The goal of the Goose Game, created in the 16th century, is to be the first player to reach square 63.
Content and purpose of the game
The game of the goose is a spiral course of 63 squares. It is played by two or more players. Each player rolls two dice (or one die twice) and moves his or her checker according to the result of the roll.
The goal is to arrive exactly on the 63rd square, the goose’s garden.
To play the game of the goose, you need :
the game board
the pieces (usually geese)
one or two dice
Start of the game
Before starting the game, each player must take the dice and make a single roll. As a rule, the player with the highest roll score starts the game.
However, if you are playing with siblings, it’s not a bad idea to let the younger ones start the game 😊.
Once the running order is set, you can place your checkers on the starting square or just before square 1.
Flow of the turn
A player’s turn consists of 3 simple steps:
→ Roll the dice
→ Move his piece according to the result of the roll
→ Follow the rules that apply if the player lands on a special square.
Not all squares are special. However, some squares offer advantages, while others penalize the player.
Once your turn is done, it’s the next player’s turn to follow these steps. No cheating especially 😅.
Explanation of the different squares of the game of the goose
The game of the goose includes special squares.
Here are the rules concerning these special squares:
- The goose squares: 9 – 18 – 27 – 36 – 45 – 54 which have a goose design.
Advance by the same amount as the roll made. For example, if I landed on a “goose” square with an 8 on my throw, I move forward another 8 squares. - The bridge : square 6 : go directly to square 12.
- The hotel : square 19 : what do we do in a hotel ? One rests 😁! Landing on square 19 thus forces you to rest. You must thus pass your turn 2 times.
- The well and the prison: squares 31 and 52: the player who lands on these squares will remain blocked without being able to play until another player lands there and takes his place.
- The labyrinth : square 42 : go back to square 30.
- The skull : square 58 : Yes, a real death sign… Calm down, you are not going to lose the game 😅. You are just forced to….. start the game from the beginning. So back to square 1!
Special throws in the game of goose
Here are the special rules for throwing in the game of goose:
- The 9 at the start: at the beginning of the game (square 0), getting 9 points on the dice has a big implication. It depends on how the 9 was rolled:
- A 4+5 forces the player to move directly to square 53!
- A 6+3 on the dice puts the player on square 26. Although this is not the same as a 9 in 4+5, it is already a considerable lead.
Only one player per square!
If you land on a square already occupied by a player, a special rule applies. The player who was there before you will have to return to the square you were in.
For example, if you move from square 20 to square 30 and a player is in square 30, he will be forced to return to square 20.
End of the game
The goal is to arrive exactly on the 63rd square, the goose’s garden. It is not allowed to pass the last square. Each additional throw beyond the last square will move the player back as many squares as it takes to land on the last square. To put it simply, if you are at square 60 and you roll a 10, you will have to go back 7 squares, and therefore back to square 57.
The other players can continue and try to finish the game in turn.
