With a history dating back 100’s of years Yut Nori on the surface seems like a simple game however like chess involved a large amount of strategy and gamesmanship.
The first thing you require is a Yut Nori set which can be found at any supermarket in Korea (prices start from around ₩2000) along with many Korean stores outside Korea. The set is made up of 4 wooden sticks flat on one side and rounded on the other. Also in the set is the game board and 8 playing tokens 4 for each team. Click Here to download your own free printable Yut Nori Game Board.
How to Play:
Looking firstly at the game board the aim is to return all of your tokens back to the start. If you are lucky enough to stop on one of the corner squares you can take a short cut.
If you score 1 stick facing up (non-picture side) you can move one place, this is called Do.
If you score 2 sticks facing up you can move two places, this is called Gae.
If you score 3 sticks facing up you can move three places, this is called Geol.
If you score 4 sticks facing down you can move four places, this is called Yut. There is also a bonus and you can throw again (optional some people don’t include this rule.)
If you score 4 sticks facing up you can move five places, this is called Mo. Like Yut can get a bonus of throwing again.
Other Rules:
- If you score either Yut or Mo apart from gaining a bonus throw.
- If you land on a space occupied by a opponent counter they are forced to return that counter to the start.
- You can have as many counters on the board at any one time as you like.
Action:
Conclusion:
I really hope everyone enjoys playing Yut Nori (윷놀이) and if you have any questions please leave in the comment box below, or email, Twitter or Facebook etc.
Modern Seoul
Modern Seoul 
The first photo showing Do (1 facing up stick) is swapped with the photo of Gae (showing 3 face up sticks). Thought you might want to know.
Yes you are right, thank you for noticing. There were a few mistakes to be honest, I wrote this post over a year ago and didn’t understand the game as well as I do now. They have been corrected and although I think there are some extra rules, the basics are all here now.
Thanks again.
Thanks! I needed this to explain clearly (on a piece of paper)( I’m bad at explaining things…..) to other girls in girl scouts during an event called Thinking Day. In the event GS represent a country and we are doing Korea!
Glad that we could help you out 🙂
it is my favorite game!!!
Very helpful I had no idea what the game was called😀
Enjoyed reading about Yut. How do the pieces get off the board… Must an exact throw be made or can they pass the finish (example, if token is 2 spaces away from the finish, can they leave with a throw of 2, 3, 4 and 5?
You just need to pass, no need to throw an exact number.
The three signs or draws in every stick has any meaning?
I’m really interesting in know more about this game…. Thanks!
I’m not sure as they are Chinese characters.
But I think they just say Yut Nori.
If I land on my own piece, I can make them become a pair and travel together, right? AND, if still another of my pieces lands on my pair, can then all 3 travel together, like as a team all at once??
Yes
Wow! Thanks for that. I am a volunteer 도우미 선생님 at a Hangeul School in New Zealand. I just found a set of Yut-sticks at a charity shop. I plan to put them in our Rainy Day Activities box.
Thanks to you, I now have both the rules and a printable game board, which I can laminate. And it even has Taegeukki on it.
Thank you, thank you!
Robin/홍희
One more question: how do you count a stick that lands balanced on its side so neither the flat nor the round side is up?
I’d throw it again