Aseb

Sympkyn of the Moor

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: 1550-1295 B.C.

Aseb also called The Game of Twenty Squares, Asseb, or Asib, Aseb is an ancient Egyptian board game, closely related to the Mesopotamian Royal Game of Ur. Aseb is a race-and-strategy game played on a rectangular board with twenty squares, blending luck, positioning, and blocking tactics.

History of Aseb

  • Ancient Origins: Aseb emerged in ancient Egypt, likely adopted from the Mesopotamian Royal Game of Ur, dating back to at least 2600 BCE.

  • Cross-Cultural Game: The game was transmitted across cultures through trade and conquest. By the New Kingdom (c. 1500 BCE), it had become widespread among Egyptians, played by royalty and commoners alike.

  • Boards and Artefacts: Boards have been found in tombs and archaeological sites, often paired with Senet boards on opposite sides of a single game box.

  • Evolution: While Senet was often religious or funerary in symbolism, Aseb remained more focused on tactical gameplay.

Traditional Rules of Aseb

Because no definitive ancient rules survive, modern reconstructions are based on archaeological evidence and the closely related Royal Game of Ur. This version follows a commonly accepted reconstruction.

Setup

  • Board: A 3×8 rectangular grid (24 squares), but only 20 squares are active: a path runs through 20 marked squares in a specific order, often shaped like a reversed “Z”.

  • Pieces: Each player has 5 or 7 pieces, usually black and white.

  • Dice: Four casting sticks (or binary dice) are used to determine movement. Rolls range from 1 to 4, with a throw of zero granting a move of 4 and an extra turn.

Movement Path

The 20-square path is typically as follows:

1–10 across the top row (left to right)
11–15 down the rightmost column
16–20 across the bottom row (right to left)

Some reconstructions reverse this direction or alter slightly, depending on the board.

Gameplay

  1. Starting the Game

    • Players take turns rolling and moving pieces onto the board.

    • You must roll a specific value (often a 4) to enter your first piece onto square 1.

  2. Moving Pieces

    • Pieces move forward along the track by the number rolled.

    • A piece may jump over others but cannot land on its own piece.

    • If you land on an enemy piece, you capture it (sending it off the board to re-enter).

  3. Safe Squares

    • Some squares (e.g., 5, 10, 15, and 20) are often considered safe spaces. You cannot capture an opponent on these.

  4. Winning the Game

    • The goal is to move all your pieces through the track and off the board.

    • Pieces must land exactly on square 20 to exit.

    • First to remove all pieces wins.

Optional and House Rules

Enhance the gameplay or vary the difficulty with these commonly used house rules:

1. Marked Squares with Effects

  • Some reconstructions assign special effects to certain squares (e.g. square 5 protects you, square 15 sends you back).

  • These reflect hieroglyphs or symbols found on ancient boards.

2. Re-entry on Capture

  • Captured pieces must be re-entered with a specific roll, just like in the opening. This adds risk and lengthens the game.

3. Blocking Rule

  • You may not move past two adjacent enemy pieces, mimicking a blockade. Adds more tactical positioning.

4. Mandatory Capture

  • If you can capture, you must do so. This adds risk/reward calculation and mirrors similar rules in ancient games.

5. Alternate Dice

  • If you lack casting sticks, use binary dice, a D4, or a D6 with 1–4 active.

Summary Table

Phase Action
Setup 5 or 7 pieces per player. Board is 20 squares in a specific path.
Dice Roll Roll 1–4 using sticks or binary dice. Roll of 4 = extra turn.
Movement Move piece along the path. Land on enemies to capture.
Safe Squares Some squares protect from capture.
Winning First to move all pieces off the board (by exact count) wins.