Game of the Goose

Overview

Game of the Goose (also known as the Royal Game of Goose) is one of the earliest commercially produced board games, recorded in Italy as early as the late 15th century. It is a simple race game for 2-6 players using a spiral track of 63 numbered spaces. Players roll two dice and advance their pieces along the track, encountering special spaces that help or hinder progress. The first player to land exactly on space 63 wins. Despite its simplicity, the game features hazard spaces (the Bridge, Hotel, Well, Maze, Prison, and Death) and goose spaces that double movement, creating moments of dramatic fortune.

Components

1 spiral game board with 63 numbered spaces
4-6 playing pieces (often goose-shaped)
2 six-sided dice

Setup

Place the game board in the center of the table.
Each player selects a playing piece and places it on the starting space (off the board or space 0).
Each player rolls both dice; the highest roller goes first. Play proceeds clockwise.

Turn Structure

On each turn:

1. Roll Dice

The active player rolls both dice and adds the results together.

2. Move Piece

Move your piece forward the total number of spaces shown on the dice.

3. Resolve Space

If you land on a special space, follow its rules (see Actions below). If you land on a regular numbered space, your turn ends.

4. Swap Rule

If your piece lands on a space already occupied by another player’s piece, the two pieces swap positions. The displaced player moves to the space you just came from.

Actions

Goose Spaces

Goose spaces appear at regular intervals on the board (typically spaces 5, 9, 14, 18, 23, 27, 32, 36, 41, 45, 50, 54, 59). When landing on a goose space, the player moves forward again by the same amount just rolled. If this second move also lands on a goose space, continue moving forward again by the same amount. This can chain multiple times.

Special First Roll

If a player rolls 9 on their very first roll (either 6+3 or 5+4), they advance to a special space: rolling 6+3 advances to space 26; rolling 5+4 advances to space 53.

Hazard Spaces

Space	Name	Effect
6	The Bridge	Advance to space 12
19	The Hotel/Inn	Lose your next turn (or two turns in some versions)
31	The Well	Trapped until another player lands on this space (they free you and you swap)
42	The Maze	Go back to space 39 (or space 30 in some versions)
52	The Prison	Trapped until another player lands on this space (they free you and you swap)
58	Death	Return to the starting space and begin again

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win: Be the first player to land exactly on space 63.

Exact Landing Required: If a player’s dice roll would take them past space 63, they must count the excess spaces backward from 63. For example, on space 60, rolling an 8 would move 3 forward to 63, then 5 backward to space 58 (Death! – back to start).

Backward Movement: The goose and hazard space rules still apply when moving backward from overshooting.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Well and Prison

A player stuck in the Well or Prison cannot move until another player lands on that same space, at which point the two players swap positions. The newly arrived player is now stuck.
In some versions, players stuck in the Well or Prison are freed after a set number of turns (typically 3) if no one lands on their space.

Death Space

Landing on space 58 (Death) is the most severe penalty. The player returns to the very beginning and must traverse the entire board again.

Gambling Variant

Historically, the Game of the Goose was played for stakes. Each player contributes to a pool at the start. Landing on certain hazard spaces requires additional contributions. The winner takes the pool.

Version Variations

Many published versions of the Game of the Goose modify specific space numbers, add or change hazard types, or adjust the total number of spaces. The 63-space version with the six hazards listed above is the most traditional form.

Player Reference

Turn: Roll 2 dice -> Move forward that many spaces -> Resolve space

Goose Spaces: Move forward again by the same amount (can chain)