Senet Board Game Rules & Winning Strategies

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Plus, learn the ancient history of one of the oldest board games
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Senet (or senat ) was one of the most popular board games in ancient Egypt and it’s been around since 3,100 BC. While people still don’t know the original rules of the game, researchers have made their best guess so you can still try playing senet today! Keep reading, and we’ll walk through all the rules of senet and how to win . Plus, we’ll cover some of the game’s history and why it became so popular.

How to Play Senet: Game Overview

Place the player pieces in the top row of the senet board so they’re alternating. On your turn, you’ll throw senet sticks and move one of your pieces along the board spaces. If you land on another player’s piece, you swap places with them. If you’re the first to move all your pieces through all the spaces and off the board, you win!

Section 1 of 5:

Senet Board Game Setup

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  1. Place the senet board in between the players. A senet board has 3 rows and 10 columns that make 30 spaces, or houses . Set the game board in the middle of the table so both of the players can easily reach it. [1]
    • You can play Senet with 2 players.
    • If you don’t have a senet board, then just draw your own!
      • Split a piece of paper into 3 rows and 10 columns so there are 30 total spaces.
      • Number the top row 1-10 going left to right.
      • Number the second row 11-20 going from right to left .
      • Number the bottom row 21-30 going left to right again.
  2. Instead of dice, Senet traditionally uses 4 sticks (or “fingers”) that are colored on one side and blank on the other. Use a marker to color in 1 side of each stick. [2]
    • If you don’t want to make senet sticks, just use a 6-sided die instead. Because the most you can move on your turn is 5 spaces, just reroll the die whenever you get a 6.
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  3. Give each player 5 pieces to use for the game. One player places their pieces on houses 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. The other player puts their pieces on houses 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. [3]
    • If you don’t have any game pieces, find 5 small objects for each player. Make sure each player has different colored pieces. Some good options are dimes and pennies or checkers.
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Play Senet

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  1. Choose a player to take their first turn. When it’s your turn, take all 4 sticks and toss them into the air. When they land, the number of spaces you can move depends on how many blank sides are showing: [4]
    • 1 blank stick: move 1 space
    • 2 blank sticks: move 2 spaces
    • 3 blank sticks: move 3 spaces
    • 4 blank sticks: move 4 spaces
    • 0 blank sticks: move 5 spaces
  2. You can choose any of your pieces to move on your turn. Pick the piece up off of the board and move it forward following the numbers on the board. Only 1 piece can be in each house, and you cannot have 2 of your pieces in the same space. [5]
    • You can jump over other pieces, but 3 or more of your opponent’s pieces in a consecutive row create a blockade that you cannot move through.
    • If you moved 1, 4, or 5 spaces, then take another turn. Otherwise, your opponent takes their turn.
    • If you’re not able to move any of your pieces, then you forfeit your turn.
  3. If you land on a house with one of your opponent’s pieces, you capture them! Set your piece on the square. Then, place your opponent’s piece on the square where your piece originally started. [6]
    • If 2 or more of your opponent’s pieces are next to each other in consecutive spaces, then they’re safe and cannot be captured.
  4. These spaces on the board usually have an extra design to signify a different rule. The names of the spaces and what they mean are: [7]
    • Square 15 (House of Second Life): Move your piece back to square 1 on the board if you land here directly.
    • Square 26 (House of Beauty): A piece must land on this square before you can move it any further on the board.
    • Square 27 (House of Waters): End your turn when you land on this space. On your next turn, you must use the same piece. Choose to move back to the 15 spot, or try throwing the sticks to get 4 blanks. If you throw any other number, then your turn ends.
    • Square 28 (House of Three Judges): You cannot move from this space unless you throw exactly 3 blank sticks.
    • Square 29 (House of Two Judges): You cannot move from this space unless you throw exactly 2 blank sticks.
    • Square 30 (House of Horus): Remove your token from the board if you throw 1 or more blank sticks.
  5. Once a piece passes the 30 space on the board, take it off the board and set it in front of you. You’re one step closer to winning the game! [8]
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Section 3 of 5:

How to Win Senet

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  1. Keep taking turns and moving your pieces closer to the end of the board. Once you’re able to remove all 5 of your pieces from the board, you automatically win! [9]
Section 4 of 5:

Senet Strategies

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  1. When you’re moving your pieces, try to position yourself next to one of your other pieces to keep them safe. If you’re able to, keep groups of your pieces together so they can’t get captured.
    • Remember that 3 of your pieces next to each other prevent your opponent from jumping over them. Try to form a blockade near the top or middle of the board to trap your opponent’s pieces.
  2. You get to choose which piece you move each turn, so always look for a place where you can capture another piece. This sends your opponent backwards so they have to catch back up to you.
    • Try to capture a piece that’s between 2 of your other pieces. That way, you immediately form a blockade and trap the piece you just captured behind it.
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Section 5 of 5:

Senet Game History

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  1. 1
    Senet was played by ancient Egyptians 5,000 years ago. