Game: Tarok
Type: Trick-taking card game
Players: Typically 3 or 4
Equipment: 54- or 78-card Tarot deck (depending on the regional variant)
Origin: 15th century Italy, flourishing in Central Europe by the 18th century
Other Names: Tarock, Tarot (game), Königrufen, Tapp Tarock, Bavarian Tarock

Historical Background

Tarok developed from early Italian trick-taking games using the tarot deck, including Trionfi. By the 18th and 19th centuries, Austrian and German variants had formalised into distinct games. Tarok’s popularity endured in Central Europe even as it faded elsewhere, especially in forms like Königrufen (Austria) and Tapp Tarock (Bavaria and beyond). These versions incorporated refined bidding systems, partnerships, and contracts, making Tarok one of the most strategically rich pre-modern card games.

Game: Wari
Type: Traditional mancala game
Players: 2
Equipment: Mancala board with 2 rows of 6 pits, 48 seeds or stones (4 per pit)
Origin: West Africa, especially Ghana and Nigeria
Other Names: Oware, Awalé, Warri, Ayo, Ouril, Adi, Wali, Awele, Wale

Historical Background

Wari is one of the oldest and most widespread mancala-style games, with a heritage tracing back thousands of years across West Africa. It is particularly associated with the Akan people of Ghana and is considered the national game of several countries including Ghana, Nigeria, and Cape Verde (where it is called Ouril). Its spread via trade routes and the African diaspora led to variants being played in the Caribbean, South America, and parts of the Middle East. Wari’s enduring appeal comes from its blend of simple mechanics and deep strategy.

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: 1500+

Fox and Geese is a classic asymmetrical board game of strategy and cunning, played between one player controlling a fox and another controlling a gaggle of geese. The game is a descendant of Norse tafl games and was popular in mediaeval and early modern Europe.

History of Fox and Geese

• Mediaeval Roots: The game emerged in medieval northern Europe, evolving from older Viking tafl games around the 13th century.

• Popular in Britain: It gained popularity in Britain and Scandinavia, especially from the 17th century onward, often appearing in books of parlour games and moral instruction.

• Symbolism: It was sometimes used allegorically to represent intelligence versus the masses or good versus evil.

• Board Types: The most common board is a cross-shaped grid of 33 points, but variants exist with 37, 45, or more points.

Number of players: 2+
Type of game: Dice
Period: 1552

Novem-Cinque (Latin for Nine-Five) is an ancient Roman dice game of chance, likely played for wagers and amusement in taverns, camps, and homes across the Empire. Though the exact rules are lost to time, the name suggests a focus on the numbers 9 and 5, with reconstructions drawing from Roman gambling practices.

History of Novem-Cinque

• Cultural Context: Played in the Roman Empire, likely during the Imperial period.

• Etymology: Novem means nine, and Cinque (variant of quinque) means five.

• Mentions: Possibly referenced in Roman graffiti and by later medieval writers describing old games.

• Role: A casual game of luck, likely played in social and gambling settings.

• Tools: Used tesserae (six-sided dice) and possibly gambling chips or coins.

Number of players: 2+
Type of game: Dice
Period: 1552

Liar’s Dice is a classic bluffing and deduction game played with dice hidden beneath cups. Each player must guess how many dice showing a certain face value are present across all players’ cups—but without knowing anyone else’s dice. Players bluff, challenge, and try to outwit each other to be the last one with dice remaining.

History of Liar’s Dice

• Origins: Likely derived from Perudo or Dudo, a South American game with Incan roots.

• Global Spread: Popularised among sailors and gamblers; modern versions are common in pubs and game collections.

• Variants: Known by many names: Pirate’s Dice, Dudo, Perudo, and sometimes Bluff.

• Pop Culture: Featured in films like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

Number of players: 5 originally. Optional rules for 3,4 or 6
Type of game: Card
Period: 1500s

Laugh and Lie Down is a 16th-century English gambling game for five players using a standard 52-card deck. It’s a game of matching pairs and sets, with an early form of pool betting. Simple to learn but chaotic to play, it blends elements of chance, strategy, and social drama—perfect for taverns and long evenings.

Number of players: 4
Type of game: Cards (trick-avoiding)
Period: 1601 to 19th Century

Reversis is a four player card game where the aim is the reverse of most trick-taking games: instead of winning tricks, you try to avoid taking the high cards (Aces, Kings, Queens and Jacks). The most dangerous card of all is the Quinola, the Jack of Hearts. A player who is brave enough can turn the game upside down by winning every trick, which is called making the reversis. It is one of the ancestors of Hearts.

Number of players: 2-4 Type of game: Boardgame
Period:

Thayam is a traditional South Indian board game, especially popular in Tamil Nadu. It is a race game similar in concept to Pachisi or Ludo, involving strategy and chance, where players race their tokens around a track based on dice rolls.

History of Thayam

• Origins: Played in South India for centuries, with roots in traditional folk culture.

• Cultural Significance: Often played during festivals and family gatherings.

• Gameplay Similarity: Comparable to other Indian race games like Pachisi, but with local rule variations.

• Legacy: Continues to be popular in rural and urban areas as a social and competitive pastime.

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: 1550-1295 B.C.

Aseb also called The Game of Twenty Squares, Asseb, or Asib, Aseb is an ancient Egyptian board game, closely related to the Mesopotamian Royal Game of Ur. Aseb is a race-and-strategy game played on a rectangular board with twenty squares, blending luck, positioning, and blocking tactics.

History of Aseb

• Ancient Origins: Aseb emerged in ancient Egypt, likely adopted from the Mesopotamian Royal Game of Ur, dating back to at least 2600 BCE.

• Cross-Cultural Game: The game was transmitted across cultures through trade and conquest. By the New Kingdom (c. 1500 BCE), it had become widespread among Egyptians, played by royalty and commoners alike.

• Boards and Artefacts: Boards have been found in tombs and archaeological sites, often paired with Senet boards on opposite sides of a single game box.

• Evolution: While Senet was often religious or funerary in symbolism, Aseb remained more focused on tactical gameplay.