Cyningstan

Traditional Board Games

Print-and-play Downloads

The files on this page are print-and-play games. They are designed to be printed onto A4 paper, to be glued onto card. Bigger boards are spread over multiple pages, so that the files can be printed on any printer.

Each file is in PDF format, and contains a board, pieces, and instructions for assembly and play. These files are free to download for non-commercial use.

Agon Print-and-play

agon-print-and-play-front-page

Download: agon-print-and-play.pdf
Size 66kb, downloads 4396.

Agon is one of those race games that is played purely with skill, no luck being involved. Each player has a queen and six guards. Pieces move towards the centre of the board, capturing enemies by throwing them back out to the edge. The player who occupies the central positions with their queen and guards wins the game. Agon was designed in the late eighteenth century and became very popular in the nineteenth. It is unusual for so early ... (read more...)

Alquerque Print-and-play

front-page-of-the-alquerque-print-and-play-file

Download: alquerque-print-and-play.pdf
Size 61kb, downloads 5087.

This print-and-play file is an alquerque board and pieces. The board and pieces fit onto one sheet of A4 card. A second sheet contains the assembly instructions and rules of play. Alquerque was one of the ancestors of modern draughts, or checkers. Two sides of twelve pieces each face one another across a board of 25 points, only the central point starting empty. Pieces move in any direction along a marked line, and capture by jumping over one another. ... (read more...)

Asalto Print-and-play

front-sheet-of-the-asalto-print-and-play-file

Download: asalto-print-and-play.pdf
Size 64kb, downloads 3570.

Asalto is a hunt game from Northern Europe. Twenty-four besiegers are attacking a fortress. There are only two defenders in the garrison. The defenders have on their side greater mobility, and the ability to capture besiegers foolish enough to come into their power. The besiegers must neutralise the defenders or occupy the fortress; the defenders must block the advance of the besiegers, or capture so many of them that their objective becomes impossible. This print-and-play file allows you to ... (read more...)

Awithlaknannai Print-and-play

first-page-of-the-awithlaknannai-print-and-play-file

Download: awithlaknannai-print-play.pdf
Size 67kb, downloads 3508.

Awithlaknannai is a game played by North American natives. It was inspired by the game of alquerque introduced by the Spannish. It keeps the same rules as alquerque but the board is modified into a long, thin corridor. The board and pieces both fit onto a single sheet of A4 card or paper. The second page contains instructions for assembly and play, and can optionally be printed onto a second sheet of paper. (read more...)

Brandub Print-and-play

brandub-assembled-and-ready-to-play-mockup

Download: brandub-print-and-play.pdf
Size 959kb, downloads 3339.

Brandub is a game from Ireland, a version of the hnefatafl game introduced by the Vikings. A king must escape from the board with the help of his four defenders, while eight attackers lie in wait to capture him. This is a colour print-and-play, though the instructions tell how a black and white printer can be used. The game prints onto standard A4 or US Letter sized paper and card, which can be laminated or glued to thicker backing ... (read more...)

Dablot Prejjesne Print-and-play

dablot-prejjesne-print-play-front-page

Download: dablot-prejjesne-print-play.pdf
Size 68kb, downloads 3234.

Dablot Prejjesne is an innovative game from Lapland. It is based on alquerque, a forerunner of draughts, but it introduces a feudal element to the game. There are three ranks of pieces, but lesser pieces cannot capture their superiors. So the king and landlord are very powerful, but each player must protect them as once lost, the enemy's capital piece cannot be taken. This print-and-play game can be printed on three sheets of A4 card (plus an additional sheet ... (read more...)

Fanorona Print-and-play

front-sheet-of-the-fanorona-print-and-play-file

Download: fanorona-print-and-play.pdf
Size 61kb, downloads 3939.

Fanorona is a game of strategy from Madagascar. Invented in 1680, the game pits two equal forces of 22 pieces against one another. It has an unusual methods of capture, approach and withdrawal, in place of the jumping capture usual in similar games. The game has had a surge of popularity in recent years due to its inclusion in the Assassin's Creed series of video games. This PDF file allows you to print your own fanorona game. It is ... (read more...)

