Daldøs

An old scandinavian game, played in certain parts of Denmark and Norway. Two players take turns rolling the dice to try and free their pegs for movement, then try to capture the opponents pegs before they can ambush your starting pieces.

The board consists of three lines of holes for the pegs, the middle one being one hole longer than the two sides. The two side lines are filled with each player's pegs. The number of pegs vary according to local tradition, typically 16 in Denmark and 12 in Norway. The game uses a pair of special four sided dice marked A, II, III and IV. You need to roll an A to free one of your pieces, the other rolls are used to move the pegs once freed. A peg may never overtake your other pegs, but must keep their place in the line. Once freed the pieces move down the middle aisle and if they manage to avoid being captured they move into the opponent's starting line, capturing the unfree pegs.

The origins of the game are unknown but it is believed to be inspired by certain middle-eastern and north african games, brought back by either vikings or crusaders.