noun
race game; track board game
A board game where players roll dice and move pieces along a track to reach the goal. Often played during New Year's in Japan. The modern form is usually a printed sheet with a winding path.
See also: 絵双六
正月に家族ですごろくをして遊んだ。
We played sugoroku with the family during New Year's.
このすごろくはゴールが100マス目にある
In this sugoroku, the goal is on the 100th square.
noun
ban-sugoroku; traditional backgammon-like game
The original historical form of sugoroku, similar to backgammon, using a board with two rows of twelve spaces and black and white stones. Now mostly a historical or traditional game.
See also: 盤双六
盤双六は、かつて貴族の間で流行した遊びだ。
Ban-sugoroku was a game that was once popular among the nobility.
Rare kanji form; the reading すぐろく is obsolete.
Search-only kyūjitai form.
Rarely used kanji form.
Ateji spelling; rarely used.
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in titles.
The word sugoroku is believed to have originated from the Chinese game 'shuanglu' (双六), which was introduced to Japan. The kanji 双六 literally mean 'pair six', referring to the highest dice roll. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.