When Did Board Games First Come About?

Board games have been around for centuries, played in most cultures and societies, some even pre-dating the development of literacy skill development in the earliest civilisations.

The oldest board game known to have existed is Senet, which has been found in Predynastic and First Dynasty burials of Egypt, c. 3500 BC and 3100 BC respectively. It was pictured in a fresco found in Merknera's tomb. The full name of the game in Ancient Egyptian was 'sn.t n. t H'b', which meant the 'passing game'. Even though it may be the oldest game in World History, it is impossible to prove which game is the oldest.  

Another ancient board game is Mehen, from Predynastic Egypt. The Royal Game of Ur was found in the Royal tombs of Ur, and is now housed in the British Museum in London. Buddha games list is the earliest known list of games.

Today, many board games are available as computer games, where the computer acts as the opponent. Board games can also be played online, against the computer or other players.