Puluc - A 2-player elimination game from the Ketchi Indians of Guatemala

Puluc (also called Boolik or Bul) is a running-fight board game originating in Mesoamerica, and is known particularly among several of the Maya peoples of Belize and the Guatemalan highlands. It's not known exactly when the game was developed or what the original rules were as very few records survived the invasion by the conquistadors between the 15th and 17th centuries. Game historian Stewart Culin organized "New World" games into those he thought had an influence from Europe in their creation. Puluc is not listed there, so in his opinion the game must have developed before Europeans arrived in Central America. When pieces are captured in Puluc, they are actually captured - that is, they become a prisoner of the piece that captured them. Returning these captured pieces to their home city takes them out of play, and the capturing piece returned to the start to go again.