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Boardgames

Historical board games played in Egypt from 2700 BC to the 17th century in Mesopotania.

house_of_fortune with game pieces

House of Fortune

House of fortune is an old southern German game that probably dates back to the 15th century. At the time of the Landsknechte, many a warrior lost his pay playing this game. Gambling was forbidden at the time, which is why people met in secret. It is said that the owner of the game board made an agreement with the captain of the mercenaries: at a secret signal, the latter would enter the illegal players' tent at the time when there was as much money as possible on the board. To avoid being caught, the game and the money had to disappear quickly. The other players had to make a quick getaway and nobody could claim their coins. The captain was given a share of the spoils.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding tokens in the desired colour. If some of them are missing, please let us know and we will send you the desired tokens. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

21,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Fishhead with game pieces

The game Fischkopf can be played alone, in pairs or with as many people as you like.
This entertaining dice game was probably derived from a dice game called ‘shut the box’ or ‘flap game’. The origins of the flap game probably lie in the 19th century.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. If several tiles have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Senet brown

Senet is known as the ‘oldest board game in the world’. Senet was the most popular and most important board game in ancient Egypt and was played by all sections of the population. In addition to the transportable game boards, Senet games were also found carved in various places in tombs and temples, demonstrating their widespread use. More than 40 senet boards have been discovered, some in very good condition, with intact game figures and with throwing sticks, ankle bones or cube-like dice that served as dice. The oldest known depiction of a senet game set is part of a wall painting in Saqqara from the tomb of the pharaoh Hesy (III Dynasty ca 2686-2613 BC). Senet is therefore one of the oldest known board games. Unfortunately, the original rules of the game have not survived. It seems that the game was so widespread and well-known that even small children could have known it. It was probably only passed down orally, so the rules of the game had to be painstakingly reconstructed by archaeologists. The playing field comprises 3x10 squares and was decorated with different symbols over the course of time. We chose the symbols of Tutankhamun, probably the most famous Pharaoh, for this board.
Even Tut Anch Amun, probably the most famous ruler, took a game table with him into the afterlife.

You will receive a game board in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If several tiles have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Example of personalisation:For a birthday

Personalised games

We are happy to personalise your games according to your ideas. At the customer's request, we can incorporate names, numbers, birth or wedding dates, congratulations and the like.

4,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Hnefatafl--wicking chess--Tablut with game pieces

Hnefatafl, Tablut

Tablut or Hnefatafl is mentioned in numerous writings, from the Edda to the Friedthjofs and Orkney sagas. It is assumed that Hnefatafl was played as early as 400 AD.
Tablut is referred to as the game of the ‘noble Northmen’. During their campaigns of conquest in the early Middle Ages, the Vikings spread hnefatafl throughout northern Europe, where it was possibly increasingly replaced by chess, which was brought back from the Crusades, from the 11th or 12th century onwards.
We were taught at school that the Vikings were a rowdy and warlike people. The experienced sailors set off with their longships to attack other cultures. The kings defended themselves against this with their loyal followers. So it is with the Hnefatafl: the 16 Vikings set off to attack a distant land and help themselves to its treasures. Without the king's permission, of course. The king in turn becomes frightened and orders his knights to escort him, his royal highness, safely to one of his castles. Exciting fights and clashes ensue on the way there. Will the king arrive at a castle alive to win? Will the knights drive the attackers from their land and defeat them?

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If you have lost several pieces, please let us know and we will send you the required pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

21,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

byzantine chess, round chess, circular chess

byzantine chess, round chess, circular chess

As the name suggests, this round chess variant originates from Byzantium (the Byzantine Empire, also known as Eastern Rome). It was probably developed there in the 10th century. The board has the same number of squares as the regular square chess board, but these are arranged on circular paths. Not only does this have serious changes on the starting position and the moves, but also the chess rules valid at that time, which differ from today's rules in some respects.

28,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

chess with figures

Chess - probably the most successful board game in the world.
Today's chess historians agree that chess itself - with some differences to today's rules - began in north-west India around 500 AD and spread from there to all corners of the globe. This is also supported by the fact that the basic position of the chess pieces corresponded to the Indian army of the time.
It can be assumed that the game also received its name ‘chess’ in Persia. This is because the Persian word for king is ‘shah’.
Chess also found its way into literature. The art of love and the art of chess were closely linked. A game of chess between a man and a woman often ended in bed. The art of love probably took precedence over the art of chess, just as love chess became a leitmotif of Minne in the Middle Ages.
When the crusaders returned from the Orient to Central Europe in the 10th/11th century after more or less successful battles, they brought chess with them. As a result, this game also spread to our regions. Unfortunately, another game was almost forgotten in the process: hnefatafl, also known as tablut.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding chess pieces. These are safely stored separately in a cotton bag. Should you ever lose a piece or be injured in one of the battles, please let us know and we will send you the desired chess pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

