Traditional Games From Around the World to Help Celebrate the New Year
Add a little worldly tradition into your life with these traditional games from around the world and no long worry about anyone calling you an uncultured swine!
Karuta (Japan)
Karuta is a traditional Japanese game that’s enjoyed by kids and adults alike. It’s like those hidden object games but with cards. There are many cards with various words or sentences written on them spread out in a pile. One card is read aloud and players aim to be the first one to find the matching card.
There are many different sets, like this one with names and quotes from Spirited Away, but it is in Japanese. However, there are many other sets that are more English-friendly. But if you’re looking to learn some Japanese, this can be a great way to do it!
Lotería (Mexico)
Lotería is played all throughout Mexico but is popular is many other countries as well. While it is popular to play any time of year, it is a game often played during family gatherings. There are many different version with different themes, from traditional to contemporary. But Coco is a particularly fitting one.
The basic premise is very similar to Bingo but rather than pulling balls from that weird spinny cage thing, cards are drawn from a deck. Each player has their own tabla with pictures in a 4×4 grid. The first player to get a straight line wins!
Bagh Chal (Nepal)
Also called Tiger and Goats, Bagh Chal is a two player asymmetric strategy game. One player controls 8 tigers, and the other player controls 20 goats. The goal of the tiger player is to jump over goats in order to capture them. The goal of the goats is to trap and corner the tigers so they are unable to move.
It’s a simple but effective strategy game that has been a part of Nepalese culture for nearly a thousand years. There have been many versions and twists to the game over centuries, but the basic premise of the game has remained largely unchanged.
Yut Nori (Korea)
Yut Nori is is the Ludo / Parcheesi / Trouble family of games. The players move their pieces around the board by rolling dice (here, the sticks with the Xs) and want to the be the first player to move all their pieces around the board. However, landing on an opponent’s piece will send that piece back to the start. But in Yut Nori, pieces can be stacked to move in grouped. It’s risk versus reward if someone else lands on the stack!
Yut Nori is a game traditionally played during Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year. It’s a game that symbolizes family togetherness and good fortune. It’s easy to learn, making it a favorite during festive gatherings.
Mancala (Northern Africa)
Mancala, also called Oware or Bao, is one of those games that is so widespread it’s hard to pinpoint its exact origin, but people seem to mostly agree it began in Africa or Middle East regions. Nowadays you can find it in just about any toy store or game shop in the world.
It’s a straightforward game about counting and forward planning. Both players are trying to collect more beans, seeds, stones, or whatever in their pocket on the side of the board. They do this by collecting all the stones in each small pocket and dropping one in each consecutive pocket as they go around the board. Like many of the games in this list it’s accessible to anyone and can be a great way to experience the way humans have played games over the last few centuries.
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