Buzz
For centuries, board games have served as a source of entertainment around the world. Long before writing emerged, these games existed—and in many societies, they even gained religious significance. What's particularly fascinating is how, over time, the ethical and moral essence of some games was overshadowed by the commercial interests of big corporations seeking profit. Here are ten of the most significant board games from both ancient and modern times:
10. Tafl
Tafl was a widely enjoyed game among the Vikings. One player’s goal was to move their king from the center of the board to its edges, while the other sought to capture him. Tafl spread across Europe (much like the Viking bloodlines) and was considered the chess of its era; noblemen would take great pride in demonstrating their skill in the game.
Tafl served as the foundation for the game Thud, inspired by Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. While the occasional World Championship is still held, the fact that it takes place on an island with a population of just eighty-six raises questions about the true scope of a “world” championship. Perhaps a bit more raiding is needed to truly earn that title.
9. The Landlord’s Game
Created in 1903 by Maryland actress Lizzie Magie, The Landlord’s Game featured a square board with a series of properties that players could purchase. It also included four railroads, two utilities, a jail, and a space called “Labor Upon Mother Earth Produces Wages,” which rewarded players with $100 each time they passed it.
This might sound familiar because, in fact, The Landlord’s Game was patented three decades before Charles Darrow “invented” Monopoly and sold it to Parker Brothers.
The Landlord’s Game—later renamed Prosperity—was designed to highlight the social inequalities caused by land ownership and the concept of “rent poverty.” It also proposed a solution: players could choose to have the rent from their properties collected into a communal fund, which would then be redistributed, improving the situation for all involved.
The ironic twist in this story is that when Darrow took the concept, the ideal of prosperity for all was entirely discarded. Instead, the game that eventually reached over a billion players promoted the idea of bankrupting opponents.
8. Vaikuntapaali
The sixteenth-century Indian game of Vaikuntapaali, also known as Leela, served as a moral and spiritual teaching tool. It was later adapted into the game we know as Chutes and Ladders in America (and Snakes and Ladders in other regions). In the original version, climbing a ladder symbolized the rewards of good deeds on the path to enlightenment, while falling down a chute (or being bitten by a snake) represented the spiritual harm caused by vices such as theft and murder.
The Victorians made adjustments to the moral lessons when they introduced the game to England in the late 1800s. While the original version offered the possibility of reaching eternal Nirvana, the British penchant for subtlety transformed it into a quest for “success” in the Western version. By the time Milton Bradley brought it to the United States in 1943, all that mattered was a simple diversion (perhaps a much-needed escape during the early 1940s), and so the game became the race to the finish that it is known as today.
7. Nine Men’s Morris
A precursor to Tic-Tac-Toe, Nine Men’s Morris is played on a grid where players place pieces with the goal of forming lines of three. Once all pieces are placed, they can be moved one step at a time. Whenever a player completes a row of three, they can capture one of the opponent’s pieces. The first player left with only two pieces loses.
The simplicity of the game’s layout made it easy for people worldwide to create their own boards. Evidence of these boards, some dating back to 1440 B.C., has been found carved into steps and rocks in places like Sri Lanka, Bronze Age Ireland, ancient Troy, and the Southwestern United States—note to Mormons: this is not archaeological proof supporting the Book of Mormon.
Not satisfied with merely leaving their mark on the landscape, it seems that fans throughout history have also carved the game board into seats, walls, and even tombstones across England. Despite the widespread concern over World of Warcraft, we’ll only know that computer game addiction has truly reached dangerous heights when people start defacing local graveyards in search of their next fix.
6. The Mansion of Happiness
When Parker Brothers re-released The Mansion of Happiness: An Instructive Moral and Entertaining Amusement in 1894, they claimed it was the first board game published in the US—dating all the way back to 1843. In fact, it was probably the second such game to be released in the US; however, it remains significant as a continuation of the 'race to the afterlife' motif that appeared in many older religious games.
