https://ancient.games/blogs/news/welcome-to-our-new-home-at-ancient-games 2026-01-20T10:15:19-05:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/New_Website_Now_Live_1.png?v=1768922119 Welcome to Our New Home at Ancient Games https://ancient.games/blogs/events-archive/thank-you-cape-may-renaissance-faire-2026 2026-07-21T15:14:44-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/654B3A1C-7405-45B6-9C77-82BFE0D73B5B.jpg?v=1778009434 Thank You, Cape May Renaissance Faire 2026! https://ancient.games/blogs/events-archive/2026-philly-renaissance-faire-well-be-there 2026-07-21T15:14:46-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/PhillyFaireLogo.png?v=1778009583 2026 Philly Renaissance Faire – We'll Be There! https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/a-brief-history-of-the-worlds-nine-oldest-games 2026-07-21T15:40:52-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.3931054231_15xx_fbf003cf-6308-4a5d-9731-4266fd631c40.jpg?v=1784662852 A Brief History of the World's Nine Oldest Games The Royal Game of Ur, one of the world's oldest known board games, handcrafted by Ancient Games https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-hnefatafl-survived-1-500-years-and-why-you-should-play-it 2026-05-07T15:24:47-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.5573428070_m9yy_1fee40ce-cf7b-4973-b6cd-a00e8e369101.jpg?v=1778181887 How Hnefatafl Survived 1,500 Years (and Why You Should Play It) https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-senet-the-5-000-year-old-game-the-pharaohs-took-to-the-afterlife 2026-07-23T13:34:54-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.8295684709_7ljy_ec338c15-7ba6-49a1-a671-4dd93f36553c.jpg?v=1784828094 How to Play Senet: The 5,000-Year-Old Game the Pharaohs Took to the Afterlife Handcrafted wooden Senet board game with storage drawer from Ancient Games https://ancient.games/blogs/news/bucks-county-renaissance-faire-2026-well-be-there 2026-07-21T15:40:55-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/5f91a4_5a7fcdce18ad47d092353404178e1dde_mv2.png?v=1784662855 Bucks County Renaissance Faire 2026 – We'll Be There! Bucks County Renaissance Faire https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-nine-mens-morris-the-ancient-mill-game-and-its-rules-1 2026-07-23T13:32:19-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.4980857263_p6a7.jpg?v=1784827939 How to Play Nine Men's Morris: The Ancient Mill Game and Its Rules Handcrafted maple wood Nine Men's Morris board from Ancient Games https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-the-royal-game-of-ur-history-and-rules-of-a-4-600-year-old-race 2026-07-27T21:18:42-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.3931054231_15xx_59c30ec3-5a85-4192-8826-3b31a829c21a.jpg?v=1785201522 How to Play the Royal Game of Ur: History and Rules of a 4,600-Year-Old Race Handcrafted wooden Royal Game of Ur board with twenty squares and rosette markings https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-mancala-the-ancient-sowing-games-history-and-rules 2026-07-30T09:04:59-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.5261714955_kqtk_4f8bf91f-d3ea-4d3f-8ace-281834f6bfa2.jpg?v=1785416699 How to Play Mancala: The Ancient Sowing Game's History and Rules Handcrafted wooden Mancala board with two rows of cups and smooth playing seeds https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-backgammon-the-ancient-roots-and-rules-of-the-classic-race-game 2026-08-03T09:19:40-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.8226511025_eocy.jpg?v=1785763180 How to Play Backgammon: The Ancient Roots and Rules of the Classic Race Game Handcrafted wooden backgammon board with checkers, made by Ancient Games https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/dice-and-knucklebones-the-ancient-history-of-games-of-chance-and-how-to-play-them 2026-08-06T09:06:11-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.7891915492_kiic_d37809df-cdb5-47de-aaf7-17b809dc4ef3.jpg?v=1786021571 Dice and Knucklebones: The Ancient History of Games of Chance (and How to Play Them) Handcrafted solid bamboo Shut the Box dice game with numbered tiles and two dice https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-daldos-the-history-and-rules-of-scandinavias-almost-forgotten-chase-game 2026-08-10T09:08:29-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.6214757683_9tet.jpg?v=1786367309 How to Play Daldøs: The History and Rules of Scandinavia's Almost-Forgotten Chase Game Handcrafted wooden Viking Daldos board game with bone four-sided dice https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-fox-and-geese-the-history-and-rules-of-a-medieval-hunt-game 2026-08-13T09:10:32-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.7618894897_6s9t_cefb451a-554a-4a3c-94db-0c4013b2c11e.jpg?v=1786626632 How to Play Fox and Geese: The History and Rules of a Medieval Hunt Game Handcrafted wooden Fox and Geese board game with playing pieces https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-patolli-the-history-and-rules-of-the-aztec-betting-game 2026-08-17T09:30:38-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.8327562767_mtiy.jpg?v=1786973438 How to Play Patolli: The History and Rules of the Aztec Betting Game Handcrafted Patolli board — a live-edge wood slice with a UV-printed cross-shaped Aztec race track and colored stone markers, made in-house at Ancient.Games. