Strategic Games: Across Space & Time by Sarah Wheeler

3500 BCE: Royal Game of Ur

sannewheeler — 2025-01-31 17:31:36 UTC

Discovered in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, the Royal Game of Ur is one of the oldest known board games. The game used a board featuring 20 squares and dice-like pieces. Archaeological evidence suggests it was popular across the Middle East, though variations of the game have been found in Sri Lanka and Crete.

2620 BCE: Senet in Ancient Egypt

sannewheeler — 2025-01-31 17:31:36 UTC

Senet, found in the Mastaba of Hesy-Re, was a racing board game that held religious significance. When compared to the Royal Game of Ur, it had lesser variation over time. Players moved pieces across 30 squares using pawns, with the game symbolizing the journey through the Egyptian afterlife, though the exact directions remain a topic of contention.

1000 BCE: Go Originates in China

sannewheeler — 2025-01-31 17:31:37 UTC

Though the exact date of its origination is disputed Go (also known as weiqi) is thought to have emerged during the Zhou Dynasty and spread across East Asia, becoming one of the most sophisticated two-player strategy games. The game represents a battle between two armies, using simple rules yet requiring strategic depth. It is the first game included in this map that remains popular today.

600 CE: Chaturanga Emerges in India

sannewheeler — 2025-01-31 17:31:37 UTC

Chaturanga, the ancestor of modern chess, originated in India. This early version included pieces representing different military units, which would later evolve into the chess pieces we know today. It is credited as a precursor to many other modern games, including makruk, xiangqi, and janggi, though its exact rules remain uncertain.

1935: Monopoly's Official Release

sannewheeler — 2025-01-31 17:31:37 UTC

Though created in 1903 by Lizzie Magie, the Parker Brothers began manufacturing Monopoly in Salem, Massachusetts in 1935. Originally created to educate others about the drawbacks of monopolization, the game became a symbol of American capitalism and remains one of the best-selling board games of all time, having sold an estimated 275 million copies worldwide in 2015.

2022: NYT & Wordle

sannewheeler — 2025-01-31 17:31:37 UTC

Most recently, strategy games have become digitized. In 2022, the New York Times purchased Wordle for over $1 million from creator Josh Wardle. The game became a global phenomenon, with millions of daily players sharing their results on social media. The acquisition represented a significant moment in casual strategy gaming and digital word puzzles, leading to a surge in similar daily puzzle games. New York Times's games remain popular today, with Sudoku, Connections, and the mini Crossword all with their own audiences.