The Best Traditional Chinese Board Games

There are some special variations of many popular games like chess and dominoes that originated in China. There are also games that were completely invented in China and have since then garnered massive popularity all over the world. This is evident with a game like Go. In fact, board games are rather significant in China’s history. Here, we’re going to be showing you some of the best traditional Chinese board games that are still as entertaining as when they were first invented many, many years ago.

Go game

Pros:

✓ Durable and well-finished material
✓ Teaches patience and strategy
✓ Suitable for all ages, even children

Cons:

✕ Played with 2 players only
✕ The stones might scatter if not stored in their nests

Characteristics:

● Brand: Goki
● Number of players: 2
● Age: 6 years and over
● Duration of a game: 60 minutes
● Type of game: Strategy, patience, logic

Go is played on the goban, which is a board of 19 columns and 19 rows. It contains 361 intersections, on which players can place their stones. There are 2 different colors: black and white. Each of the players chooses a color.

At the start of the game, the board will be empty. During their turn, a player places one of their stones on an unoccupied intersection. The objective is for a player to place their stones so as to surround a territory. The opposing stones that are surrounded on all four sides are considered captured and are removed from the board. It is not allowed to move the stones on the board.

A player is not allowed to place a stone in an enemy territory, unless they are certain to make a capture there. When 2 stones are side by side, they are to be captured together. The game ends when both players pass their turns because it isn’t possible for either to make more captures. The score of a player is the number of empty intersections surrounded by their stones, plus the number of stones they have on the board. Whoever has the most points is the winner of the game.

Our opinion: It’s important for a player to think of ways to capture the opponent’s stones without getting theirs captured. A player will therefore have to anticipate their opponent’s moves.

Tangram

Pros:

✓ Allows you to form hundreds of shapes
✓ Durable wooden parts
✓ When not in use, the board can be used as decoration

Cons:

✕ This version does not come with drawn example shapes
✕ If there is more than one player, everyone has to have their own board

Characteristics:

● Brand: De Nagina International
● Number of players: 1 player
● Age: 6 years and over
● Duration of a game: 5 minutes or more
● Type of game: Puzzle, brain teaser, imagination

Tangram is composed of 7 pieces that are put together to create shapes. Some versions are delivered with a booklet containing images to be reproduced. The objective is to assemble the 7 pieces, so as to obtain the chosen shape.

The 7 pieces are different from each other. But they are to be used together for each shape to be formed. The player refers to the example image (in the booklet if available, or the internet), and puts the pieces of the puzzle together. It is not allowed to put the pieces on top of each other. There are a lot of shapes that a player can form. The player can set a timer each game for an extra challenge.

A Tangram board is intended for a single player. If two people each have their own boards, they each can try to reconstruct the same image as fast as possible on their respective boards. Whoever finishes first wins the game. If there is only one Tangram board available, but more than one player, then you can use a stopwatch or an hourglass to see who manages to recreate the image the fastest.

Our opinion: The game appeals to the imagination. It offers a great opportunity for children to familiarize themselves with geometric shapes.

Mahjong

Pros:

✓ Refined and durable material
✓ Can be easily carried around
✓ Short games

Cons:

✕ It takes 4 players for a game
✕ Beginners must familiarize themselves with the inscriptions on the tiles and the rules of the game

Characteristics:

● Brand: Smir
● Number of players: 4
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 5 to 15 minutes
● Type of game:Combination, luck, observation

Players will have to form combinations with the tiles. The objective is to form a Winning Hand with the given tiles. Whoever finishes a combination announces it by saying “Hu” or “Hou Pai”, and at the same time they show what they have in hand. To start, the 4 players receive 36 tiles facedown. All players build a wall with their tiles, making sure the others don’t see them.

A Winning Hand is a Mahjong, consisting of 1 pair, and 3 combinations of 3 tiles. A pair is made up of 2 similar tiles. It can be formed with all kinds of tiles, except Flowers. Combinations can be Pungs, Chows, or Kongs. A Pung is made up of 3 identical tiles, a Chow of 3 tiles in order, and the Kong of 4 tiles that look alike.

During a turn, the player takes a tile. They have the choice between drawing a new one, or picking up a tile discarded by one of their opponents. Then, they discard one of their tiles. The player must announce every combination they make. The game is over when a player gets a Mahjong.

Our advice: The rules are long, and players should read them in their entirety before starting a game. Playing the game after reading the rules will be of great help to make you understand the most complex aspects of the game.

Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)

Pros:

✓ Teaches patience
✓ Can be played indoors or outdoors
✓ Suitable for young and old players

Cons:

• ✕ Games can last a long time

Characteristics:

● Brand: FunnyGoo
● Number of players: 2
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 45 to 60 minutes
● Type of game: Strategy, logic, patience, observation

The game takes place on a board of 9 x 10 intersections. As you’d expect, the pieces move on those intersections. The objective is to checkmate the general of the opposing player. Each player begins the game with 1 General, 2 Guards, 2 Horses, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, 2 Cannons and 5 Soldiers. Which makes a total of 16 pieces.

Each side of the board has a Palace, black for a player, and red for the other player. In the middle of the board is the River. This is the rectangle-shaped empty part on the board. The General remains in the Palace, but can move horizontally or vertically. The player must do everything they can to defend their King with the other pieces.

