Reviving A Game Lost To Time
The Game intelligence, based in Cambridge, scientifically introduced the Game of 20 (the Shahr-i Sokhta Board Game), which not only reconstructed the game and presented scholarly rulesets for the first time in half a century, but also reshaped the history of board games. The Game invites you to rediscover a lost experience through clues, craftsmanship, and creativity. It is more than a game, it is history you can touch, play, and interpret.
You need chance. You need thought. You need risk. And along the way, you encounter unexpected moments and rewards, just like life itself.
Recent studies suggest that the ancestors of backgammon and chess originated from this variant, marking it as one of the most important contributions to the history of board games.
More than 100 examples of these types of ancient intellectual games have been discovered in the ancient world. Most examples have twenty spaces, so archaeologists call this type of game the Game of Twenty, and this is the earliest example discovered so far.
The Oldest Complete Board Game
In the ancient cemetery of Shahr-i Sokhta in Sistan, Iran, a remarkable discovery was made within grave number 731: an ancient game representing the oldest complete board game ever found. While it is not the world’s first or oldest board game, it is the oldest complete game set known to date, including all pieces and dice, dating back approximately 4,600 to 4,700 years.
Some historians believe that the El-Mahasna game set from Egypt, dating back to 3500 BCE, could be the oldest, though the set doesn't have dice, and we're unsure of the exact type of game, whether it's complete, or if it's even a game at all. However, there are only two game sets that we know for sure are complete: The Royal Game of Ur and the Shahr-i Sokhta board game. Both of these have strong historical evidence backing them.
The Shahr-i Sokhta game is likely 100–200 years older than the Royal Game of Ur. While the Royal Game of Ur was discovered in a royal tomb, the Shahr-i Sokhta game appears to have been a more local game, suggesting a cultural origin in the east before spreading west.
A New History
What sets the Shahr-i Sokhta game apart is that it is the earliest known example of a Game of Twenty with a complete set. This makes it an invaluable resource for understanding the evolution of board games.
It is the only board game in history before chess in which each piece carries its own meaning. For the first time after half a century, the board was reconstructed and introduced with scholarly rulesets reflecting how it was likely played in antiquity.
The scientific paper was written by Sam Jelveh from the University of Essex, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, and Dr. Hossein Moradi, Supervisor of the residential area excavation at Shahr-i Sokhta.
The article has been accepted for publication in the British Institute of Persian Studies, a prestigious and reputable journal published by Taylor & Francis.
Video
How do you play the world’s oldest complete board game?
Source: National Geographic
Purchase
Museum Edition
In our game, we don’t provide a rulebook, we provide an experience. This remarkable game was unknown for half a century, and now it’s fully playable in the modern world, giving you the freedom to be creative.
You will receive an envelope with information and clues.
What’s included in this edition:
- A life-size wooden reconstruction of the Shahr-i Sokhta board game, presented in the exact condition in which it was discovered, with the same colours.
- 27 geometric playing pieces
- Three dice
- Museum-fitted display box
- Beautifully designed box featuring Shahr-i Sokhta artwork
- A TGi envelope to begin the experience
For individual orders (B2C): Order
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Award And Support
The Game intelligence proudly supported by Innovate UK and were finalists in the UK StartUp Awards 2025
Featured In
How the World Responded
Of course, we can't know for sure how this game was played but the new rules match the board, the pieces, and the dice, and ranked well in terms of originality and replay ability.
— ScienceAlert
The world’s oldest complete board game: the rules give us an idea of how board games evolved over time.
— National Geographic
An incredible object was unearthed next to a human skull: the oldest complete board game ever discovered. The rules based on those of the Royal Game of Ur, which it closely resembles
— New Scientist
Book Sam Jelveh
Discuss the Game of 20, how it was reconstructed, and the history behind it. Also discuss the current AI project to build a centralised application for the study of ancient board games.
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