14 Games That Predated Chess by Centuries
Chess might be the king of board games today, but it’s a relative newcomer to the world of strategic gaming. Long before knights and bishops battled across checkered boards, ancient civilizations were already crafting sophisticated games that tested wit, strategy, and patience.
These early games weren’t just entertainment — they were training grounds for military tactics, tools for divination, and social activities that brought communities together. Many of these ancient games share surprising similarities with modern chess, featuring strategic piece movement, territorial control, and complex rule systems.
Yet each developed its own unique character, reflecting the cultures that created them. Here is a list of 14 games that predate chess by centuries, proving that humanity’s love for strategic competition runs far deeper than most people realize.
Senet
Ancient Egyptians were playing Senet over 5,000 years ago. That makes it one of the world’s oldest known board games.
Players moved pieces along a track of 30 squares — using throwing sticks as dice. But the game wasn’t just entertainment.
Egyptians believed it represented the journey through the afterlife, with winning symbolizing successful passage to the next world. Senet boards have been found in pharaohs’ tombs, including Tutankhamun’s.
The Royal Game of Ur
Discovered in Mesopotamian tombs dating to 2600 BCE, the Royal Game of Ur combined strategy with divine intervention. Players raced their pieces around a distinctive cross-shaped board.
Pyramid-shaped dice guided their moves. The British Museum houses beautifully crafted examples with inlaid shells and precious stones — though ancient cuneiform texts reveal how seriously players took this game of cosmic significance.
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Patolli
The Aztecs developed Patolli as both entertainment and a religious ritual. This cross-shaped board game involved betting valuable items while invoking the gods of chance.
Players moved beans around the board according to throws of marked corn kernels. Spanish conquistadors were so disturbed by the game’s gambling aspects — and its religious connections — that they tried to ban it entirely.
Yet it survived in remote communities for centuries.
Hnefatafl
Viking warriors played Hnefatafl to sharpen their battlefield tactics. One player controlled a king and his defenders in the center — while the other commanded attacking forces surrounding them.
The asymmetrical gameplay made every match unique since each side had different objectives. Archaeological finds across Scandinavia reveal that Vikings carried portable versions on their longships, bringing strategic entertainment to distant shores.
Liubo
Chinese nobility enjoyed Liubo during the Han Dynasty, around 200 BCE. This complex game featured a square board with distinctive T-shaped markings — and involved both dice and strategic piece movement.
Players competed to navigate a cosmic landscape representing the heavens and earth. Though the complete rules are lost, surviving boards suggest it rivaled chess in complexity and cultural importance.
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Knucklebones
Before dice were invented, ancient Greeks played Knucklebones using actual sheep ankle bones. Each bone could land in four different positions, creating the world’s first gaming dice.
While simple in concept — the game developed elaborate variations and betting systems. Famous Greeks including Sophocles wrote about the game, and archaeological evidence shows it spread throughout the Mediterranean world.
Mehen
Named after the serpent god who protected Ra, Mehen featured a spiral board carved to look like a coiled snake. Egyptian players moved pieces from the tail toward the head — with different sections representing various challenges.
The game disappeared mysteriously around 2000 BCE, leaving archaeologists to puzzle over its complete rules. Beautiful ivory and stone examples suggest it was reserved for the wealthy elite.
Go
Chinese strategists were playing Go over 4,000 years ago. Originally called Weiqi, this territorial control game uses simple rules but creates nearly infinite complexity.
The possible board positions outnumber atoms in the observable universe. Ancient Chinese philosophers considered Go one of the four essential arts — alongside music, calligraphy, and painting.
The game’s influence on military strategy shaped Chinese culture for millennia.
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Chaturanga
The direct ancestor of chess emerged in India around the 6th century CE. Chaturanga featured elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry representing the four branches of the Indian military.
Players moved pieces across an 8×8 board using dice initially — though strategic versions eliminated chance elements. This game traveled west to Persia, where it evolved into chess as we know it today.
Tau
Ancient Celtic druids played Tau, also known as Fidchell, on wooden boards carved with intricate knotwork. The game involved capturing opponent pieces while protecting your own king — remarkably similar to chess concepts.
Irish mythology describes legendary heroes playing cosmic versions of the game — where moves affected the fate of kingdoms. Few physical examples survive due to the organic materials used.
Ludus Latrunculorum
Roman legions played this military strategy game in their camps throughout the empire. Sometimes called ‘Little Soldiers,’ it involved maneuvering pieces across a gridded board to capture enemy forces.
Archaeological finds reveal that Romans carved boards into stone surfaces wherever they settled. From Hadrian’s Wall to Egyptian fortresses, the game helped soldiers practice tactical thinking during peacetime.
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Puluc
The ancient Maya created Puluc as both a game and a divination tool. Players moved jaguar pieces along a linear track, with corn kernels serving as dice.
The game held deep spiritual significance, representing the eternal struggle between light and darkness. Spanish colonial records describe elaborate tournaments where entire communities would gather to watch championship matches, complete with ceremonial rituals.
Sugoroku
Japanese court nobles refined Sugoroku into an elegant pastime during the Heian period. The game involved racing pieces around a board using dice, though it evolved to include elaborate betting and complex social rules.
Different versions emerged for different social classes. The aristocratic version featured beautiful lacquered boards and ivory pieces, influencing Japanese literature and art for centuries.
Pachisi
Indian royalty played Pachisi on massive courtyard boards using human pieces. Servants dressed in colored costumes would move according to the throw of cowrie shells.
The Mughal emperor Akbar famously had a giant marble board built at Fatehpur Sikri, where he played using his courtiers as living game pieces. This ancient race game required both strategic thinking and careful risk management to guide pieces safely home.
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When Ancient Minds Shaped Modern Play
These ancient games reveal that strategic thinking isn’t a modern invention. It’s a fundamental part of human nature that spans cultures and centuries.
The chess we know today represents just one branch of a vast family tree of strategic games, each adapted to its creators’ values and worldview. Many principles we consider essential to good game design were already present in games played thousands of years ago.
Balanced asymmetry, meaningful choices, elegant rules. Today’s game designers still study these classics, finding inspiration in mechanics that have entertained and challenged players across dozens of centuries.
The next time you move a piece across a board, you’re participating in one of humanity’s oldest traditions.
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