The Royal Game of Ur
One of the oldest board games in the world, right in your browser. Roll the dice, land on rosettes and send your opponent's pieces back to the start. Play for free against friends or the bot.
2 - 2 Players
Bots available
Leaderboard
| Rank | Player | Rating | Games | Win Rate |
|---|
How long should the game be?
The classic game uses seven pieces per side. With fewer pieces a round is over quickly, great for a short break or for learning.
A game from the royal cemetery
Leonard Woolley found the board in the 1920s in the royal tombs of Ur in what is now Iraq. We know the rules from a Babylonian clay tablet that Irving Finkel of the British Museum deciphered. This version follows his rules.
How the game works
A race with dice. The first to get all pieces across the board and off it wins.
- 21
Rolling
You roll four small pyramids. Each shows a marked or a plain tip on top. The marked tips count, so you move 0 to 4 squares.
- 2
Enter and move
A new piece starts on your own lane and then runs through the middle row. You can't land on a square with one of your own pieces.
- 3
Capture
Both sides share the squares of the middle row. Land on an opponent's piece there and it has to go back to the start.
- 4
Rosettes
Land on a rosette and you roll again right away. The rosette in the middle is also safe, nobody gets captured there.
- 5
Going home
At the end every piece runs back onto your own lane and leaves the board. You need exactly the right number for that.
- 6
Winning
The first player to bring all pieces home wins the game.
Not every number is equally likely
Four dice with two sides each make 16 combinations. Only one of them is a 0 and only one a 4, but six add up to a 2. That's why two squares in front of an opponent's piece is the most dangerous place to stand.
| 0 | 6.3 % |
|---|---|
| 1 | 25 % |
| 2 | 37.5 % |
| 3 | 25 % |
| 4 | 6.3 % |
Three tips to get started
Hold the center
The central rosette is safe and blocks your opponent's way. A piece there is often worth more than a quick step forward.
Mind the distance
Two squares in front of an opponent's piece is the most dangerous spot. Four squares ahead it only hits you with one of 16 combinations.
Don't bet on a single piece
With several pieces on the board you have more options after every roll and are forced into bad moves less often.
What you can do here
Play the bot
Three levels. The hard bot works out how likely a capture is.
Time control
With or without a clock, from bullet to relaxed.
Move list
Every roll and every move is recorded. Use the arrow keys to go through the game again.
Finkel's rules
You play by Irving Finkel's reconstruction, the best known version today.
Spectate
Follow running games live.
Rated games
Rated games count for the leaderboard. Or just play for fun with friends.
Chat
Talk to your opponent during the game.
Invite friends
Create a lobby and send the link. That's all it takes.