Ancient Games History & Stories

Handcrafted wooden Mancala board with two rows of cups and smooth playing seeds
How to Play Mancala: The Ancient Sowing Game's History and Rules
Mancala isn't one game but a whole family of African 'sowing' games with genuinely old roots. Here's its real history, honest caveats and all, plus clear rules for the classic... Read more...
Handcrafted wooden Royal Game of Ur board with twenty squares and rosette markings
How to Play the Royal Game of Ur: History and Rules of a 4,600-Year-Old Race
A clear guide to the Royal Game of Ur, the 4,600-year-old Mesopotamian race game excavated at the city of Ur. Its history, how the British Museum reconstructed the rules, and... Read more...
Handcrafted maple wood Nine Men's Morris board from Ancient Games
How to Play Nine Men's Morris: The Ancient Mill Game and Its Rules
Nine Men's Morris is one of the oldest strategy games still played today, with boards carved into Roman and medieval stone across Europe. Here's its history and a clear guide... Read more...
Handcrafted wooden Senet board game with storage drawer from Ancient Games
How to Play Senet: The 5,000-Year-Old Game the Pharaohs Took to the Afterlife
Senet is one of the oldest board games ever recorded — played for 2,000 years, buried with pharaohs, and used as a symbol of the soul's journey through the afterlife.... Read more...
How Hnefatafl Survived 1,500 Years (and Why You Should Play It)
How Hnefatafl Survived 1,500 Years (and Why You Should Play It)
How Hnefatafl Survived 1,500 Years (and Why You Should Play It) -R.E. Mueller The Vikings had a board game they couldn't stop playing. They played it in their longhouses, on... Read more...
The Royal Game of Ur, one of the world's oldest known board games, handcrafted by Ancient Games
A Brief History of the World's Nine Oldest Games
"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... Read more...