A Brief History of
THE WORLD’S OLDEST GAMES
Nine Games That Shaped Civilization
and How to Play Them Today
R.E. Mueller
First Edition · Printed in the United States
© Robert · Ancient Games · KleverNKrafty
All illustrations original to this volume
www.ancient.games · Bob@ancient.games
Contents
1. Senet
2. The Royal Game of Ur
3. Mehen
4. Liubo
5. Patolli
6. Ludus Latrunculorum
7. Hnefatafl
8. Fidchell & Brandubh
9. The Tafl Family Tree
10. How These Games Survived
Welcome, Fellow Traveler in Time
If you're reading this, you're already curious about something most people never think twice about — the games our ancestors played thousands of years before us.
That curiosity is older than you might think. The games inside this guide are between 1,400 and 5,000 years old. They were played in Egyptian tombs, Viking longhouses, Roman forts, and Mayan temples. Kings played them. Slaves played them. Children played them. They survived empires, plagues, and the rise and fall of entire civilizations — and they're still being played today.
This guide tells you the stories of nine of the most important ancient games on earth. Each chapter covers how old the game is, where it came from, the fascinating history, how to play in plain English, and what makes the game worth playing today.
My name is Bob Mueller. I run Ancient Games (and KleverNKrafty on Etsy), and I've been hand‑crafting these games for years. I make them because I think they deserve to be played, not just read about. If you fall in love with one of them, I'd be honored to make yours.
Reader Bonus
As a thank you for downloading this guide, use code GUIDE30 at www.ancient.games for 30% off any board. Good for one order, no expiration. Most boards ship within 4–5 days.
Now — let’s go back in time.
ONE
Senet
Egypt · c. 3100 BCE · The oldest game we know of
Origin: Egypt, predating the pyramids
Players: 2
Pieces: 5 per side, plus 4 throwing sticks
Board: 30 squares in 3 rows of 10
Game length: 20–40 minutes
What it taught: Patience, cunning, and that the gods care about your luck
The History
When Egyptian archaeologists opened the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, they found gold, jewels, alabaster jars, mummified pets — and four wooden Senet boards. Tut was buried with games because the Egyptians believed he'd need them for the journey through the afterlife. Senet wasn't just entertainment. It was a religious ritual disguised as a game.
The earliest known Senet board dates to around 3100 BCE — older than the Great Pyramid of Giza by roughly 500 years. By the time of the New Kingdom, Senet had become deeply spiritual. Players believed each square represented a stage of the afterlife journey, and a player who won was considered to have the favor of the gods Thoth and Ra.
Queen Nefertari was painted playing Senet against an invisible opponent in her tomb at Thebes — the invisible opponent being Death itself. The painting is over 3,200 years old. She is, presumably, still winning.
How to Play
The board has 30 squares arranged in 3 rows of 10. Each player has five pieces, alternating along the first row at the start. The path of play is a backwards S‑shape across the board.
Instead of dice, players throw four sticks. The number of flat sides facing up determines how many spaces you move.
Four flat sides up: move four spaces and roll again
Three flat sides up: move three spaces
Two flat sides up: move two spaces
One flat side up: move one space and roll again
Zero flat sides up: move five spaces and roll again
The goal is to move all five of your pieces off the board. Certain squares are dangerous. The Square of Water sends you back to the start. Others require exact rolls to escape.
If you land on an opponent’s piece, you swap places. Two pieces together are protected. Three in a row form a fortress you cannot pass.
Why Play Today
Senet genuinely feels modern. The mix of luck and strategy gives the same tension as backgammon. And there’s something quietly profound about playing the same game Tutankhamun played over three thousand years ago. You’re not learning history — you’re participating in it.
TWO
The Royal Game of Ur
Mesopotamia · c. 2600 BCE · The Beatles of ancient games
Origin: Sumer, modern‑day Iraq
Players: 2
Pieces: 7 per side, plus three tetrahedral dice
Board: 20 squares in a figure‑eight layout
Game length: 15–30 minutes
What it taught: How to handle setbacks
The History
In 1922, the same year Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened, British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley was excavating the royal tombs at Ur. Among the treasures, he found elaborately inlaid game boards. For decades, no one knew how to play them.
In the 1980s, Irving Finkel of the British Museum translated a Babylonian clay tablet from 177 BCE that described the rules. The Royal Game of Ur was alive again.