The game’s designers had to use clever workarounds to avoid the sinister associations with gambling at the time (a six-sided die was considered Satanic, whereas a six-sided spinner was not). The board featured a basic roll-and-move track—loaded with more Puritanism than one could expect from a simple piece of cardboard. Those who broke the Sabbath would be sent to the whipping post (whips sold separately), and the vice of Idleness would send you straight into Poverty. It also contains what may be the most absurd rule in board game history, where a player might be forced to wait 'until his turn comes to spin again, and not even think of happiness, much less partake of it.'
Fortunately, the rule ‘do not partake of happiness’ never gained much popularity.
5. Senet
Senet is the oldest known board game, with sets discovered in tombs dating back to 3,500 B.C., including four found in Tutankhamen’s burial chamber. The game boards were typically three squares wide and ten long, and players usually had five to seven pieces each. While the original rules have been lost, it is widely accepted that the objective was to race one’s pieces across the board, using thrown sticks in place of dice.
What began as a form of secular entertainment soon gained religious significance for the Egyptians. The squares of the Senet board were adorned with symbols of gods and elements of the afterlife. Unlike modern board games that are meant for entertainment, playing Senet was believed to ritually connect players with the sun god, ensuring their survival in the afterlife even before their death. Handy, isn’t it?
4. Mancala
Mancala is a family of games that all share a similar style of play. These count-and-capture games might be among the oldest games ever played, possibly even older than Senet, though further research is required to confirm this. The game is simple: all you need is some soft ground and a handful of seeds or pebbles. Holes are dug in rows, and players distribute counters around the board, one at a time. While each version has its own objectives, the secret to winning in every variant is essentially about counting as fast as you can.
Mancala was largely unknown in Europe and the United States until fairly recently. According to a report from the Smithsonian Institute, it is referred to as the 'national game of Africa.'
3. The Royal Game of Ur
This ancient game was believed to be extinct—replaced by backgammon over 2000 years ago—until game historian Irving Finkel uncovered its rules on an ancient stone tablet. His discovery led to the surprising finding of a similar game board in modern India, where a retired teacher recalled playing it as a child, making this game the longest-played in human history.
You can try playing the Royal Game of Ur by clicking the link here. As you play, remember it has survived through all the world’s greatest empires and predates all major religions. The longevity of this board game is a testament to its historical power. Don’t let it fade away, overshadowed by modern gaming consoles like the Playstation.
The Royal Game of Ur is a fascinating piece of ancient history, older than all the world’s greatest empires and major religions. It proves that board games can endure centuries, so don’t let this one be forgotten amidst modern distractions.
2. Chaturanga
Chaturanga is a game that truly deserves recognition, especially for its monumental legacy—chess.
Few games are as universally recognized as chess. In 1972, it became an emblem of the Cold War, securing its place as the undisputed 'Game of Kings' in Europe. But the western world’s chess is not alone in its domain. The Chinese have Xiangqi, the Japanese play Shogi, and Korea, Thailand, and India all have their own versions. Chess is frequently used as a metaphor for life, symbolizing intellect and strategy.
Chaturanga, which dates back to the 7th century A.D., is the common ancestor of all modern versions of chess. While the board and pieces are largely the same, the precise rules have unfortunately been lost to history. Yet, Chaturanga's creators struck upon the formula that would lead to chess' global spread: a pure battle of skill, endless complexity, beauty, and a mirror of real life itself.
1. Chaupat
Chaupat, along with its closely related counterpart Pachisi, are the pioneers of the cross-and-circle game genre. The most famous modern iteration of these games is Ludo, which is a much-simplified version. The goal of these games is for players to move their pieces around the board based on the roll of cowry shells. If a player lands on an opponent's piece, they can capture it, and when two of a player's pieces land on the same square, they combine to form a 'super-piece'.
Emperor Akbar I of the Mughal Empire famously played the game on a vast board, using slave girls as pieces. The process by which two of these 'pieces' could merge into a 'super-piece' remains unclear. Interestingly, a search for 'slave girl pieces' on Google brings up results that are not related to the game.
