Pachisi, a traditional Indian race game, became the direct inspiration for which Western board game?
Chapter 1

Ancient board games and the dawn of play

Chapter 2

The birth of digital arcades

Chapter 3

The home console revolution and crash

Chapter 4

The 3D era and virtual worlds

YOUR GOAL

Master of The history of gaming

Ch 1 · Ancient board games and the dawn of play
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diegoplays The Royal Game of Ur and ancient rules

Jul 9

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diegoplays Ancient Board Games

Way back in Egypt, a game took hold, Senet's path to the afterlife, a story told!

Jul 9

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diegoplays Go and the art of strategic siege in China

Jul 9

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Go and the art of strategic siege in China

diegoplays Originating in China over 2,500 years ago, Go is a game of territory and simple rules with infinite complexity.

Jul 9

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The Royal Game of Ur and ancient rules

diegoplays Discovered in modern-day Iraq, the Royal Game of Ur is one of the oldest board games with rules we can still play today.

Jul 9

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Little Playtime Past
BETA

diegoplays Match classic consoles to their eras to discover the evolution of gaming technology.

Jul 6

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Fun Fact

Ancient dice: The oldest known twenty-sided die (d20) dates back to Ptolemaic Egypt around 300 BCE, carved from steatite.

Jul 9

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Glossary
board game (noun)
A game that is played by moving pieces on a special board. Around 3100 BCE, Egyptians played early versions on thirty square boards to symbolize the afterlife.

Jul 9

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Gossip

Which ancient game sounds most fun?

Jul 9

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Quiz

What ancient Chinese board game has more possible board configurations than there are atoms in the universe?

Jul 9

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diegoplays Senet and the Egyptian passage to the afterlife

Jul 9

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Quiz

Which ancient Egyptian board game represented the soul's journey through the afterlife?

Jul 9

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diegoplays The Indian origins of Chess and Pachisi

Jul 9

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Quiz

What 6th-century Indian game is widely considered the earliest ancestor of modern Chess?

Jul 9

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Quiz

In which modern-day country was the 4,500-year-old Royal Game of Ur discovered?

Jul 9

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Quiz

In ancient Rome, what popular board game involving twelve lines was a direct predecessor to modern Backgammon?

Jul 9

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Quiz

Which British Museum curator famously translated the cuneiform tablet containing the rules of the Royal Game of Ur?

Jul 9

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Quiz

Pachisi, a traditional Indian race game, became the direct inspiration for which Western board game?

Jul 9

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Quiz

What material was the oldest known twenty-sided die (d20) from Ptolemaic Egypt made of?

Jul 9