Parchís is one of the most beloved board games in Spain and Latin America. Based on the ancient Indian game Pachisi, Parchís is a race game for 2 to 4 players where luck and strategy combine to create exciting, sometimes infuriating, and always fun matches.

The Basics

Each player has 4 pieces of one color (yellow, blue, red, or green). The goal is simple: get all four pieces from your starting area, around the board, and into your home column before anyone else.

Rules

Getting Pieces Out

Roll a 5 to move a piece from your starting area onto the board. Until you roll a 5, your pieces stay home. Some variants allow a 5 from two dice (e.g., 2+3), but the classic rule requires a single die showing 5.

Movement

  • Roll one die and move a piece that many spaces clockwise around the board.
  • You must move if you can — you can’t voluntarily skip a turn.

Captures

If you land on a space occupied by an opponent’s piece, you capture it — sending it back to their starting area. As a bonus, you get 20 extra spaces to move with any of your pieces.

Safe Spaces

Spaces marked with a special symbol are safe zones — no captures allowed here. Pieces on safe spaces are protected.

Blockades

If you have two pieces on the same space, they form a blockade. No piece — yours or your opponent’s — can pass through a blockade. You must break it if you have no other legal move.

Entering Home

Once a piece makes it all the way around the board, it enters your home column — a colored corridor only you can use. You need an exact roll to get a piece to the final space. When a piece reaches home, you earn 10 extra spaces to move with another piece.

Rolling a 6

Roll a 6 and you get an extra turn. But roll three 6s in a row, and your last moved piece goes back to the starting area as a penalty.

Winning Strategy

1. Spread Your Pieces

Don’t focus on racing one piece home while the others sit in the starting area. Having multiple pieces on the board gives you more options and more chances to capture.

2. Use Captures Wisely

The 20-bonus from captures is huge. Position pieces to threaten opponents and use the bonus to advance another piece significantly.

3. Create Blockades Strategically

Blockades slow down your opponents, but they also slow down your own pieces behind them. Place blockades where they hurt opponents most — near their starting area or home column.

4. Race Smart Near the End

When you have pieces in your home column, use your remaining pieces on the board to capture opponents and earn bonuses. Those extra 20 spaces can be the difference between winning and losing.

5. Manage Risk

If you’re ahead, play safe — keep pieces on safe spaces and avoid leaving them exposed. If you’re behind, take risks — go for captures and aggressive positions.

Ready to Play?

Parchís is best learned by playing. Play Parchís online — grab a friend or challenge the AI and see these strategies in action.