MEHEN — THE SERPENT GAME

Rules & How to Play

QUICK START

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Learn to play in under 2 minutes

GOAL

Race your 3 marble pieces along the spiral path to the snake's head (center), then return them to the snake's tail (outer edge) to finish. First player to finish all 3 pieces wins!

HOW TO PLAY

Roll the stick dice (1-4), move your pieces toward the head, reach the center, then turn around and race back to the tail. Multiple pieces can share spaces, but you can't land on your own piece.

WIN CONDITION

Complete the full journey with all 3 pieces: tail → head → tail

FULL RULES

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1

Setup

2-6 players (though 2 players is most common). Each player has 3 marble pieces. All pieces start in reserve (off the board). The board is a spiral with 30 positions: tail (outer) to head (center).

2

Turn Order

Players alternate turns. On your turn, roll the stick dice (1-4) to determine how far to move. Choose one of your pieces and move it the exact number shown on the dice.

3

Inward Movement (To the Head)

Pieces move forward along the spiral (increasing position numbers). Multiple pieces from different players can occupy the same space, but you cannot land on your own piece. The goal is to reach the snake's head at position 29.

4

Reaching the Head

Once a piece reaches position 29 (the snake's head), it must turn around. On subsequent turns, this piece will move backward (decreasing position numbers) to return to the tail.

5

Outward Movement (Return Journey)

After reaching the head, pieces move backward toward the tail (decreasing position numbers). You can overshoot position 0 to finish — you don't need an exact roll.

6

Finishing Pieces

A piece finishes when it returns to position 0 (the tail) or passes it. Finished pieces are removed from the board. The first player to finish all 3 pieces wins the game!

STRATEGY TIPS

  • ▸Move multiple pieces to spread your options and avoid getting stuck
  • ▸Consider the roll probabilities: 1 and 2 are most common (3/8 each)
  • ▸Don't rush all pieces to the head — keep them distributed for flexibility
  • ▸Plan your return journey carefully when approaching the head
  • ▸Remember: you must complete the full journey for all pieces to win
PLAY MEHEN