How to Play Nyout

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Nyout (also spelled Yut or Yutnori) is a Korean racing game played on a cross-shaped board with a circular track. Two to four players move sets of pieces according to throws of four flat sticks, which act as dice. The game is quick to learn, plays in under an hour, and rewards both tactical thinking and cheerful opportunism.

It is popular as a family game during Korean New Year celebrations and is widely played across East Asia. The combination of genuine decision-making, the drama of the stick throw, and the ability to knock opponents back to start makes it entertaining for mixed ages around the same table.

A little history

Nyout is one of the oldest documented board games in Korea, with written references appearing in Korean texts from at least the Baekje period (roughly the first century BCE to 660 CE), though its precise origins are unclear. It has been played as a communal and family game throughout Korean history and remains a traditional part of Seollal (Lunar New Year) festivities. The cross-shaped board and the use of flat throwing sticks are the game's most consistent historical features across its documented record.

Setting up

1. Place the board flat in the centre of the table so all players can reach it.
2. Each player chooses a colour and takes their four pieces, keeping them off the board at the start.
3. Identify the start/finish point: this is the single point at the bottom of the board's cross where all pieces enter and exit.
4. Decide the playing order, for example by each player making one throw and going in descending order of score.
5. No pieces are placed on the board yet; all pieces begin in hand.

How to play

1. On your turn, throw all four flat sticks simultaneously. Each stick lands either flat-side up or round-side up, giving five possible results: 1 (Do), 2 (Gae), 3 (Geol), 4 (Yut), or 5 (Mo).
2. The throw values are: one flat side up = 1 (Do); two flat sides up = 2 (Gae); three flat sides up = 3 (Geol); all four flat sides up = 4 (Yut); all four round sides up = 5 (Mo).
3. A throw of Yut (4) or Mo (5) earns you an extra throw. Take the bonus throw immediately before moving.
4. On your first turn, or whenever you have pieces still in hand, you may choose to enter a new piece onto the start point instead of moving a piece already on the board. Entering counts as using that throw's movement value.
5. Move the chosen piece forward along the track by the number of points shown on your throw, counting each point including the one you land on.
6. The board has shortcuts at the centre and at the diagonal corner points of the cross. If a piece lands exactly on one of these corner intersections, it may take the shorter diagonal path toward the centre rather than continuing around the outer ring. If it lands on the centre point, it proceeds toward the exit along the remaining diagonal.
7. If your piece lands on a point occupied by one or more of your own pieces, those pieces stack together and move as a single unit from that point forward. All stacked pieces count as one piece for movement purposes but all exit together.
8. If your piece (or stack) lands on a point occupied by one or more of an opponent's pieces, the opponent's pieces are sent back off the board and must re-enter from the start. You earn a bonus throw for capturing.
9. A piece completes its journey by moving past or exactly onto the start/finish point after having travelled the full circuit. If your throw carries a piece beyond the finish, it still counts as finished; you do not need an exact count.
10. Continue taking turns. If you earned bonus throws (from Yut, Mo, or a capture), use each bonus throw as a separate move that turn, choosing which piece to move each time.

Winning and scoring

The first player to move all four of their pieces around the full track and off the board at the finish point wins the game. In team play (two players per side, four players total), the first team to get all eight of their combined pieces off the board wins.

The fine points

Stacking pieces is both powerful and risky. A stack moves together and exits together, which is efficient, but if an opponent lands on the stack, every piece in it is sent back to start at once. Players frequently disagree about whether a throw value is enough to land exactly on a corner shortcut point versus overshooting it; the standard ruling is that the piece must land exactly on the corner to take the shortcut, not merely pass through it.

Bonus throws must be used in the same turn they are earned, and each bonus throw generates its own move. A player who rolls Yut, then Mo on the bonus, then captures an opponent in the resulting move has three moves total that turn. The order in which you use multiple bonus moves matters: you must decide which piece to move before throwing any bonus, or agree before play that all throws are made first and then moves are allocated. Setting this convention before the game starts avoids disputes.

How to win more often

• Enter pieces steadily rather than piling all your moves onto one piece early; spreading pieces around the track forces your opponent to cover more ground defensively.
• Stack pieces deliberately when your lead piece is about to pass a crowded section of the board; a stack is harder to eliminate without a precise landing.
• When you have a bonus throw, scan the board before moving anything. Sometimes moving a trailing piece into a capture position is better than advancing your leader.
• Use the diagonal shortcuts whenever possible. A piece that lands on a corner and cuts through the centre can shave several moves off a full circuit.
• Track your opponent's throw history loosely. If they need a 3 to land on your piece, consider whether moving your piece one point forward or back removes the threat entirely.

Variations

Team Play

With four players, two teams of two sit opposite each other. Each player moves their own pieces but the team wins collectively once all eight pieces belonging to both team members have finished. Teammates can choose to merge their pieces into a shared stack, which moves as one unit and is controlled by whichever teammate's turn it is.

Exact Finish Required

In this stricter variant, a piece must land exactly on the finish point to exit; a throw that overshoots bounces the piece back by the excess count. This extends the game and adds tension toward the end, as players may need to split stacks deliberately to achieve the right count.

Single Piece Per Player

Each player races only one piece rather than four. This shortens the game to around ten to fifteen minutes and suits younger children or situations where a quick filler game is needed. All other rules remain the same.

No Shortcut Variant

The diagonal shortcuts are removed and all pieces must travel the full outer ring. This makes the game longer and eliminates the positional shortcut decision, placing greater emphasis on capture and evasion. Useful when teaching young children who find the shortcut routing confusing.

Nyout: frequently asked questions