Great Board Games of the Ancient World

During the Third Crusade, the European soldiers spend the winter playing the ancient game of Tables, which would evolve into backgammon by the 20th century.

Unearthed artifacts from King Tutankhamun's tomb include Senet boards. Historians study the hieroglyphs and investigate the abrupt disappearance of this ancient Egyptian game.

Developed during the Guptas' rule in India, Chaturanga is a strategy game resembling chess. It gradually wended its way westward to become what it is in the present.

The East Asian games of Xiangqi and Shogi are potentially connected to Chaturanga and chess, but a lack of documentation makes it difficult to ascertain anything.

Go is an intricate strategy game that outshines chess in East Asia because of its challenging nature and unique setup.

Mancala is a family of traditional African games dating back over 7,000 years. Awari and Bao are two members that fall on opposite ends of the spectrum of difficulty.