) - The narrow wavy side
Scoring
Your score is normally the sum of all four bones. But special combinations earn bonus points:
All four bones land on different sides
Three or more convex (6) sides
All four bones land on the same side
Three or more sinuous (1) sides
Game Flow
- Players take turns throwing all 4 bones
- Each player throws once per round (5 rounds total)
- Score is recorded after each throw
- After 5 rounds, the player with the highest total wins
- Ties are broken by the highest single throw
History
Astragali have been used for games and divination since at least 3000 BCE. The Greeks and Romans played numerous games with knucklebones, from simple throwing games to complex gambling variants.
The “Venus Throw” (all four different sides) was considered the luckiest throw, while “Dogs” (all sinuous sides) was the worst. These names reflect the cultural significance of the game in ancient society.
In Russian, the game is known as “Бабки” (Babki), and was widely played by children and adults alike well into the 20th century.