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-yut-nori-the-history-and-rules-of-koreas-new-year-game 2026-08-20T09:11:04-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.6438955799_fwev.jpg?v=1787231464 How to Play Yut Nori: The History and Rules of Korea's New Year Game Handcrafted wooden Yut Nori (Yutnori) Korean board game set with board, throwing sticks, and playing pieces https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-go-weiqi-the-history-and-rules-of-the-ancient-chinese-board-game 2026-08-24T09:09:02-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/Anonymous-Astana_Graves_Wei_Qi_Player.jpg?v=1787576942 How to Play Go (Weiqi): The History and Rules of the Ancient Chinese Board Game Tang dynasty painting of a woman playing Go (weiqi), from the Astana Tombs, Xinjiang, c. 744 CE. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-alquerque-the-medieval-game-that-became-checkers 2026-08-27T09:05:31-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/Alquerque_in_Libro_de_los_juegos.jpg?v=1787835931 How to Play Alquerque: The Medieval Game That Became Checkers A medieval illustration of two players at an alquerque board from Alfonso X's Libro de los juegos, 1283 https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-shatranj-the-medieval-ancestor-of-chess-history-and-rules 2026-09-01T12:48:46-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/22Buzurgmihr_Masters_the_Game_of_Chess_22__Folio_from_a_Shahnama__Book_of_Kings__MET_DP159353.jpg?v=1788281326 How to Play Shatranj: The Medieval Ancestor of Chess (History and Rules) A medieval Persian manuscript painting of the vizier Buzurgmihr demonstrating chess at the Sasanian court, from a Shahnama (Book of Kings). https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-fidchell-the-history-and-lost-rules-of-the-ancient-celtic-board-game 2026-09-03T09:28:00-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.7096870177_mosw.jpg?v=1788442028 How to Play Fidchell: The History and Lost Rules of the Ancient Celtic Board Game Handcrafted Fidchell board and pieces, an ancient Celtic Irish board game, from Ancient.Games https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-tabula-the-roman-ancestor-of-backgammon-history-and-rules 2026-09-07T09:23:15-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/Pompeii_-_Osteria_della_Via_di_Mercurio_-_Dice_Players.jpg?v=1788787395 How to Play Tabula: The Roman Ancestor of Backgammon (History and Rules) Ancient Roman fresco from Pompeii showing men playing a dice game in a tavern https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-latrunculi-ludus-latrunculorum-the-history-and-lost-rules-of-romes-game-of-soldiers 2026-09-10T09:10:33-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/DP121103.jpg?v=1789045833 How to Play Latrunculi (Ludus Latrunculorum): The History and Lost Rules of Rome's Game of Soldiers A Roman bone gaming counter, a small round playing disc of the kind used in ludus latrunculorum. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/the-renaissance-faire-gift-guide-handcrafted-historical-games-for-every-budget 2026-09-14T09:09:03-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.7618894897_6s9t.jpg?v=1789391343 The Renaissance Faire Gift Guide: Handcrafted Historical Games for Every Budget A handcrafted wooden Fox and Geese board, a medieval European hunt game, from Ancient Games. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-gluckshaus-the-history-and-rules-of-the-renaissance-dice-game 2026-09-17T09:05:06-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.6707392121_2svl_3bb44522-29ad-41a8-b00f-c8e5ed2166bd.jpg?v=1789650306 How to Play Glückshaus: The History and Rules of the Renaissance Dice Game A handcrafted wooden Glückshaus (House of Fortune) board with numbered fields for a Renaissance dice game https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-bul-puluc-the-history-and-rules-of-the-maya-running-fight-game 2026-09-21T09:16:38-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.4965961656_jhxu.jpg?v=1789996598 How to Play Bul (Puluc): The History and Rules of the Maya Running-Fight Game Handcrafted wooden Bul (Puluc) board, a Maya Mesoamerican running-fight game, with a segmented track and small stackable counters. