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They used to play board games similar to our Snakes and Ladders. Boys used to play fight and other out door games, like something similar to our Leap Frog. They also threw balls to each other to catch.

I've never heard of that one! Do you know what it was called?

The most popular game in ancient Egypt was senet- it was played on a board with 30 squares, arranged in three rows of ten squares each. Most of the squares had some special meaning- and in fact there is suspicion that the game could have been used as an oracle, and was in fact the center of an important magical rite designed to ensure a successful transition in the afterlife. That last could be the reason why it was so popular- you can never get too much practice. wink The game endured throughout so much of Egyptian culture that the hieroglyph "mn," which means "to endure," was written as a side view of the senet board with seven game pieces set up on it.

I have a version of the game which I bought at a museum gift store- though it's hard to find someone to play against. Many people seem interested, but overwhelmed when they find out that the game is thousands of years old. I guess they think there's no way that they could learn the rules... which can be a little complex, admittedly, but once you start it all works itself out. It's a lot of fun, actually. 3nodding I've been wanting to learn more about the divinatory and ritual uses of the game, but I've had trouble finding books on the subject which aren't out of print. There's this one which recently came out- now if only I can afford it...

Another game which was played in ancient Egypt was similar to the "mankala" boards you can sometimes find in game stores today- they're the ones with the wooden planks lined with rows of indentions, and you play by moving small stones from one "cup" to the next. I have never played this game, but found a very interesting discussion of the family- and their potential derivation from divination systems, as well!- on this website: http://www.shikanda.net/ancient_models/gen3/mankala/mankala1.htm
The games of senet and mehen are briefly mentioned in that article, as well.

I don't remember what the Egyptian version of the mankala game was called- but it features prominently in Wilbur Smith's novel, "River God," where it was called "bao."

Age of Mythology/Titans, an expansion of Age of Empires, has Ancient Egyptians in it.

ah... I didnt' trust of Wilbur Smith...his book are pure fantasy...in the Egyptian Grammar of Gardiner that word is non existent...

on the discovery channel website, they had the ancient game of SENET, its a game where you have ticks instead of dice and your peices are the heads of animals, i cant remeber all the details and rules, because it has been a loong time since ive played that game, the online version is prety good. so check it out if you can, and if they dont have it, if you google it, you might find it somewhere else biggrin

I know two games that is about Ancient Egypt. However, the games are very simple online games on www.miniclip.com called Pharaoh's Tomb and another one that I can't remember the name of.

Sorry that I don't know anything better. sad