An ancient Egyptian game · about 5,000 years old
Senet
The game of passing
Egyptians played it from the First Dynasty to the Late Period, and its boards were buried with Tutankhamun. Two players, thirty squares, and four throwing sticks instead of dice. Its name means "passing".
How would you like to play?
Against the computer
Three levels, from beginner to expert.
- OnlineA random opponent at your level, or a private room for a friend.
- Two players, one deviceYou and a friend on the same screen, taking turns.
- The journey of passingTwelve gates, each with its own opponent and challenge.
- Today's puzzleA set position and known throws: bear your pieces off before they run out.
- Interactive lessonNine short steps where you learn the rules by playing them.
In a minute
- 1Each player has 5 pieces.
- 2Throw 4 sticks, and move one piece that many squares.
- 3The first to bear all five pieces off the end of the board wins.
Your record
0Games
0Wins
0Best streak
0Hits
0 of 12Journey
Achievements · 0 of 15
First passageThe scribeThe priestFlawlessThe strikerDry feetThree in a rowMidnightDawnPuzzle solverA full weekFirst online winChampion of the arenaThe hostThe pupil
Board
Your record is kept in this browser. Sign in to keep it in your account and show it on your profile.
Its story in brief
About 5,000 years old: its earliest traces date to the First Dynasty, and its first clear picture is in the tomb of Hesy-Re at Saqqara.
In the New Kingdom it became a symbol of the soul's passage through the netherworld; Nefertari is painted in her tomb playing it alone.
The original rules are lost. What we play is a scholarly reconstruction, with its sources on the rules page.