Game Rules

Royal Game of Ur

Mesopotamia • 2600 BCE

Objective

Be the first player to move all 7 of your pieces off the board.

Setup

Each player has 7 pieces that start off the board. The board has 20 squares with 5 special "rosette" squares marked with flower patterns.

How to Play

• Roll the dice: Four tetrahedral (pyramid-shaped) dice are rolled. Count the marked corners facing up (0-4).
• Move a piece: Move one of your pieces forward by the number rolled.
• Roll of 0: If you roll 0, you lose your turn.

Special Rules

• Rosettes (flower squares): Landing on a rosette gives you an extra turn AND protects your piece from capture.
• Capture: Landing on an opponent's piece sends it back to the start. You cannot capture pieces on rosettes.
• Blocking: You cannot land on your own pieces.
• Exact exit: You must roll the exact number needed to bear a piece off the board.

Senet

Egypt • 3100 BCE

Objective

Be the first to move all 5 of your pieces off the board, passing through the underworld to reach the afterlife.

The Board

30 squares arranged in 3 rows of 10. Pieces move in an S-pattern (boustrophedon): right across the top row, left across the middle, right across the bottom.

How to Play

• Throw the sticks: Four casting sticks determine movement (1-5). Rolling 1, 4, or 5 grants an extra turn.
• Move a piece: Move one piece forward by the number thrown.
• Swap: If you land on an opponent's piece, you swap positions (unless protected).

Special Squares

• House of Rebirth (15): Safe square. Pieces sent back come here.
• House of Beauty (26): Safe square. All pieces must stop here.
• House of Water (27): Danger! Landing here sends your piece back to House of Rebirth.
• House of Three Truths (28): Must roll exactly 3 to leave.
• House of Re-Atoum (29): Must roll exactly 2 to leave.

Hnefatafl

Scandinavia • 400 CE

Objective

• Defenders (white): Help the King escape to any corner square.
• Attackers (black): Capture the King by surrounding him on all 4 sides.

Setup

The King starts in the center (throne) surrounded by 12 defenders. 24 attackers are positioned around the edges.

How to Play

• Movement: All pieces move like a rook in chess — any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
• No jumping: Pieces cannot jump over other pieces.
• Restricted squares: Only the King may land on the throne (center) or corner squares.

Capture

• Regular pieces: Captured by "custodian capture" — sandwiching between two enemy pieces.
• The King: Must be surrounded on all 4 sides (or 3 sides and the throne).
• Special: The throne and corners count as enemies for capture purposes.

Nine Men's Morris

Roman Empire • 500 BCE

Objective

Reduce your opponent to 2 pieces, or block them so they cannot move.

The Board

Three concentric squares with lines connecting their midpoints, creating 24 intersection points.

Phase 1: Placing

• Players alternate placing one piece on any empty point.
• Each player has 9 pieces to place.
• Try to form "mills" (3 in a row) while preventing your opponent from doing so.

Phase 2: Moving

• After all pieces are placed, players alternate moving one piece to an adjacent empty point.
• Pieces can only move along the lines to connected points.

Mills

• A "mill" is 3 pieces in a row along any line.
• Forming a mill allows you to remove one opponent's piece from the board.
• Pieces currently in a mill cannot be removed unless no other pieces are available.

Phase 3: Flying

• When reduced to only 3 pieces, a player may "fly" — move to ANY empty point, not just adjacent ones.

Mancala

Africa • 700 CE

Objective

Capture more seeds than your opponent. The game ends when one side is empty.

Setup

The board has 12 small pits (6 per player) and 2 large stores. Each small pit starts with 4 seeds. Your store is the large pit on your right.

How to Play

• Choose a pit: Select one of YOUR pits (the 6 on your side).
• Sow: Pick up all seeds from that pit and drop one in each pit counter-clockwise.
• Include your store: Drop seeds in your store when you pass it.
• Skip opponent's store: Never drop seeds in your opponent's store.

Special Rules

• Extra turn: If your last seed lands in your store, take another turn.
• Capture: If your last seed lands in an empty pit on YOUR side, capture that seed plus all seeds in the pit directly opposite.

Game End

When one side is completely empty, the game ends. The other player captures all remaining seeds on their side. The player with the most seeds wins!