The Shahr-i Sokhta Board Game © ™
A Game That World Must Know About
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The Discovery
with scholarly rulesets

So far, more than 100 of these types of ancient intellectual games have been discovered in the Middle East with different patterns, shapes and materials such as wood, clay and stone. In the ancient times, intellectual games of twenty houses were of interest to everyone and they played this game in every culture and it was not specific to one culture.

The Oldest Complete Board Game
In the ancient cemetery of Shahr-i Sokhta in Sistan, a remarkable discovery was made within grave number 731, an ancient game that represents the oldest complete collection of its kind found to date. While it's important to note that this isn't the world's first or oldest board game, it stands as the oldest complete board game ever discovered so far, meaning that it includes a set with all known 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 probably 100-200 years older than the Royal Game of Ur, as it was more localised. On the other hand, the Royal Game of Ur was found in a royal tomb, meaning it was not as localised. We know that the game was introduced from the east (southeast Iran or India) to the west. Still, both games come from the same general time period.

A New History
What sets the Shahr-i Sokhta game apart is being the earliest known example of a 20-square game with a complete set. This makes it an invaluable resource in understanding the history and evolution of board games and it has the potential to reshape the history of board games. This is the only board game in history before chess where each piece has its own meaning. It is considered to be the ancestor of chess and backgammon. For the first time, the game board was reconstructed and introduced with scholarly rulesets that likely they have been played during that era. 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 residential area excavation at Shahr i Sokhta.

Credit: Video by Mohammad Reza Rokni (Artist)

Official Ceremony

On November 6th, 2023, an official ceremony was held at the National Museum of Iran to unveil the Shahr-i Sokhta game. In that ceremony, the decoding and reconstruction of the ancient game of Shahr-i Sokhta was discussed.

The Game With Barcode	The Game Set
The Shahr-i Sokhta board game is housed in the National Museum of Iran, within the Museum of Ancient Iran department. Visitors can either scan the game to play it digitally or play the physical game in the museum's workshop.	The complete set of 27 pieces in their current condition.

Credit: Photos taken by Dr Rohama Bordbar

Exhibition

Exhibition - When Myth Becomes History (In Italy)
The Game of 20 (Il Gioco dei 20)

The latest research from the UNESCO Bronze Age site is featured in a premier Italian photographic exhibition. The exhibition was open to the public from July 13 to 28, 2024, at the Monastery of the Olivetani in Lecce, titled "Shahr-i Sokhta: When Myth Becomes History." With 141 photos, explanatory panels, and a detailed reconstruction of the latest scientific evidence, the exhibition retraces, in an Italian premiere, the stages of the studies conducted on the UNESCO site. The Game of 20 was also one of the 141 scientific research panels displayed. Panel number 42 briefly describes the type of game, the meaning of each piece, and the ancient rules.

Workshop In Cambridge, London and Tehran

Waterstones - Cambridge 2023

Bergamot Cafe - London 2023

National Museum of Iran - Tehran 2024

Naroon - London 2024

Credit: Photo taken by Elias Hakim

TThe scientific paper help AI
The Base Plausible Rule is introduced in the scientific paper

Scholarly Rulesets
Complex to look at, but easy to play

Once we understand and analyse the full game set, along with the meaning of each piece and the supporting historical evidence, we can begin to introduce the first plausible ancient rules among several possible interpretations. These rules should make the game playable, engaging, and easy to follow, while still aligning with what we know from history. After all, we are talking about a game from 4,700 years ago. At the same time, we know that this variant features unique pieces and is not a simple race game compared to other ancient board games. We are looking at a phenomenal board game that remained unknown for half a century, and it is already beginning to reshape the history of board games.

In 1952, H. J. R. Murray, in A History of Board Games Other Than Chess, noted that very early games typically featured simple orthogonal movements, often limited to a single step. These early games usually used identical pieces of equal value, played on a variety of board shapes. Based on this, we can assume that most ancient board games were generally simple, with limited movement. Diagonal movement, for example, may not have been commonly used. However, the Shahr-i Sokhta board game stands out. It is not an ordinary board game from the ancient world. It features 27 geometric pieces played on a circular board, unlike the more common square-shaped boards. At the same time, it is still the same kind of game at heart, simple in concept but offering depth through strategy and design.

The Orthogonal and Diagonal Movement
We cannot say for certain that all ancient board games used only orthogonal movement. There were no universal rules for how pieces moved. Different variants existed, and the possibility that some games allowed diagonal movement is just as high as those that used orthogonal movement. However, all movements likely remained simple and were limited to a single step.

In 1960, R. C. Bell, in Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations, suggested adding diagonal movement to the ancient game of Alquerque. Similarly, in 1982, Edward Falkener introduced diagonal movement for Ludus Latrunculorum.

Introducing diagonal movement in the Shahr-I Sokhta board game, especially with its variety of pieces, is historically plausible and makes the gameplay more dynamic and easier to follow.

The Special Number and Decision Making
Historical evidence suggests that in some ancient games, certain pieces could only move when a special throw was made. To keep things simple, the same special throw can be used for both blocker pieces in this game. This adds a layer of strategy without overcomplicating the rules. Allowing a special number to trigger movement and letting the player decide which piece to move makes the game more strategic, more enjoyable, and still easy to play.

Position of the Blockers
The most logical way to set up the blocker pieces is at the starting area of the board, with each piece facing its opponent, similar to the setup in chess. The limited movement of these pieces gives players the opportunity to strategically delay the opponent's progress. With the addition of diagonal movement and the special throw mechanic, players gain more options and can plan more carefully how and when to move their pieces, all within a simple and accessible gameplay format.

Race Strategy
We know that this game is primarily a race strategy game, but it also contains elements of warfare. The overall structure and gameplay are reminiscent of Backgammon, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, and Chess. It was likely this game that evolved over time into many of the classic board games we know today. Its combination of movement, strategy, and confrontation marks it as a foundational ancestor in the history of board gaming.

Upright or Flat
Originally, the game pieces were placed flat on the board, even though they were wide enough to stand upright. In the digital version of the game, we display them standing upright to present the pieces with pride and to highlight their unique design.

Time
It’s important to consider the game's length. Based on what we know, these ancient games typically lasted less than an hour. On average, the game should take no more than 30 minutes.

Start & Finish
With the Shahr-i Sokhta board game, we can be fairly certain that the start and finishing points are the head and tail ends of the board. Players have twelve pieces and twelve spaces to compete over.

Setup and Gameplay Summary

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Ancient game of Shahr-i Sokhta with support of UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Shahr-i Sokhta, Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism and National Museum of Iran

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