kattamat

Kattamat is a traditional game name used in parts of the Indian subcontinent and surrounding regions to describe a family of strategy games played with pieces on a grid or on a scattered set of tokens. The name is of regional origin, with components commonly interpreted as referring to stones or pieces and to a board or playing surface.

Most kattamat variants are two-player or small-group strategies in which players alternate turns, moving pieces along predefined lines with the aim of capturing or immobilizing the opponent’s pieces or reaching a designated position. Common mechanics include moving to adjacent points, jumping over an adjacent piece to an empty space to capture, and in some versions multiple captures in a single move. Victory is typically achieved by eliminating the opponent’s material or by achieving a positional objective.

Equipment ranges from simple boards drawn on paper or carved wood to sets of stones or discs representing pieces. Boards can vary in size and layout, and some regional rules define special zones that affect movement or capture.

Historically, exact origins are not well documented. Ethnographic sources from the 19th and 20th centuries note kattamat as part of local games and children's pastimes, and contemporary communities continue to play it as a cultural tradition in rural areas and during festivals.

Today, kattamat is recognized as part of regional game heritage in some areas and is sometimes used in education to teach strategic thinking and arithmetic. It shares affinities with other abstract strategy games such as draughts and mancala in its emphasis on planning and capture.