Aadu Puli Attam: how to play Tigers & Goats
Aadu Puli Attam, "the goat and tiger game" in Tamil, is a hunting game for two players: one side has 3 tigers, the other has 15 goats. The tigers try to capture goats by jumping over them; the goats try to surround the tigers so they can't move. It's simple to learn and surprisingly clever to play.
Here are the board, the rules step by step, the game's many Indian names and its cousin Bagh Chal, and how to play Aadu Puli Attam online for free on Viaraa.
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The board
Aadu Puli Attam is played on a triangle crossed by three horizontal bands, which gives 23 points where the lines meet. The single point at the top is the tip of the triangle. Pieces always sit on the points and move along the lines.
For generations the board has been scratched into stone floors, drawn in the dust with a stick, or chalked on a verandah, with pebbles for goats and bigger stones for tigers. No set to buy: that's one reason it's played all over South India.
Aadu Puli Attam rules, step by step
- 1One player takes the 3 tigers, the other the 15 goats. The tigers start on the top point and the two points just below it.
- 2The goats move first. On each turn, the goat player places one new goat on any empty point.
- 3The tiger player then moves one tiger: either one step along a line to a neighbouring empty point, or a jump.
- 4A tiger jumps over a single goat in a straight line to the empty point just beyond it, and that goat is captured and taken off the board. One capture per turn.
- 5Goats can't jump. Once all 15 goats are on the board, the goat player moves one goat a step along a line to a neighbouring empty point each turn.
- 6The tigers' aim is to capture 5 goats. The goats' aim is to block the tigers so that no tiger can move.
- 7If 60 moves go by in a row with no capture, once all the goats are on the board, the game is a draw.
Tips for both sides
Playing the goats: keep your goats together. A goat with an empty point behind it can be jumped; a goat with another goat behind it is safe. Fill the bottom of the board first, then close in on the tigers slowly, from the top.
Playing the tigers: stay apart and keep moving. Tigers next to each other block each other. Look for a goat standing alone on a line with an empty point beyond it, and try to threaten two goats at once so the goat player can only save one.
Most people find the goats harder to play well at first, and more satisfying once they get the hang of it.
Its names across India, and its cousin Bagh Chal
Hunt games like this are played across South Asia, with different boards and numbers of pieces. In India's languages, Viaraa's version is known as:
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Tamil | Aadu Puli Aattam (ஆடு புலி ஆட்டம்) |
| Telugu | Puli Meka (పులి మేక) |
| Kannada | Huli Kuri (ಹುಲಿ ಕುರಿ) |
| Malayalam | Aadum Puliyum (ആടും പുലിയും) |
| Hindi | Bagh Bakri (बाघ बकरी) |
| English | Tiger & Goats, or Tigers & Goats |
Its best-known cousin is Bagh Chal from Nepal, "the moving tigers". Bagh Chal is played on a square grid of 25 points with 4 tigers and 20 goats, but the idea is the same: tigers jump to capture, goats try to trap them. If you know one, you'll pick up the other in a minute.
A little history
Nobody knows exactly how old Aadu Puli Attam is. It has been played in villages for a very long time, passed down from grandparents to grandchildren rather than written in books. Shepherds and farmers knew the problem well: tigers are strong alone, but a flock that sticks together is hard to break.
Today the game is a favourite in schools and families who want to keep traditional games alive, and it's a great way to teach children to think a few moves ahead.
Play Aadu Puli Attam online on Viaraa
Viaraa runs in your browser, so there's nothing to install. The board shows every point and line, highlights the moves you're allowed to make, and keeps count of the captured goats.
- On a video call: during a one-to-one call with a host, open the game, pick tigers or goats, and keep talking while you play. Games inside calls are always free.
- With a friend or family member: invite them by their Game ID, or start a game in a group of up to 12 friends.
- Against the computer: choose Play with Viaraa in the Games tab. It plays tigers or goats, whichever you leave it.
Outside calls, playing with friends, in groups and against the computer is free for now. A game usually takes 10 to 20 minutes. More traditional games: Pallanguzhi, Ludo and the full list of Indian board games.
Questions, answered
How many tigers and goats are there in Aadu Puli Attam?
Three tigers and fifteen goats, on a triangular board with 23 points.
How do the tigers capture goats?
A tiger jumps over one goat in a straight line to the empty point beyond it. Only one capture is allowed per turn.
How does the game end?
When the tigers have captured 5 goats, or when the goats have blocked the tigers so none can move. 60 moves without a capture, once all goats are placed, is a draw.
Is Aadu Puli Attam the same as Bagh Chal?
They're cousins. Bagh Chal from Nepal uses a square board with 4 tigers and 20 goats; Aadu Puli Attam uses a triangle with 3 tigers and 15 goats.
Can I play Aadu Puli Attam online for free?
Yes. On Viaraa, games inside video calls are always free, and playing with friends and against the computer is free for now.
Keep reading
- Indian board gamesTraditional Indian board games to play online, on a video call or with friends.
- 12 games to play on a video callBoard games, word games and guessing games that work on any video call.
- PallanguzhiHow to play Pallanguzhi, the South Indian pit-and-seed game, and where to play it online.
- Kannada video call appChat or practise Kannada on a 1:1 video call with checked hosts. Nothing to install.