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-hounds-and-jackals-58-holes-the-history-and-reconstructed-rules-of-an-ancient-egyptian-race-game 2026-09-24T09:07:46-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/DP263833.jpg?v=1790255266 How to Play Hounds and Jackals (58 Holes): The History and Reconstructed Rules of an Ancient Egyptian Race Game Ancient Egyptian Game of Hounds and Jackals: a shrine-shaped ebony and ivory board with two rows of small holes and slender pegs carved with hound and jackal heads, Middle Kingdom, ca. 1814–1805 B.C., Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-mehen-the-history-and-reconstructed-rules-of-ancient-egypts-serpent-game 2026-09-28T09:28:12-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/DP259829.jpg?v=1790602092 How to Play Mehen: The History and Reconstructed Rules of Ancient Egypt's Serpent Game Ancient Egyptian ivory game piece carved in the form of a reclining lion, Early Dynastic period, of the type used in the Mehen serpent game (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-liubo-the-history-and-lost-rules-of-ancient-chinas-game-of-six-sticks 2026-10-01T09:20:32-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/DP372026.jpg?v=1790860832 How to Play Liubo: The History and Lost Rules of Ancient China's Game of Six Sticks A Han-dynasty Chinese earthenware Liubo board and playing pieces showing the game's distinctive TLV-shaped markings, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/the-2026-holiday-gift-guide-handcrafted-ancient-historical-games-for-everyone-on-your-list 2026-10-05T09:24:19-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.8226511025_eocy_66f85ba9-ffa0-4385-a694-bfbedd7732c4.jpg?v=1791206659 The 2026 Holiday Gift Guide: Handcrafted Ancient & Historical Games for Everyone on Your List Handcrafted wooden backgammon board by Ancient Games, a giftable historical game https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-rota-the-history-and-reconstructed-rules-of-the-roman-wheel-game 2026-10-08T09:20:21-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.6050748082_k5o3_b38c31f0-0179-4410-a680-eb2a2aeb66d8.jpg?v=1791465621 How to Play Rota: The History and Reconstructed Rules of the Roman Wheel Game Handcrafted wooden ROTA board — a Roman wheel game for three pieces per side, also called Roman tic-tac-toe. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-petteia-the-history-and-lost-rules-of-the-ancient-greek-game-of-pebbles 2026-10-12T09:36:48-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/DP273724.jpg?v=1791812208 How to Play Petteia: The History and Lost Rules of the Ancient Greek Game of Pebbles Ancient Greek black-figure terracotta hydria, ca. 510 BCE, attributed to the Leagros Group, showing the heroes Achilles and Ajax leaning over a game board as the goddess Athena stands between them. Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-ludus-duodecim-scriptorum-xii-scripta-history-and-reconstructed-rules-of-romes-twelve-line-game 2026-10-15T09:09:47-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/DP124933.jpg?v=1792069787 How to Play Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum (XII Scripta): History and Reconstructed Rules of Rome's Twelve-Line Game A Roman glass die from the 1st–2nd century CE, the kind of dice used to play ludus duodecim scriptorum (XII scripta). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/how-to-play-chaturanga-the-history-and-reconstructed-rules-of-the-indian-game-that-became-chess 2026-10-19T09:13:16-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/DP303332.jpg?v=1792415596 How to Play Chaturanga: The History and Reconstructed Rules of the Indian Game That Became Chess An early abstract ivory chess piece, 7th-8th century, of the kind that carried the Indian game of chaturanga westward into the Islamic world. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Open Access. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/which-ancient-game-should-you-play-a-guide-by-group-size-time-and-play-style 2026-10-22T09:08:24-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.8295684709_7ljy_1f6c9714-d433-499d-be3a-747c52c3c473.jpg?v=1792674504 Which Ancient Game Should You Play? A Guide by Group Size, Time, and Play Style A handcrafted wooden Senet board with its playing pieces — one of the ancient games featured in this play-style guide. https://ancient.games/blogs/ancient-games-history-stories/games-that-travel-handcrafted-ancient-games-to-pack-for-holiday-trips 2026-10-26T09:23:59-04:00 weekly https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0738/4019/7818/articles/il_fullxfull.5236999200_kxd1_cb11c393-95ed-46fa-8ce5-8bc95ce40a41.jpg?v=1793021039 Games That Travel: Handcrafted Ancient Games to Pack for Holiday Trips A handcrafted Nine Men's Morris game printed on a portable roll-up mat, ready to pack for travel.