I was wondering what the first board game ever created was, so I decided to do some research. There is some debate over some of the oldest games in the world, but there isn’t much debate on which ranks as the oldest official game ever created.
So, which is the oldest board game in the world? The oldest board game in the world is an ancient Egyptian game called Senet that was invented around 3300 b.c. It is a very simple, luck-based game for two players, where the goal of the game is for players to get their game pieces off the board first. Whichever player accomplishes this first wins.
What is Senet?
As mentioned previously, Senet is a board game played in ancient Egypt thousands of years ago. The full name is said to mean “the game of passing” (the full name was zn.t n.t ḥˁb). It was played in Egypt and has been found in hieroglyphs of tombs dating back to 3300 b.c; a few of those being Merknera and Hesy.
Though it was a board game that was played for entertainment, it used luck as a main component. Consequently, the winner of the game was viewed as under the protection of the Gods. It was also placed in tombs to help those that have passed through the afterlife (hence being known as “the game of passing”).
How is Senet Played?
There is debate on what the original rules of the game are. They aren’t known for sure, though many have reconstructed the game—which can be played today.
Senet is a board game made up of three rows of ten game spots. Each player has five pawns—one team black and the other team white. The player using the black pawns goes first.
The general idea of the game, as it is thought to have been played, is for each player to attempt to get his or her pieces off the board first. They do this by throwing four sticks that were black on one side and white on the other (which were ancient versions of dice). Depending on the outcome—how many sticks landed on the white side and how many on the black side—players are allowed to take certain actions. Strategy enters the game as players choose which pieces to move and when. The game board also has places on the second and third rows, where if landed on, cause problems for the players or help players win. Players must navigate those spots to get off the board and advance toward victory.
What kind of game is Senet?
Compared to today’s games, Senet is a simplistic game comprised mostly of luck. In some ways, it reminds me of the board game Trouble—which may be an ugly comparison. But regardless, much of what happens is the same in trouble. One player rolls the die moves the piece that seems best, then the other player does the same. A player can only move a piece under certain conditions and can’t move a piece into its final position unless the right number is rolled. There’s room for strategy, but the main component is luck.
Saying that Senet is mainly just a luck-based game, probably isn’t totally fair though. Near the end of the game, when the pieces are nearing the third row, players must be wise about which pieces are moved and when. They can also be strategic and block the other player through stacking pawns together or other such moves.
What games today are like Senet?
Trouble
As mentioned previously, Trouble has many similarities to Senet. I also acknowledge that this might be an unfair comparison in some ways. However there are a few that are worth mentioning further.
The purpose of trouble is to move pawns, or game pieces, from one place to another. The equivalent in Senet is to move game pieces from one side of the board to the other—eventually getting them off the board. The majority of the gameplay in Trouble is dependent on how the die in the middle rolls. Players can’t advance pieces to start or finish unless certain numbers are rolled. In Senet, players can’t advance pieces if the other player has blocked them or if they are stuck on a game spot that requires a certain roll to remove the piece.
Trouble ends when the first player gets all pieces around the board and into the resting places in front of the player. In Senet, the first player to navigate the board and get all the pieces off the board (i.e. in their final places) wins the game. No matter how you slice it, these two games are pretty similar.
Checkers
Checkers has a much smaller resemblance to Senet, which arguably means it doesn’t resemble Senet at all. But we’ll try to draw a comparison anyway.
In checkers, players play on a grid with two players that is similar to Senet. Though it isn’t the same size or number of squares, the entire game plays on the grid of squares and players must navigate the board to accomplish their objective and win the game. The pawns in each game are all the same, and do the same thing—unless crowned in checkers. In checkers, players must choose where to move each pawn and when. It is highly dependent on what the other player does. The same happens in Senet, where players are acutely aware of what the other player is doing, and how that impacts the game.
There are several glaring differences in these two games, but we won’t get into most of them. The one we will discuss is that Checkers has no luck component that can alter the gameplay. Senet, on the other hand, is based primarily on luck.
Related Questions
What are some other ancient board games?
Checkers- Checkers, aka Draughts, was invented around 3000 BC in Ancient Mesopotamia. It has undergone some changes over the centuries but is still enjoyed by millions across the globe today.
Backgammon- The oldest Backgammon board every discovered dates back to 3000 BC. It was discovered in the ancient city of Shahr-e Sukhteh, which is modern-day Iran.
Go- Go is a game that is still widely popular today, though is was invented around 2000 BC. It was invented in China, where the exact origin is unknown. One popular story is that Emperor Yao invented it to teach his son Dan Zhu.
What is the oldest board game still played today in a major way?
The oldest game that is still played today in a major way is Checkers—though there are quite a few ancient games still played today. It dates back to 3000BC. It’s a two-player game from ancient Mesopotamia, which is modern-day Iraq. It has gone by more than one name, the other major name being Draughts (which is pronounced “drafts”). The origin of checkers is said to have been traced back to the ancient city of Ur. and the actual gameplay has evolved over the thousands of years that it’s been played.
Do people still play Senet today?
Senet is not currently played today. Though, technically it can be bought and played today, for all intents and purposes, it isn’t really played anymore. The major reason is that the actual rules aren’t definitely known and those that play are guessing on some parts—or making it up. Those that do play are playing because they know the history of the game and want to enjoy its history, and not because they simply enjoy the game for the game’s sake. As with anything, though, that could easily change.