The Royal Game Of Ur:

History of The Royal Game Of Ur:

The Royal Game Of Ur is an old two-player board game which has been played as far back as the early third millennium BC in ancient Mesopotamia and was popular across the Middle East.

Equipment:

To play Ur you will need a very specific type of board with two blocks of squares (4X3 and 2X3) connected by a bridge of 2 squares. The board should also be marked with five rosettes. Players will also need 7 coloured beads and 3 dice/a die-four.

How To Play Ur:

The rules of Ur can be a bit confusing at first but with enough practice you can get the hang of it.

The main objective of the game is to be the first player to remove all 7 of your beads off the board.

1. No special rolls need to be made in order to start a bead.

2. Players are required to roll the dice to figure out how many spaces they need to make.

3. Both players enter the board on the square which is right under the rosette on the middle row of play spaces (players enter directly at opposite sides)

4. Players move their bead along the longer side of the larger block of squares towards the rosette that is in the corner, turning onto the middle row and proceeding across the bridge to the second block of squares.

5. Once a player reaches the end of the row, they then turn onto the row on the opposing player’s side of the board, exiting after the rosette.

6. When a player lands on a rosette, they are able to roll the dice again and continue to play, however during their next roll they don’t have to move the bead on to the rosette.

7. A player can have as many beads as they like on the one square, but only one bead is able to land on a rosette.

8. If a player lands on a square which is occupied by the opposing player’s beads, the opponent’s bead is then removed from play, which then requires the player to start their bead once again.

9. A player is required to roll an exact number for their bead to leave the board.

Strategy Involved:

Ur is a somewhat complicated game which also has a lot of strategies I’m sure but I am not good enough at the game to find them all. All I know is that there is a heavy importance on when and where you move you beads.

My Thoughts On Ur:

Overall I thought Ur was an alright game. The rules are somewhat difficult to understand at first which can take away from the fun of the game and deter new players. That aside I still had fun playing this game.