What elements of Egyptian society are reflected in the game of Senet?
The Game of Senet
Similar to the discovery of Ur, Senet boards were found in Egyptian tombs. Senet is designed as a story about journeys to the underworld. The Egyptians believed in fate. They also believed that rolls of dice were being watched over by the gods. The Egyptians believed that a successful player had been blessed by the gods.
Senet is referred to in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. What relationship might the game of Senet have with Egyptian belief in an afterlife? Read all about it here.
The Rules
There is debate over the actual rules of Senet. Below are two different sets of rules. We suggest you play the game with both sets and then discuss which version …show more content…
The first player to have put all his pawns on his own squares wins the game and earns 10 points. He also gets one point for each move his opponent makes while placing all of his remaining pawns.
Resource for Playing
A good website to visit that describes more about Senet and how to play.
Building the Prototype
Download the Senet Board art plus the instructions.
Or, just download the Senet board art. Print the artwork on paper and use it as a guide when creating a prototype. Each team should create its own prototype. While it is possible that the team could enlarge the image and simply paste it onto heavier board, we advise against that, especially if you are considering a career in design or game design. This is great prototyping experience.
The board should either be drawn directly on or mounted to a piece of cardboard.
Use checker pieces for the pawns, or find or make other playing pieces.
Share your game with us using the Activity: Share Your Senet Prototype. Here are some student examples.
Create your own rules
If you are feeling creative, make your own rules for the game of Senet using the same board and number of