The history of juego de la oca (the Game of the Goose)

Documented references place juego de la oca (the Game of the Goose) in 16th-century Italy, from where it quickly spread across Europe. According to an often-repeated story, Francesco I de’ Medici gave it to Philip II as a gift. Theories claiming it originated with the Knights Templar, however, are legends with no evidence to support them.

How to play

The board is a spiral track of 63 spaces. Each player rolls a die and moves forward. If you land on a goose, you jump to the next goose and roll again. There are trap spaces such as the well, the inn, the maze, the prison and the dreaded death, which sends you back to the start. The first player to land exactly on space 63 wins.

Where does it come from?

The earliest surviving examples and references come from 16th-century Italy. From there, it spread through France, Spain and the rest of Europe as printed sheets, which were cheap to produce. That explains why there are so many versions: educational, religious, political and promotional.

The legends

It has been suggested that the game is a secret map of the Camino de Santiago or an initiation game used by the Knights Templar. These are intriguing ideas, but no documents support them. It is best to enjoy them as curiosities.

A game with no decisions

Juego de la oca is pure chance: you make no choices, you simply roll. That is why children love it so much, and why fewer adults play it today. If you want something with more decisions, parchís (Spanish Ludo) calls for a little strategy, and card games demand much more. Escoba (Broom) is a good way to help little ones make that leap.