Oldest Board Games in History

The most ancient games we can document — from Bronze-Age Egypt to the classics that shaped tabletop gaming.

Ranked by BoardGameGeek rating, current as of June 2026. We list only games in our verified catalogue.

1. 1

   Senet c. 3100 BC

   Unranked

   The oldest board game whose existence is archaeologically confirmed, found in Predynastic and First-Dynasty Egyptian burials (c.

   2 players · — · Ages —

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2. 2

   Mehen c. 3000 BC

   Unranked

   Played in Egypt c.

   — players · — · Ages —

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3. 3

   Royal Game of Ur c. 2600 BC

   Unranked

   One of the oldest known game boards in the world (c.

   2 players · — · Ages —

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4. 4

   Go c. 2200 BC

   Unranked

   Originating in China more than 2,500 years ago, Go is among the oldest games still played in its original form and a pinnacle of abstract strategy.

   2 players · — · Ages —

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5. 5

   Hounds and Jackals (58 Holes) c. 2000 BC

   Unranked

   A Middle Kingdom Egyptian game (c.

   2 players · — · Ages —

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6. 6

   Tic-Tac-Toe c. 1300 BC

   #30815 BGG

   A notable hobby board game, currently ranked #30815 on BoardGameGeek and a widely played abstract title.

   2 players · ~1 min · Ages 4+

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7. 7

   Liubo c. 400 BC

   Unranked

   Popular in China during the Han dynasty (boards from the 4th century BC), it was a major ancestor of Chinese board gaming before being completely forgotten b…

   2 players · — · Ages —

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8. 8

   Chutes and Ladders c. 200 BC

   #30816 BGG

   A notable hobby board game, currently ranked #30816 on BoardGameGeek and a widely played children's title.

   2–6 players · ~30 min · Ages 3+

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9. 9

   Ludus Latrunculorum c. 100 BC

   Unranked

   The principal strategy game of the Roman world (first attested c.

   2 players · — · Ages —

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10. 10

    Nine Men's Morris 1

    Unranked

    Played for over 2,000 years (Roman boards survive;

    2 players · — · Ages —

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11. 11

    Patolli 200

    Unranked

    Played across Mesoamerica from Teotihuacan (c.

    2 players · — · Ages —

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12. 12

    Snakes and Ladders 200

    Unranked

    Originating as the moralistic Indian game Moksha Patam (c.

    2–4 players · — · Ages —

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13. 13

    Hnefatafl (Tafl) 400

    Unranked

    The dominant board game of Viking-Age Northern Europe (popular c.

    2 players · — · Ages —

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14. 14

    Checkers (Draughts) 1100

    Unranked

    Developed from medieval Alquerque by placing it on a chessboard (c.

    2 players · — · Ages —

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15. 15

    Dominoes 1120

    Unranked

    First recorded in Song-dynasty China and reaching Europe via 18th-century France, dominoes are one of the most widespread tile games globally.

    2–4 players · — · Ages —

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16. 16

    Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) 1200

    Unranked

    Reaching its modern form by the Song dynasty, it is one of the world's most-played board games and the dominant chess variant in China.

    2 players · — · Ages —

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17. 17

    Chess 1475

    Unranked

    Descended from Indian chaturanga (by the 6th century CE), it reached its modern form in Spain c.

    2 players · — · Ages —

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18. 18

    Shogi (Japanese Chess) 1500

    Unranked

    Standardized in 16th-century Japan, its piece-dropping mechanic makes it strategically distinct from all other chess descendants.

    2 players · — · Ages —

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19. 19

    Pachisi 1500

    Unranked

    The national game of India and ancestor of Ludo, Parcheesi, Sorry! and Trouble, popularizing the cross-and-circle race format worldwide.

    2–4 players · — · Ages —

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20. 20

    Game of the Goose 1597

    Unranked

    Originating in Renaissance Italy and widely produced from the late 16th century, it is often cited as the earliest commercially published board game.

    2–4 players · — · Ages —

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21. 21

    Backgammon 1640

    Unranked

    The modern form crystallized in 17th-century England from a long line of 'tables' games tracing back to Roman tabula and Persian nard.

    2 players · — · Ages —

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22. 22

    Tablut 1700

    Unranked

    Its rules, recorded by Carl Linnaeus in 1732, are the main surviving documentation used to reconstruct the lost tafl/hnefatafl games.

    2 players · — · Ages —

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23. 23

    The Mansion of Happiness 1843

    Unranked

    One of the earliest mass-produced American board games (W.

    2–4 players · — · Ages —

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24. 24

    Mahjong 1850

    Unranked

    Developed in 19th-century China, it became a global phenomenon in the 1920s and remains one of the most popular tile games in the world.

    3–4 players · — · Ages —

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25. 25

    Parcheesi 1869

    Unranked

    Trademarked in the U.S.

    2–4 players · — · Ages —

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26. 26

    Crokinole 1876

    #46 BGG

    The earliest known board dates to 1876 in Ontario, Canada;

    2–4 players · ~30 min · Ages 8+

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27. 27

    Othello (Reversi) 1883

    Unranked

    Reversi was devised in 1880s England;

    2 players · — · Ages —

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28. 28

    The Landlord's Game 1904

    Unranked

    Patented by Elizabeth Magie in 1904, it is the direct ancestor of Monopoly.

    2–4 players · — · Ages —

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29. 29

    Battleship 1931

    #30797 BGG

    A notable hobby board game, currently ranked #30797 on BoardGameGeek and a widely played children's title.

    2 players · ~30 min · Ages 8+

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30. 30

    Sorry! 1934

    Unranked

    Patented by W.

    2–4 players · ~30 min · Ages 6+

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