Shagai Race

About Shagai Race: Mongolian Ankle-Bone Horse Race Board Game

Shagai Race brings the traditional Mongolian ankle-bone horse race — a game passed down through families for generations — to life as a fast, colourful board game. Play alone or with friends, on a phone, tablet, or computer, with the interface available in both English and Mongolian.

Four shagai bones are tossed each turn. Every horse and camel face that lands face-up moves you forward. The push-your-luck heart of the game is the choice to toss again for extra steps — but a toss that shows no horse face costs you those steps. Landing exactly on a rival sends it back to the start, the ovoo space offers safety, and a pair of horses on the same square blocks the road. Stopping the moving needle on gold lets you re-flick a bone.

How to Play Shagai Race

Throw the bones, then decide whether to move a horse or press your luck with another toss. The core loop is simple: toss, read the result, and choose your action.

Game Modes

• Two Horses (skill mode): race two horses and choose which one rides each turn; land exactly on a rival to send it back to the start, rest safe on the ovoo, and block the road with a pair
• Naadam
• Classic

Multiplayer Options

• Online with friends: share a 4-letter room code or link; everyone plays on their own phone
• Quick race: jump straight into a race with other players without sending an invite
• One phone: pass the device around and play with family in the same room

Coins and Customization

• Win coins and spend them to dress your horse
• Cosmetic options include golden steeds, spotted ponies, dyed bones, and new boards

Controls

• Tap Toss: throw the bones
• Tap Ride (or a horse): move a horse forward, or toss again for more steps
• Space: toss (desktop)
• 1 / 2: ride horse 1 or horse 2 (desktop)
• Mouse: full desktop control alternative

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If the board-game strategy of Shagai Race appeals to you, strategy games on Playgama offer a wide range of turn-based and competitive titles worth exploring. For more dice-driven decision-making with a building and progression twist, Treasure Roll has you rolling dice to earn coins, raid rivals, and construct a village across multiple lands. Fans of classic two-player board competition will find Reversi Classic rewarding, with its ranked online matches, room-code friend games, and unlockable boards. For a sharp 1v1 card duel with push-your-luck tension similar to Shagai Race's toss-again mechanic, 21 Online pits two players against each other with over 20 trump cards that can flip the outcome in an instant. The full board games category is the best place to find more tabletop-style fun across every style of play.