Little History

Before we had screens lighting up our faces 24/7, people still knew how to have a good time. In fact, for thousands of years, humans have been playing games — no electricity, no batteries, no "low Wi-Fi" problems. Just pure imagination, competition, and a lot of shouting when someone lost.

Let’s rewind and see where it all started.

🏺 Ancient Times: Stones, Sticks, and Storytelling

Way back, like over 5,000 years ago, people were already gaming it up. The ancient Egyptians played Senet, a board game that looks like a mix of chess and snakes-and-ladders (minus the cute graphics). Winning Senet supposedly helped your soul get safely to the afterlife — so yeah, no pressure.

Meanwhile, in Mesopotamia, around 2600 BC, people were obsessed with the Royal Game of Ur — a race game that involved moving pieces along a track, based partly on luck and partly on strategy.

But it wasn't all about formal games on fancy boards. A huge part of early human connection happened around fire pits, telling stories that were basically the first RPGs (role-playing games) — no dice needed. People passed down legends, myths, and lessons through dramatic storytelling, weaving creativity and competition into the very fabric of social life.

There were also rune stones — not exactly "games" in the way we think of them now, but they often involved symbols, divination, and mystery. These activities blended spirituality and chance, feeling very much like early interactive "games" with the gods themselves. Pretty intense, right?

Creating these social spaces — where people gathered to connect over a shared experience, whether it was a story, a game, or a ritual — feels incredibly primal. It's not just about winning or losing; it’s about bonding, laughing, dreaming, and surviving together.

🏛️ Roll the Dice: Romans and Fate

Fast forward a bit to the Roman Empire, and you’ll find dice being rolled all over the place — in taverns, at festivals, even on the battlefield. But here's the wild part: the Romans didn’t really have a concept of "random chance" like we do today. To them, rolling dice wasn’t about probability — it was about the will of the gods.

When you tossed the dice, it wasn’t "luck" deciding your fate — it was divine forces steering the outcome. The Romans didn’t just hope for a good roll; they trusted the gods were making the call. "Alea iacta est" — the die is cast — wasn’t just a phrase Julius Caesar threw around for drama. It captured a whole worldview about fate, surrender, and cosmic forces at play.

So, next time you roll a nat 1 in D&D, just remember: you're following a tradition that's literally ancient.

🏰 The Middle Ages: Cards, Dice, and Outdoor Mayhem

Jump to medieval Europe, and you’d find folks passing time with dice games (still a big thing) and early forms of playing cards. The original card decks were handmade and super expensive — only the rich could afford them at first.

Outside, games like bowls (think old-school lawn bowling) and jousting (if you happened to own a horse and a full suit of armor) kept people entertained. For kids and commoners, tag, hide and seek, and hopscotch were popular — simple, but honestly, still just as fun today.

🛡️ Early Modern Era: Boards, Marbles, and Fancy Games

As printing got cheaper and travel spread ideas around, new board games popped up all over the place:

• Backgammon became a major hit.

• Checkers (or draughts) evolved into a standard rainy-day activity.

• People loved games involving marbles, jacks, and various kinds of race-to-the-finish style board games.

At fancy parties, parlor games became the thing — charades, riddles, and witty competitions where the goal was mostly just to make everyone laugh (or look super clever).

🏡 20th Century: The Board Game Boom

Then came the golden era of modern board games:

• Monopoly hit shelves in the 1930s (originally called "The Landlord’s Game" — and yes, it was meant to teach people how awful landlords can be).

• Scrabble turned word nerds into fierce competitors.

• Risk let you "conquer the world" from your dining room table.

• Clue made everyone an amateur detective.

And of course, role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons in the 70s brought the magic of storytelling full circle — but this time with dice, character sheets, and epic campaigns that could last years.

In short: Before Wi-Fi, before screens, before TikTok... humans were gaming, storytelling, connecting, and dreaming together. Whether it was casting dice and trusting the gods, weaving tales by firelight, or racing marbles down a dusty alley, the spirit of play is ancient, powerful, and very much alive. 🎲✨