The game spread across much of the ancient world and was played for over three thousand years.
How to Play
Each player has seven pieces. Players roll three tetrahedral dice. The number of marked corners facing up determines movement. Landing on rosette squares grants an extra turn and safety from capture. The goal is to move all pieces off the board on an exact roll.
Why Play Today
It’s fast, elegant, and genuinely fun. Strategy matters, but luck keeps it accessible. There’s a reason it survived for millennia.
THREE
Mehen
Egypt · c. 3000 BCE · The serpent’s game
Origin: Pre‑dynastic Egypt
Players: 2–6
Pieces: Lions and marbles
Board: A coiled serpent
Game length: Unknown
What it taught: Even the oldest mysteries can survive
The History
Mehen boards are carved as coiled snakes. The game vanished around 2300 BCE, and the rules were lost.
How to Play (Reconstructed)
Players move lions and marbles along the spiral. Lions can capture opposing pieces. Reconstructions vary.
Why Play Today
Every game is an experiment in history. There is no single correct version.
FOUR
Liubo
China · c. 1500 BCE · The mysterious ancestor of chess
Origin: Shang Dynasty China
Players: 2
Pieces: 6 per side plus throwing sticks
Board: Marked grid
Game length: Estimated 30–60 minutes
What it taught: The board itself is part of the puzzle
The History
Liubo was played for nearly two thousand years before disappearing. Its rules are lost, but reconstructions exist.
How to Play (Reconstructed)
Players enter the board through gates, capture fish and opposing pieces, and score points.
Why This Matters
If Liubo is the ancestor of chess, then modern chess descends from a game whose rules we no longer know.
FIVE
Patolli
Mesoamerica · c. 200 BCE · The Aztec game played for high stakes
Origin: Mesoamerica
Players: 2–4
Pieces: 6 per player, plus beans
Board: Cross‑shaped with 52 squares
Game length: 20–40 minutes
What it taught: That play and risk can be the same thing
The History
Patolli was played for goods, freedom, and sometimes lives. It was banned by Spanish conquistadors but survived in fragments.
How to Play
Players throw beans to determine movement. Pieces race around the board and capture opposing pieces.
Why Play Today
It’s fast, aggressive, and surprisingly modern.
SIX
Ludus Latrunculorum
Rome · c. 100 BCE · The mercenary’s game
Origin: Roman Empire
Players: 2
Pieces: 12–17 per side
Board: Grid
Game length: 20–40 minutes
What it taught: Pure strategy
The History
Played by Roman soldiers and citizens alike. The rules are reconstructed from poetry and boards.
How to Play (Reconstructed)
Pieces move orthogonally. Capture is made by surrounding an opponent’s piece.
Why Play Today
If you like chess but want something faster, this is it.
SEVEN
Hnefatafl
Scandinavia · c. 400 CE · The king’s table
Origin: Northern Europe
Players: 2
Pieces: 1 king, defenders, attackers
Board: 11×11
Game length: 15–40 minutes
What it taught: Asymmetry matters
The History
The dominant game of Northern Europe before chess. Rules survive thanks to a Swedish naturalist.
How to Play
The king attempts to escape to a corner. Attackers attempt to capture him.
Why Play Today
Each side feels completely different. Few games achieve this balance.
EIGHT
Fidchell and Brandubh
Ireland and Wales · c. 700 CE
Origin: Celtic Europe
Players: 2
Board: 7×7 or larger
Game length: 10–25 minutes
The History
Celtic cousins of Hnefatafl, appearing in myth and legend.
How to Play
Movement and capture mirror Hnefatafl on smaller boards.
Why Play Today
Perfect for short, dramatic games.
NINE
The Tafl Family Tree
Hnefatafl, Tablut, Tawlbwrdd, Brandubh, Fidchell, Ard Rí, Alea Evangelii.
These games form a family spread across Northern Europe.
How These Games Survived
They survived because people refused to forget them — and because they’re good games.
Every time you play one, you become part of that survival.
If You’d Like to Play
I’d be honored to make you one. Use code GUIDE15 for 15% off at www.ancient.games.
Until then — set up a board, find an opponent, and play.
History will thank you for it.
— R.E. Mueller
Ancient Games · KleverNKrafty
www.ancient.games
About the Maker
Bob is a craftsman, a data analyst, and a professor. He has made over 4,500 boards for customers in more than 40 countries. He answers every message personally.