The Royal Game of Ur

About The Royal Game of Ur

The Royal Game of Ur was dug up in a royal tomb in Iraq, and a clay tablet in the British Museum records how it was played. This version keeps it plain: clay, ink, lapis and shell. Two sides race seven pieces along a path of twenty squares. Four dice decide how far you move, the middle row is shared and dangerous, and the rosettes give you another roll. Play Ea-Nasir, the merchant of Ur, on Easy or Hard, pass one screen between two players, or send a friend a link.

• The rules reconstructed from a clay tablet in the British Museum
• Ea-Nasir, on Easy or Hard
• Play a friend online with a shareable link, with rematches
• Two players on one screen
• A plain look of clay, ink, lapis and shell, in twelve languages

How to play

1. Pick an opponentPlay Ea-Nasir, share one screen with a friend, or send a link and play online.
2. RollRoll the four dice. Each marked corner that lands up is worth one, so you move 0 to 4 squares.
3. Move a pieceTap a marked piece. Land on an enemy piece in the middle row and it goes back to the start.
4. Bring all seven homeRosettes give another roll, and the centre rosette is safe. You need the exact number to leave the board.

Tips from the usta

• Pieces in the first four squares are safe, so bring some in before you run.
• Hold the centre rosette for as long as you can. It blocks the road and it can’t be taken.
• Two is the most common roll, then one and three. Stay four squares or more ahead of a chasing piece.
• Land on rosettes whenever you can: an extra roll is worth more than a few squares.

Game Details

Category

Card & board

Players

1 or 2 players

Platforms

Desktop, tablet and phone

Language

English, Turkish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Tagalog

Developer

Ibrahim

Released

2026-11-01

Controls