2 players

Hat Diviyan Keliya

Game family: hunt
Origin: South Asia

Overview

Game played in Sri Lanka during the nineteenth century, but likely to be older. It is a hunt game like others common in South Asia, particularly those known as 'tiger games.'

Source rules (English)

The game is played on a triangle board divided in half on its height and then in thirds with lines crossing the height perpendicularly. One player plays as the tiger, and the other plays as seven leopards. The tiger plays their piece on a point where lines intersect first, and then on subsequent turns the leopards are placed one-by-one. Moves occur along the lines to an adjacent intersection. The tiger captures may capture a leopard by hopping over it. The tiger's goal is to capture four of the leopards; the leopards' goal is to block the tiger so it cannot move.