Rules of Express Parcheesi

Express Parcheesi is a fast and dynamic version of the classic board game Parcheesi, ideal for those looking for a swift experience full of surprises.

Board and counters

Each player has 4 counters of a certain colour at their disposal (yellow, red, green or blue). The board is made up of several key areas. At each of the four corners is a square, called base or house, where players wait to take out their counters at the start of the game. The goal is located in the centre of the board, it’s a crucial box that players must reach to win the game, and which has four entrances, one for each colour.

The path to the goal is divided into passage squares, which are the white segments through which the counters advance. In addition, there are special squares called safe spots, which are located both near the exits and distributed along the board.

Aim of the game

The aim is to be the first player to put their 4 counters into the goal box, thus completing the path from the start to the final square. Throughout the game, players move their counters around the board, avoiding blocks, capturing rival counters and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the dice.

Number of Players

It's a game for two to four players.

Moving and capturing counters

At the start of the game, each player will have 4 counters in their base. On each turn, the player rolls the dice trying to move one or more of their counters. If you get a double number, you can repeat your turn.

To bring a counter from the base onto the starting square, you need to roll a 5 with one of the dice. You can also move a counter that is already on the board, moving it forward so many squares as the number on the dice shows.

The counters move counterclockwise. To bring a counter into the goal square, the player needs to roll a number that equals or exceeds the distance between the counter and the goal.

If a player rolls double numbers three times in a row, the last counter they moved has to be returned to the base. In addition, the counters cannot pass nor capture if they encounter a block, that is, if a square is occupied by two enemy counters. In this case, the counter that was trying to advance stays on the square just before the block.

If a player has a counter in the block and rolls a 6, they can open it, unless the counter in the block cannot move forward.  If a counter lands on a white, numbered square occupied already by an enemy counter, it will capture it, sending the captured counter back to its base. The player who has captured an enemy counter receives a reward of 20 points and rolls the dice again.

The starting squares and the safe spots are protected, so it is not possible to capture on them. However, there cannot be more than two counters on any starting square. If a player takes a counter out of their base and finds two counters of another colour on the starting square, they capture the last one that has arrived there.  By doing so, they receive 20 points and can roll the dice again. When a player succeeds in getting a counter into the goal, they may advance 10 squares with another counter and can roll the dice again.

The winner is the first player to get all of their counters into the goal.

Gather your friends or family, roll the dice and experience the thrill of Express Parcheesi! The fun is just one move away!