Five & Six Men's Morris Print-and-play

fivesix-mens-morris-print-and-play-front-page

Download: 6-morris-print-and-play.pdf
Size 58kb, downloads 3665.

Five men's morris and six men's morris are smaller versions of the popular nine men's morris game. These smaller variants were popular mainly in Europe just after the mediaeval period. Both are played on the same board, so they are combined into a single print-and-play file. The print-and-play file can be printed on a single piece of A4 or US Letter card. Pieces are included too. There's an additional sheet of instructions on assembly and play which you may ... (read more...)

Halma Print-and-play

halma-print-and-play-file-front-page

Download: halma-print-play.pdf
Size 127kb, downloads 3127.

Halma is a race game without luck, invented in the 1880s by American George Howard Monks. Two or four players strive to be the first to race their pieces diagonally across the board, the rules allowing pieces to help one another to move quickly if positioned with sufficient skill. This PDF is a printable version of the board game for standard black-and-white A4 (or US Letter) printers. The board is printed onto six sheets of paper or card, and ... (read more...)

Konane Print-and-play

konane-print-and-play-front-page

Download: konane-print-and-play.pdf
Size 81kb, downloads 2903.

Konane is a native Hawaiian game of capture and blockade, which Captain Cook described as more intricate than draughts. Pieces are captured by jumping like in peg solitaire, but capture isn't the object of the game: it's to leave your opponent with no valid move. This print-and-play file adopts a size of 10x10 for the game. The board and pieces fit in five sheets of A4 or US Letter card, with the instructions taking up a sixth sheet, which ... (read more...)

Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum Print-and-play

ludus-duodecim-scriptorum-print-and-play-front-page

Download: duodecim-print-and-play.pdf
Size 73kb, downloads 3402.

This PDF is the board and pieces of ludus duodecim scriptorum, a Roman game which was an ancestor of backgammon. As in backgammon, each player races 15 pieces around the board, but unlike backgammon, there are three rows of twelve spaces to cover, and the pieces are all going in the same direction. There are four pages in this PDF, designed for printing on A4 card or paper. The first two parts are the board, the third has the ... (read more...)

Meurimüeng Rimüeng Do Print-and-play

meurimeng-rimeng-do-print-and-play-board

Download: muerimueng-print-and-play.pdf
Size 67kb, downloads 3606.

Meurimüeng Rimüeng Do is a hunt game from Sumatra. Five tigers must eat fifteen sheep before the sheep are able to trap the tigers and prevent them from moving. This print and play file consists of two pages. The first page contains the instructions for assembly and play, and the tiger pieces. The second page contains the board and the sheep pieces. (read more...)

Nine Men's Morris Print-and-play

nine-mens-morris-print-and-play-front-sheet

Download: 9-morris-print-play.pdf
Size 65kb, downloads 8711.

Nine men's morris is an ancient game whose origins are lost. It is the archetypal three-in-a-row game, where a row of three allows the removal of an opponent's piece. Players start with nine pieces each, and a player loses when reduced to two pieces, being then unable to form a row. This PDF file contains a nine men's morris board and eighteen pieces, nine of each colour. It is designed to be printed on an ordinary A4 printer, and ... (read more...)

Pachisi Print-and-play

front-page-of-the-pachisi-print-and-play-file

Download: pachisi-print-and-play.pdf
Size 64kb, downloads 3454.

Pachisi, sometimes called the National Game of India, is a race game for four players played on a cross-shaped board. Each player must race their pieces from the centre, around the board, and back again, landing on their opponents where possible to send them back to the start. Players form partnerships, and the game is won and lost by partners, not individuals. The first page contains the centre of the board, the pieces, and the cowrie shells that are ... (read more...)

Renju Print-and-play

renju-print-and-play-front-page

Download: renju-print-and-play.pdf
Size 94kb, downloads 3047.

Renju is "the aristocrat of five-in-a-row games", according to the the late board game expert David Pritchard. It takes the simple concept of five-in-a-row, and turns it into a balanced games by placing some restrictions upon the player who goes first, who otherwise would have the easier win. This print-and-play file contains the board in six parts, and the pieces, which can be printed out on to sheets of A4 card. The final page contains instructions for assembly and ... (read more...)