28,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Surakarta with game pieces

The game Surakarta, named after the Javanese city, probably originates from the same region: Indonesia. Two players have to move their pieces strategically in order to capture their opponent's pieces. The movement possibilities of the stones across the arches of the playing field demand a great deal of concentration from the players.
The games ‘Seega’ and ‘Highjump’ can also be played on the same playing field. The instructions are included.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If several pieces have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the required pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

21,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Alquerque beige

It can be assumed that the origins of the game can be found in Egypt. An alquerque playing field was discovered there on a roof slab of the Temple of Sethos I in Kurna. The stone slab was dated to 1400 BC, although it is not known whether and how the game was played at that time. A game called Quirkat was mentioned in the Arabic script Kitab-el Aghani around 950 BC, but again no rules were given. It was probably brought to Spain and Portugal by the Moors, who were Islamised by the Arabs, around the year 711. It stands to reason that "El-Qirkat" became "Alquerque" there over the course of time. Finally, in the 13th century, the rules of the game were written down in a book, the "Libros de los Juegos" - the book of games. King Alfonso X had this work written and it is proven to have been played in ancient Egypt and is the predecessor of our modern-day draughts game. The aim is to capture all of your opponent's checkers by jumping over them, which even children as young as 5-6 years old understand well.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we add one piece of each colour as a replacement. If several pieces have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the required pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Twelve Men's Morris

Twelve Men`s Morris or Armenian Morris

This ancient game has probably been known in Europe for over 4000 years. Finds have been documented from around 2000 BC in Ireland, for example. This makes the mill game not only one of the oldest known board games, but also older than the world-famous game of chess. However, many people don't realise this: There are numerous variations of the mill game, e.g. this Armenian mill has additional diagonals and each of the two players is given 12 pieces at the start of the game.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding tiles in the desired colours. In addition, we add one tile per colour as a replacement. If several tiles have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

roman morris with game pieces

Three Men´s Morris

This smallest version of the well-known mill game was already known thousands of years ago, as numerous finds prove. For example, a round mill playing field was discovered on the roof of the temple of Kurna (built around 1400 BC). However, the playing field may also have been carved into the roof stone at a later date. The game seems to have been very popular among all social classes, especially among the Romans.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If several tiles have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

7,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Seega

Seega ("siga" pronounced) is a board game for two people with a light strategy, which was and is played primarily by Egyptians and Somalis. At the temple in Kurna (Upper Egypt), which was begun in 1400 B.C., several playing fields were found carved into the roof stones, including Seega. The game "Kono" can also be played on this playing field. The instructions for the game are included.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding tiles in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one tile per colour as a replacement. If several pieces have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the required pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

7,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Kono with game pieces

Kono is a Korean game for two players in which, just like Halma, the players must try to move their own pieces to the opposite side of the board. The aim here is not to capture your opponent's pieces, but simply to move them in such a way that you reach your goal faster and block your opponent's moves as much as possible. The instructions for the board game "Seega" are included with this game. So you have two in one.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If you have lost several tiles, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

7,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Pah Tum with game pieces

The Pah Tum game was probably already known 3800 years ago in Mesopotamia. This makes it one of the oldest known games. Both players want to form rows by filling the field with their own pieces. Whoever is more successful and can prevent their opponent's rows wins the game.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding tiles in the desired colours. In addition, we add one tile per colour as a replacement. If you have lost several pieces, please let us know and we will send you the required pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

Latrunculi with game pieces

Latrunculi, ludus latrunculorum

As we know from war reports, the battlefield is empty at the beginning. The soldiers on both sides stand and wait for the signal to attack. The signal is given. The two players now take it in turns to place a piece on the board. By placing your own pieces skilfully and carefully, you can also capture your opponent's pieces in this phase of the game. Once all the soldiers (pieces) are on the board, one soldier goes and each player tries to capture the other's pieces by skilfully placing them in order to emerge victorious.
The ludus latrunculorum, or latrunculi for short, is often referred to as a soldier's game, as the name is derived from latro for soldier.
Ovid( born 22 March 43 BC in Sulmo; died probably 17 AD in Tomis), a Roman poet who was also a war correspondent, frequently mentioned this game in his works, for example in ‘Art of Love III’.
It is also possible to play the large version of the game ‘Kono’ on this board. The instructions for this are of course included.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If you have lost several tiles, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

NEW

cows and leopards, The leopard game

The "leopard game" has been widely played in South Asia for many centuries. At first, one suspects an imbalance in the game, as there are only two leopards but 24 cows. However, the strategic skills of both players are required to emerge victorious from the game. The game "Alquerque" can also be played on this board. That's why we include the instructions. So again 2 games in one.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If you have lost several game pieces, please let us know and we will send you the desired game pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

21,00 EUR

incl. 19% tax excl. Shipping costs

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Historical board games played in Egypt from 2700 BC to the 17th century in Mesopotania.