Korean Traditional Game : Ssangnyuk

🍂 Korean Traditional Game Series 17

Ssangnyuk

(쌍륙·Traditional Korean Board Dice Game)

 

🕰️ 1. Introduction

Ssangnyuk (쌍륙) is a traditional Korean board game played with dice and tokens, bearing similarities to backgammon.
It was widely enjoyed during the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties by royals, nobles, and commoners alike — combining luck, strategy, and excitement.

The word ssang means “double,” and nyuk refers to “six,” symbolizing the game’s use of two six-sided dice.
Players move their tokens according to the dice rolls, racing around the board to reach the finish line before their opponent.

 

🪄 2. How to Play

• The Ssangnyuk board (nyukpan) is drawn with two connected loops, often in a “∞” or hourglass shape.
• Each player starts with a set number of tokens (usually four).
• Two dice are rolled in each turn, and the sum determines how many spaces a token can move.
• Tokens can stack to form “teams,” advancing together for strategic advantage.
• If a player’s token lands on a space occupied by the opponent’s token, the opponent’s piece is sent back to the start.
• The first player to bring all their tokens around the board and home wins the game.

👀 3. Example from Life

In the past, Ssangnyuk boards were made of wood or drawn on the floor during winter gatherings.
Families and friends would sit together indoors, laughing, cheering, and teasing each other as dice clattered across the board.

It wasn’t merely a game of chance — skilled players read their opponent’s patterns, deciding when to risk or defend.
Thus, Ssangnyuk became both an amusement and a lesson in timing, patience, and clever thinking.

 

🌏 4. Similar Games Around the World

• Western countries: Backgammon, where players move tokens based on dice rolls and strategy.
• India: Pachisi, a cross-and-circle race game of chance and skill.
• China: Shuanglu, an ancient board game using dice with similar gameplay roots.

✨ Ssangnyuk illustrates how traditional games unite fortune and intellect, showing that every move — like in life — is a balance between risk and wisdom.

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💌 Closing Words

Ssangnyuk is more than a board game of dice and movement.
It embodies the warmth of togetherness, the laughter of families, and the age-old balance of luck and strategy that continues to resonate through Korean culture.

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📌 Note

This is a creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission.
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