The Guard protects the Palace, and does not come out of its extremities. An Elephant can move diagonally, crossing 2 squares. As soon as a General is checkmated, the game is over. The player who managed to achieve a checkmate is declared the winner. It is not allowed to check an opponent’s King more than 3 times with the same piece.

Our opinion: Those who are accustomed to Western chess must pay attention to the differences between the 2 games. There are countless strategies to study if you want to truly master this complex game.

Chinese Poker

Pros:

✓ Experienced players can start looking up more variations
✓ It is possible to play with 2 or 3 players if there isn’t a 4th

Cons:

✕ Gambling could become a problem

Characteristics:

● Brand: Beauty Gift
● Number of players: 2 to 4
● Age: 12 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 to 45 minutes
● Type of game: Combination, strategy, luck

The objective is to make combinations of cards. The points vary according to the variation and edition you choose. At the end of a game, the points are counted to decide between the players. The game has 52 cards. Each player receives 13 at the start. They lay them out according to the rules of the variation they’re playing and the hand they’re making.

The 13 cards are divided into 4 packets. The first packet is stronger than the others. Players can make three of a kind, quads, straights, pairs, or a thirteen. It is possible to make 6 and a half pairs, or rows of one color each, or 3 suites. Thirteen has no pairs.

The first player to announce their hand earns 3 points. The exception to this rule is if the player announces a thirteen. The Thirteen is equivalent to 13 points, gained on each opponent. A quad in the last row is worth 4 points. A straight in the middle roth is worth 10 points.

Our opinion: To make good combinations, the player must organize their cards. Special combinations earn points, so each player must try to compose the best ones to defeat their opponents.

3D Chinese Puzzle

Pros:

✓ A puzzle game to pass the time, anywhere
✓ There are 9 independent puzzle pieces, which can be gifted to other people
✓ Sustainable and well-designed wooden parts

Cons:

✕ A solo game
✕ The player won’t forget the solution once they find it

Characteristics:

● Brand: Holzsammlung
● Number of players: 1 player
● Age: 15 years and over
● Duration of a game: 5 minutes and more
● Type of game: magination, memory, patience, logic

This puzzle game consists of reproducing an image, by manipulating the 3D pieces. At the beginning, whatever part you have, it will have to be dismantled. The objective is to reconstruct it, so as to obtain the initial shape. 

To give yourself more of a challenge, a stopwatch would be a great addition. Once the part has been reassembled, it must be checked before being validated. Difficulty levels are not the same for all parts. The most important thing is not to take a look at the solution, to prolong your thinking process and find the solution on your own, which ends up making you feel satisfied.

When playing solo, when the part is recreated, you should dismantle it again, and repeat the operation until the mechanism is like a second nature. This is valid for all parts. It is not allowed to force the movements of the parts. Everything should fit naturally.

Our opinion: This is a solo game intended to kill time. However, it can be slightly changed to be played with family or friends, making sure to undo the piece before each round. You have the choice between limiting the assembly time, or timing a round until the person finds the solution.

9 Rings of Beijing

Pros:

✓ A game that exercises intelligence and uses logic
✓ The game can be played by the whole family
✓ Durable, metal parts

Cons:

✕ Children cannot handle this set without adult supervision
✕ The resolution may take longer than the expected time

Characteristics:

● Brand: Logica Giochi
● Number of players: 1 player
● Age: 14 years and over
● Duration of a game: 20 minutes to 1 year
● Type of game: Puzzle, skill, thinking, logic, patience

This is a 9-ring puzzle. The principle is to untie the set by separating the 6 pieces that compose it. To do this, simply remove the part keeping it together. The objective is to mount it in its initial form. The recreation process includes a minimum of 341 movements.

To release the rings, they must be tilted towards the back of the bar. Then, turn the first ring 180°, so that it is opposite of the other rings. The puzzle is completely unassembled this way. And the reconstruction can begin.

The solution is to reverse the assembly moves. If a player forgets the next move, they might have to try all possible moves. All it takes is a small mistake to ruin the assembling of the rings. You will then have to start all over again.

Our advice: It is advisable not to consult the solution. The most interesting part of the game is precisely in the resolution of the puzzle, no matter how difficult.

Pai Gow

Pros:

✓ A betting game, which can be adapted for games at home
✓ The rules are not too difficult
✓ Between adults, betting is allowed

Cons:

✕ Not suitable for children
✕ Should be played in moderation, especially with real money bets

Characteristics:

● Brand: P Prettya
● Number of players: 4
● Age: 18 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 minutes
● Type of game: Calculation, luck, combination

The game is made with a set of 32 Chinese dominoes. A player acts as the dealer. The dealer can be changed each round, if the players have agreed on this point. The objective is to compose pairs, in order to have hands whose value exceeds that of the dealer. Each player will have to form 2 pairs: a strong hand and a weak hand.

Participants play against the dealer. It is the dealer who mixes the dice in a cup, after having received everyone’s bets. Each player receives 4 tiles, with which to form the pairs. To win, both of the player’s hands must be stronger than the dealer’s.

If only one hand is stronger, the player keeps their bet. If both hands are weaker, they lose against the dealer. In general, the bet of the dealer is 10% higher than those of the other players. The ideal combination corresponds to a total of 9. If the tiles exceed 9, the number on the right is taken into account.

Our opinion: To play at home, the player who assumes the role of the dealer changes each round. The players decide how many rounds to complete. Obviously, those who have nothing left to bet will be forced to leave the table.

Comparative table