Sadurangam is played in India and Sri Lanka on a 5x5 board of cells with a winding path that spirals to the center. Players pieces start in the boxes on the sides of the outer ring of the board. These middle squares along each edge and the square in the center of the board are safe places where pieces cannot be attacked. Movement is determined by coins, casting sticks or cowrie shells (traditional).
On a turn, the player throws four cowries and may move a coin from 1 to 8 places according to the result. If the player lands on a space occupied by the opponent, the opponent's coin is "cut" and must return to the starting space. Once a coin has returned to the space before the player's starting space, provided the player has cut the opponent at least once, the coin moves to the inner ring and continues around the board and then into the innermost square. The first player to move all of their coins to the innermost square wins.