By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
I heard about the Royal Game of UR while watching an educational film about ancient Mesopotamia. Curiosity got the best of me, and my husband paused the program to search online for more information. The Royal Game of Ur is a board game dating back 4,000 years ago. That’s a long time to keep a game in circulation. Possibly the oldest.
For the Bible scholar, Abraham originated in the land of Ur (Genesis 12:1). I’d like to think Abraham played Ur with his family and friends. The ancient city thrived with trade from the Persian Gulf. At first, this seemed confusing to me, but further reading showed the Persian Gulf flowed much farther inland than today.
I wanted to share with you how the game intrigued us.
My husband found the game online and downloaded an app to his iPad. The rules are easy, and we quickly found our competitive natures with Ur tournaments. In the app, there’s mysterious background music that plays and when moving pieces (stones), the sound of rock against rock gives the exciting ambiance of the time.
But the fun didn’t stop there! We introduced the game to our grandchildren, ages fourteen, eleven, and nine. The competition swirled. Not long afterward, we met with friends who’d brought their grandchildren. Boredom with us oldies but goodies set in, and my husband introduced them to Ur. They forgot all about us adults.
When writing Concrete Evidence, I needed something for a man who’d discovered a fifteen-year-old sister. Their initial awkward meeting turned after the sister invited him to play the Royal Game of Ur on her iPad.
Readers, here are a few sites for a physical game. Most are in limited supply.
Online versions:
https://gameofuronline.com This site also has interesting information about the game.
There are iOS and Android app versions you can locate as well.
You can explore the history of this board game from the following sites:
https://otagomuseum.nz/athome/the-royal-game-of-ur
https://www.mastersofgames.com/cat/board/ur.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Game_of_Ur
And for those who are interested in the ancient city of Ur:
https://www.worldhistory.org/ur/
Let me know your adventures with the Royal Game of Ur.
Comments 12
DiAnn,
What a fascinating game. It’s going to be in our home within a couple of days. Looking forward to reading Concrete Evidence.
Blessings!
Debbie
Debbie, you will love it! Appreciate you!
This is a fun and addictive game. I discovered it while reading Concrete Evidence. Asked for the physical version for Christmas.
Betty, I’m tickled you looked into the game after reading Concrete Evidence. It’s addictive!
How interesting! Ur sounds fun. Thanks for sharing your historic find with us.
Michelle, It’s amazing the game has lasted for so many centuries.
This sounds so cool! The history is fascinating. I’m going to get it for my 12 and 10 year-old grandkids. At their age, some of Gram’s amazingness has worn off. Maybe this will restore me to my former glory!
Sherry, our grandkids at 16, 13, and 11 still enjoy it!
I watched a video demonstration and am hooked. I am amazed this game has lasted so long. What an intriguing appeal that has.
Thank you for sharing.
Karen, the game definitely nudges at my competitive spirit.
Hello DiAnn:
I’ve ordered from Amazon and should have it on Thursday (Amazon Tennessee warehouse is next door!). It looks interesting and may be a great gift for Christmas. Or Hanukkah.
We’ve bought one as gift too. Thanks for taking te time to comment.