Number of players: 2-6 Type of game: Boardgame Period: 3000BC+

Mehen is an ancient Egyptian board game, notable for its distinctive spiral board shaped like a coiled serpent. Named after the protective serpent-god Mehen, the game was played during Egypt’s Old Kingdom, possibly as a ritual or strategy game. While the precise rules are unknown, scholars and gamers have reconstructed plausible versions based on archaeology and comparisons to similar ancient games.

Number of players: 4(2 teams of 2)
Type of game: Dice Period: 1100+

Shut the Box is a traditional dice game that dates back several centuries and has been popular in English pubs and households. It is a simple yet engaging game of chance and strategy where players aim to “shut” (flip down) all numbered tiles by rolling dice and matching the sum to open tiles.

History of Shut the Box

• Origins: Thought to have originated in France or England during the 12th to 18th centuries.

• Popularity: Became a favourite pastime in English pubs from the 19th century onwards.

• Name Meaning: The phrase “shut the box” refers to closing all the number tiles.

• Variations: Many local and house rules have developed over time.

• Legacy: Considered a fun gambling game, teaching addition and probability.

Game: Wari
Type: Traditional mancala game
Players: 2
Equipment: Mancala board with 2 rows of 6 pits, 48 seeds or stones (4 per pit)
Origin: West Africa, especially Ghana and Nigeria
Other Names: Oware, Awalé, Warri, Ayo, Ouril, Adi, Wali, Awele, Wale

Historical Background

Wari is one of the oldest and most widespread mancala-style games, with a heritage tracing back thousands of years across West Africa. It is particularly associated with the Akan people of Ghana and is considered the national game of several countries including Ghana, Nigeria, and Cape Verde (where it is called Ouril). Its spread via trade routes and the African diaspora led to variants being played in the Caribbean, South America, and parts of the Middle East. Wari’s enduring appeal comes from its blend of simple mechanics and deep strategy.

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: 1500+

Fox and Geese is a classic asymmetrical board game of strategy and cunning, played between one player controlling a fox and another controlling a gaggle of geese. The game is a descendant of Norse tafl games and was popular in mediaeval and early modern Europe.

History of Fox and Geese

• Mediaeval Roots: The game emerged in medieval northern Europe, evolving from older Viking tafl games around the 13th century.

• Popular in Britain: It gained popularity in Britain and Scandinavia, especially from the 17th century onward, often appearing in books of parlour games and moral instruction.

• Symbolism: It was sometimes used allegorically to represent intelligence versus the masses or good versus evil.

• Board Types: The most common board is a cross-shaped grid of 33 points, but variants exist with 37, 45, or more points.

Number of players: 2-4 Type of game: Boardgame
Period:

Thayam is a traditional South Indian board game, especially popular in Tamil Nadu. It is a race game similar in concept to Pachisi or Ludo, involving strategy and chance, where players race their tokens around a track based on dice rolls.

History of Thayam

• Origins: Played in South India for centuries, with roots in traditional folk culture.

• Cultural Significance: Often played during festivals and family gatherings.

• Gameplay Similarity: Comparable to other Indian race games like Pachisi, but with local rule variations.

• Legacy: Continues to be popular in rural and urban areas as a social and competitive pastime.

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.

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: 2686 B.C. + Senet is one of the oldest known board games, originating in ancient Egypt around 3100 BCE. Played by pharaohs and commoners alike, Senet was both a pastime and a spiritual symbol, representing the soul’s journey through the afterlife. The game is a race of strategy and chance where players aim to move their pieces across a grid-shaped board and off the playing field first.

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: 2400BC+

The Royal Game of Ur is one of the oldest known board games in history, dating back over 4,500 years to ancient Mesopotamia. It is a two-player race and strategy game discovered in the Royal Tombs of Ur (modern-day Iraq) by Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s. The game combines elements of chance and tactics as players race their pieces along a distinctive track to be the first to bear all their tokens off the board.

Number of players: 4 Type of game: Dice Period: 1283

El Mundo – Four Player Backgammon

History of El Mundo

El Mundo (lit. The World) aka Tables of the Four Seasons aka Four Player Backgammon is a tables game from the 13th century. This reconstruction is based off of the rules found in Alfonso X’s Book of Games (1283) as translated by Sonja Musser Golladay (2007).
The Book of Games is the only known description of how this game is played, and the only known reference to the game. Each colour in the game not only corresponds to a season but also one of the four elements and humours. Green represents spring, air, and blood; Red represents summer, fire, and choler; Black represents autumn, earth, and melancholy; White represents winter, water, and phlegm.