Ancient Games

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Mechanics

Back

Units of gameplay, re-combinable game actions that are often shared between different games

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Backgammon

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Date: ~3000 BCE / Developer: Folk Game / Platform: Board game / Region of origin: Ancient Persia

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Theme

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The fictional or representational aspects of the game

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Senet

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Date: ~3100 BCE / Developer: Folk Game / Platform: Board game / Region of origin: Ancient Egypt

Front

Game state

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A particular configuration of all of the game’s elements

Front

System

Back

The overall game described as a collection of mechanics, the properties of the game as an interconnected set of materials and rules

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Knucklebones

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Date: ~5000 BCE / Developer: Folk Game / Platform: Animal Bones / Region of origin: Unknown

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State Space

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All of the states that are possible to reach while following the rules

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Elegance

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Depth + simplicity

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Mancala

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Date: ~600 CE / Developer: Folk Game / Platform: Board game / Region of origin: Eastern Africa