€69,99
Yut Nori: Scholar Edition
The Frogames review
Traditional Korean race game: throw the sticks, capture and cut across the diagonals
You've thrown the four sticks and got ‘mo’: five steps, your piece lands on the corner and the diagonal to the centre is wide open.
You're at the table with your team and four pieces, the ‘yut-mal’, playing a game born in Korea from divination rituals. Your aim is to get all of them round the board, the ‘yut-pan’, before your opponents.
On your turn you throw four sticks and move a piece 1 to 5 spaces, or one space back with ‘back do’. ‘Yut’, ‘mo’ and captures earn you another throw. The tension lies in stopping on the corners to cut across the diagonals without getting captured. The first team to complete the circuit with all four pieces wins.
It's Korea's most popular traditional game, still played at New Year celebrations today. This edition is by Playte.
Game mechanics tap one to see other games that use it
Only here: Wooden sticks instead of dice
At a glance
Why we like it. The rules fit on two pages, yet the diagonal shortcuts and captures with bonus throws can turn the race around right down to the last piece. Stacked pieces travel faster but make a bigger target, and every throw counts.
Good to know. The throw of the sticks decides every move, so your choices come down to which piece to move and which route to take.
What kind of gameFrogScore + LuckThe throw decides every step StrategyOne choice: which piece to move InteractionCaptures send pieces back to the start PaceOne throw, one move ReplayabilitySame setup every time Rated by Frogames · from the rules · what the levels mean
We set the levels by reading the rules, always with the same yardstick: a 3 means the same on every game.
Luckoften chance
- you decide
- mostly you
- half and half
- often chance
- chance decides
Strategyplan a few turns
- one choice per turn
- plan a few turns
- plan half the game
- build for later
- the whole game is a plan
Interactionyou get in the way
- each to their own
- you compete for things
- you get in the way
- you hit each other
- you attack each other
Paceshort turns
- lots of waiting
- long turns
- medium turns
- short turns
- you play together
Replayabilityalways the same
- always the same
- card order changes
- part of it changes
- a lot changes
- every game is different
When to bring it outWith family or friends, in teams
Language dependenceNessuno
How to play
Watch a game
Official rulebook (PDF) →- 1Throw the sticksThe faces showing up tell you how far to go: from ‘do’ (1) to ‘mo’ (5).
- 2Choose your pieceMove one of your team's four pieces; stacked pieces move together.
- 3Cut across at the cornersLand exactly on a corner and you can take the diagonal towards the centre.
- 4Capture and get homeLanding on an opponent sends them back to the start; the first to bring all their pieces round wins.
Questions about Yut Nori: Scholar Edition
How do you win at Yut Nori?+
The first team to take all four of its pieces right round the board wins. The diagonals shorten the route, but to take them you have to land exactly on a corner.
Does Yut Nori work with two players?+
You can play with two, but it's better with more. In the BGG poll, 75% advise against a two-player game, while 75% rate four players as ideal. The rules are designed for team play.
What's the best player count for Yut Nori?+
Four is ideal, split into teams. The box says 2 to 8 players; in the BGG poll, every voter also recommends it with 6 and with 8.
How much English do you need to play Yut Nori?+
You don't need to read anything during play. The rulebook is in English, but all that's on the table is sticks, pieces and a board with the throw names in Korean: ‘do’, ‘ge’, ‘geol’, ‘yut’, ‘mo’.
Is Yut Nori hard to learn?+
No, you'll pick it up in a few minutes. The rules fit on two pages and its BGG weight is 1.29 out of 5. The only exceptions are turning at the corners, stacked pieces, captures and ‘back do’.
Does Yut Nori hold up over many plays?+
The setup is always the same and there are no variants, but every game takes a different course. The throws change each time, and captures and shortcuts shake up the race.
How much does luck matter in Yut Nori?+
It matters every turn, as the throw of the four sticks decides how far you move. You choose which piece to move and whether to take the diagonal from a corner.
What do do, ge, geol, yut and mo mean in Yut Nori?+
They're the results of a throw, counted by the faces showing up. ‘Do’ is 1 step, ‘ge’ 2, ‘geol’ 3, ‘yut’ 4 with a bonus throw; ‘mo’, with all faces down, is 5 with a bonus throw.
What happens when you capture a piece in Yut Nori?+
The captured piece goes back to the start and loses all its progress. The capturing player gets another turn; nobody is knocked out of the game.
Is Yut Nori suitable for children?+
Yes, it's recommended for ages 6 and up. Counting the faces on the sticks and moving the pieces is well within reach of younger players.
How long does a game of Yut Nori last?+
Neither the rulebook nor the box gives a playing time. Turns are short: one throw and one move, repeated after ‘yut’, ‘mo’ and captures.
Where does Yut Nori come from?+
It's one of Korea's most popular traditional games. According to the rulebook, it grew out of divination rituals.
Can you play Yut Nori solo?+
No, the rules don't include a solo mode. It's played in teams, with 2 to 8 players.
“Four sticks, twenty-nine spaces and a diagonal taken at just the right moment: Korea in a team race.”
Who is behind Yut Nori: Scholar Edition
Who designed it, who drew it, who publishes it, and what else they made.
Publisher
PlayteAll 29 games in our catalogue →
Artist
Wanjin GillAlso: Can't Stop, Thurn and TaxisAll 26 games illustrated →
All the BoardGameGeek data · #19425 overall · #769 tra i Party · Powered by BoardGameGeek +
- Rating
- 5,84/10 · 224 ratings
- Rank
- #19425 overall · #769 in Party
- Artists
- Wanjin Gill, Kano Kim
- Categories
- Astratti, Corsa
- Mechanics
- Roll / Spin and Move
- Language dependence
- Nessuno
Powered by BoardGameGeek
Yut Nori: Scholar Edition in short. The traditional Korean game for 2–8 players in teams, in Playte's edition. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Instead of dice you throw four wooden sticks, and diagonal shortcuts and captures keep the race open to the very end. English edition, with no text to read during play, available at Frogames.it.
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