Thayam Podu

This is an ancient game called thayam made for Android mobiles.

This game is played between a user and the machine. Both have their home where their pieces

lie at the beginning. The game can be started by either pressing the GO. You get simulated dice throws when playing.

Outcomes of throws are 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8. In these, valid throws are: 1 (thayam), 4 (vellai) and 8 (eddu) and invalid throws are: 2 (randu) and 3 (moonru).

When an invalid throw happens, your turn is over and you will be displayed buttons for the throws you had in the turn.

Touching one button will make the move on the grid for you. The player should make move strategically with the throws in hand.

Entering the grid with your piece is permitted only with a throw of 1 (thayam). The move starts with the centre

box of a player's side with a thayam only. The moving direction is counterclockwise along the outer grid until

reaching the own home. Instead of getting into own home, player turns towards inside grid and travel clockwise

traversing all the boxes to reach the centre box. Unused moves and blocked moves will be lost.

Once you are done moving you can hit the machine to GO.

Once entered the grid, all the throws are allowed for moving. The centre box (goal) and the centre boxes

of the outer rows are designated as safe boxes. In the safe boxes, opponents can co habit. In the other boxes,

if an opponent is in the box where a player lands, the opponent will be cut and taken out from the play. The cut

player has to start from scratch.

If an opponent is in a box which is not a landing box for a move, the move is blocked.

If the block happens to be in a safe box, it is not blocked.

The destination is to get to the Goal box and bringing the piece back to home.

Bringing the piece from the destination to the home needs a thayam too. The first player brings the piece back home wins the game.