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Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad
​An abstract family game of strategy, rooted in Indian heritage.
​Easy to learn, Difficult to master.

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Box of the boardgame Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad placed at an angle on a background of navy blue and yellow

2-4 Players

For Ages 14+

30-40 min Gameplay

Close up image of "Rulebox" of the boardgame Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad. The image is a close up of the interior insert of the game box. Instructions on how to set up game components are visible on the inside of the box, next to the components.

The Rulebox.

Start learning to play even before you open the rulebook. How? The Rulebox teaches you Component introduction and basic set-up. Jump straight to "How to Play" in the rulebook. 

Image of a person dipping a playing tile of the game Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad into a bowl of Ketchup. The game is going on in the background, and a bowl of potato chips is also seen indicating she might have dipped the tile in the ketchup by mistake instead of the chips.

Tactile. Tough. 

Acrylic tiles that feel reassuringly sturdy in your fingers. Waterproof, ketchup-proof, indestructible by snacks. Their only drawback, they're inedible.

Bespoke, not Generic.

Gamer or Game-host, Collector or Cafe-owner. Each has unique expectations. A tailor-made solution, no matter your need.

Picture shows a jute pouch with a label displaying "Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad" tied to a golden drawstring. The pouch is placed in a shelf that's full of several boardgames. The pouch is placed in the little bit of space that's on top of the existing games.

Space Saver

Space is at a premium? Stick our Space Saver anywhere. Ideal for travel as well - why lug around a box when you can have a handy pouch?

Picture shows the game Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad laid out on a table in the form of a cross. The Box makes the center of the cross, while tiles from the game are arranged in 4 columns to make up each of the arms of the cross. Some boardgames are visible in the background on a shelf.

Standard Box

This is for the Collector who wants the game with all its bells and whistles. Features our beautiful box-art, and comes packaged in our Rulebox, that helps you learn even before you open the rulebook. 

Close up view of an illustrated "Cafe" rulebook and 3 long tiles from the game Athangudi Artisans of Chettinad

The Cafebox

Are you a game host running a boardgame cafe or hotel? Our Cafebox comes with a special 4-minute Quick Start guide so game-hosts can refresh their memories, and enthusiastic guests can quickly learn on their own. Features reduced rule-overload, pre-set Goal tiles, and a pictorial rule explanation.

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A finished game of Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad, played by 4 players, laid out on a table.

Great table presence 

Adorn your table with these stunning tiles during gameplay.
Image of the Rulebook of the boardgame Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad

Easy to read & Easy to understand

Illustrated and easy to understand rulebook.

Tiles of the game Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad, laid out on a table. The game box is visible in the background, as as several shelves filled with boardgames.

Beautiful colours & patterns

Easy to differentiate, colourful and pretty patterns on the tiles, making for a beautiful game.

A family of four, seated on the floor, play a game of Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad that's placed on a low table. The floor is made of Athangudi tiles.

A light strategy family game.

You play the role of a master artisan who has to lay the floor of a Chettinad Mansion using Athangudi tiles. You compete with other players to lay the most impressive Floor & to score the highest to win.

 

You have various ways to score points. Sequences are easy to form, but your Floor may not look pretty. Motifs and goals are harder to complete, but you'll have a very satisfying, pretty Floor at the end. Play your best moves after careful analysis, or play rapidly without too much thought. Irrespective of how you play, you are sure to have fun.  

Strive for an elegant victory.

Sharpen your anticipation skills as you play this game. The most efficient way to win may not be the most elegant. Truly master the game when you can balance aesthetics & efficiency. 


This is a modern, light-strategy, low-conflict boardgame, designed and manufactured in India. It is ideal as a family game, or as a starter game to warm you up on game-nights before moving on to heavier stuff. It also makes for an excellent gift or souvenir. 

Tiles of the game Athangudi: Artisasn of Chettinad laid out in a 4x4 matrix to form a pleasing pattern.

The next best thing.

The next best thing to actually buying a game, is watching a video about it. Satiate your curiosity and learn everything about Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad.

A virtual tour of Athangudi.

Athangudi is a tiny village situated near Karaikudi, in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, in southern India. The Chettinad region is peppered with grand mansions built by wealthy Chettiar landlords, some of them over a hundred years old. One such mansion is also found in the Athangudi. 


Apart from this grand old building, Athangudi's claim to fame is its handmade floor tiles. These tiles are individually hand-made by artisans in the village. Each tile is carefully coloured, packed with cement, and left to dry for several days. A tile takes almost two weeks to be ready for use. An artisan makes about 100-200 tiles a day depending on the intricacy of the pattern. Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad, is inspired by these tiles. 

A View of the Grand hall of the "Periya Veedu" (Big House) in Athangudi Village. The photo shows a huge hall with a chequered floor of Italian black & white marble. The floor is flanked by marble pillars which stretch along a corridor. There is an upper floor above the corridor, overlooking into the grand hall. The upper floor has a walkway flanked by colourful pillars and a balustrade. The ceiling of the hall is filled with intricate and colourful geometric designs. Afternoon sunlight streams in through several small windows which are positioned just below the ceiling.
The grand hall of the "Periya Veedu" ("Big House"), Athangudi Village
An artisan displays two Athangudi tiles next to each other, so that a partial circular motif is formed by the corners of the two tiles. The tiles are have a red background, and in the corners, a circular pattern surrounding one quarter of an eight pointed star with alternating green and red segments.
An artisan displays two Athangudi tiles next to each other to form a half-motif
Four Athangudi tiles have been placed on the floor in a 2x2 formation such that they make a big square in which each quarter is one tile. The tiles have a green background, and a flowery motif of red, yellow and white at the center. The corners of the square have a small motif, which looks like a yellow diamond and a red diamond placed next to each other.
Colourful Athangudi tiles arranged to form a geometric motif.
An elderly male artisan in the process of making an Athangudi tile. A metal frame containing the pattern of the tile is placed on a platform. The artisan is pouring yellow paint into the frame with a ladle.
An artisan pouring paint into a frame while making an Athangudi tile.
A female artisan displays an Athangudi tile at the end of its creation, but while still in its mold. The tile is divided into halves, and each half has the same pattern - a dark blue vine with a red and yellow flower on a white background. In the foreground of the picture are two buckets of vibrant paint, dark blue and yellow in colour, that have been used to make the tile being displayed.
An artisan shows off a tile at the end of the preparatory process.

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