Game Review: Senet: The Ancient Tomb Treasures Game

By W. Eric Martin
March 30, 2008

Modern interpreter: Elizabeth Carpenter
Publisher: Mazeology
Players: 2
Ages: 5
Playing time: 10-15 minutes
Rules language: English
Price: $25
Links:

Version played: Production copy
Times played: Four

Here begin the praises and glorifyings of coming out from and going into the glorious Neter-khert in the beautiful Amenta, of coming out by day in all the forms of existence which please him, of playing at draughts and sitting in the Seh hall, and of coming forth as a living soul.

That word “draughts” in chapter XVII of The Egyptian Book of the Dead refers to Senet, alledgedly the oldest game known to man, a game that survives both in pictures on Egyptian tombs and in physical copies found within those same tombs.

One thing that hasn’t survived, however, are complete rules for the game. Some details are known: Two players compete to move their figures off a gameboard of thirty spaces and into the afterlife. They throw sticks – curved on one side, flat on the other – as a randomizing device to determine movement. If you land on an opponent, you change places; if you form a group with your figures, they cannot be passed, much less attacked. One space near the end of the track sends you back to the midway point, another space serves as a safe location, and players have to bear their pieces off the board by exact count.

While the description above leaves out details and historians have differed in their rule interpretations, you can futz your way through a game of Senet without too much trouble. Even better, since the game is in the public domain, you can refine the rules as you like and package them with a production of the game that suits your taste. This is what Elizabeth Carpenter has done with Senet: The Ancient Tomb Treasures Game. (I’m not sure where the “treasures” come into play; perhaps Senet itself is the treasure?)

Carpenter’s interpretation of the Senet rules, along with the graphic design, make for an unattractive package. Rather than the all-wood Senet sets that I’ve seen from other publishers – sets with pull-out drawers and the pleasingly different throwing sticks – this game includes a flat gameboard with eye-blistering colors and plastic pieces that stink for weeks after you open the storage bag. The rules include a four-step process for resolving what happens when a piece lands on the trap and must be sent back, something that seems too complicated for the target audience. Worst of all, players are granted an extra turn whenever they roll an even number, something that resulted in lopsided games in which I’d take four turns, then my opponent would take one, then I’d take three more, and my opponent would take one. Are we having fun yet?

Senet does require choices, which makes it good for novice gamers who are learning how to play tactically: Do you hit the opponent, or set up a block? Is it better to place a piece in a safe zone, or scoot a piece by an opponent before she can block you? Backgammon possibly derived from Senet, and you can see similar choices in both games, although I’ve yet to play the latter game enough to know whether more experienced players do have an edge in the game. For this to be true, though, you’d have to ditch the Mazeology version of Senet in favor of one from a publisher than stresses player skill over visual thrill.

Want to try Senet: The Ancient Tomb Treasures Game for yourself? Head to BGN’s Games for the Animals page to see whether it’s still available!

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