Surakarta Print-and-play

surakarta-print-and-play-front-page

Download: surakarta-print-and-play.pdf
Size 62kb, downloads 3485.

This is the Javanese battle game of Surakarta. Players start with twelve pieces each, which can move in any direction to an adjacent point. Capture is by the unusual method of sliding along a line, being catapulted around a circular section of the board and bowling into the enemy. This print-and-play PDF file is designed to be printed on two sheets of A4 or US Letter card, with a third sheet holding the rules if desired. The third sheet ... (read more...)

Tâb print-and-play

game-sheet-from-the-tb-print-and-play-file

Download: tab-print-and-play.pdf
Size 59kb, downloads 3188.

Tâb is a game from Egypt, invented in mediaeval times and last recorded in its native land in the 1820s. Pieces move around the board in a set path by the throws of binary lots (casting sticks or coins) but this is not a race game, it is a war game, as the objective is not to reach a finish but to capture all of the enemy pieces. This print-and-play file allows you to create your own set with ... (read more...)

Tablut Print-and-play

tablut-assembled-for-play-mock-up

Download: tablut-print-and-play.pdf
Size 1164kb, downloads 2835.

Tablut is a hnefatafl game from Lapland, played from mediaeval times until the eighteenth century. A king and eight defenders face sixteen attackers, from whom the king must escape. This print-and-play game is designed for a colour printer supporting A4 paper or card, though a black-and-white printer may be used too. The file includes the board in three parts, the pieces, a couple of reminder cards, and a leaflet containing the rules. (read more...)

Three Men's Morris Print-and-play

three-mens-morris-print-and-play-board

Download: 3-morris-print-and-play.pdf
Size 56kb, downloads 3776.

Three men's morris is a relatively advanced form of noughts-and-crosses, or tic-tac-toe. Players place pieces on a grid trying to form a row of three, as in noughts and crosses. But players have only three pieces, and once placed, the pieces are moved around the board to try to put them in a row. This print-and-play file is designed to fit on an A4 sheet of paper, and contains the board and pieces to cut out. A second sheet ... (read more...)

Wari Print-and-play

wari-print-and-play-front-page

Download: wari-print-and-play.pdf
Size 70kb, downloads 2848.

Wari is a mancala game from West Africa. Play takes place on a board of two rows of six pits. Each pit can hold many pieces, but starts the game with four. The player wins who captures the most pieces by the end of the game. This print-and-play file is designed for printing on A4 paper or card using a black-and-white printer. The board and pieces are spread over two sheets. The instructions for assembly and play are on ... (read more...)

Xiang Qi Print-and-play

xiang-qi-print-and-play-front-sheet

Download: xiang-qi-print-and-play.pdf
Size 84kb, downloads 3722.

This is xiang qi, the Chinese version of chess. Played in China since the first millennium A.D., this version of chess has many innovations and resembles a battlefield more than does its western counterpart. It features a river, a fortress for each player, and array of units all of which are military in character. The print-and-play file here is designed to be printed on A4 paper or card using a black and white printer. The first few sheets form ... (read more...)

Yoté Print-and-play

yot-print-and-play-board

Download: yote-print-and-play.pdf
Size 59kb, downloads 3762.

Print-and-play file for the game of yoté. The first page contains the board and all the pieces, for printing and cutting out. The second page contains the instructions for assembling and playing the game. Yoté is a draughts-like game played in west Africa. Its characteristics are that the players enter their pieces onto the board at will, and after capturing a piece, the player selects another enemy piece to take along with it. (read more...)

Comments

Thank you for these! This is awesome!

Chad - 05:10, 25/10/2015

Can you get a print and play on chaturaji. It looks like it would be fun.

Dasch - 18:25, 13/02/2018

Thank you for this wonderful resource! You made my lessons for the end of the month as we wrap up our International Festival

Deb Jung - 21:33, 04/02/2020

What a fantastic resource. Hours of innocent fun for free. Thank you!

Harry - 12:45, 26/04/2020

I love this resource!! So much good content here! I’d love to get into more conversations about traditional games. Are there any YouTube channels you’d recommend? People to follow on Instagram or Facebook? Groups to join? Thanks so much, Josh Talbot

Josh Talbot - 05:00, 22/09/2021

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