Cowry shells are sometimes used in a way similar to dice , e.g. , in board games like Pachisi , or in divination ( cf . IfÃ and the annual customs of Dahomey ) . Cowry shells are sometimes used in a way similar to dice , e.g. , in board games like Pachisi , Ashta Chamma ( board game ) or in divination ( cf . IfÃ and the annual customs of Dahomey ) .