The Royal Game of Ur

The game has been published under different names but it is a simple race game very much like Backgammon. This edition has a board that is a reproduction of the original found in the Mesopotamian city of Ur. Each player brings their 7 pieces in to play and takes them off of their outer track. Opposing pieces come into conflict on the inner track that they must travel on to the exit. If you land on a space occupied by a single opponent's piece you send it back to the start. If you land on a space occupied by 2 or more opponent's pieces then your piece goes back to the start.

The three dice give a marked or blank result. They are tetrahedral (four-sided) dice with three marked sides and one blank side. A throw of three marked sides means move 5 squares or enter 1 piece and throw again. Throwing three blank sides means move 4 squares and throw again. A throw of two marked and one blank side means move 1 square and throw again. Throwing two blank and one marked side means the turn ends.

There are three special types of space on the board. Landing on a Bonus Double space allows you to move your piece forward by the same amount that you moved there with. Landing on a Bonus Rosette square allows you to move one piece onto the board. Landing on a Penalty Eye square allows the opponent to move one of his pieces 4 spaces.

First to bear off all 7 of his pieces wins.

The game may be a relative of Senet and Aseb.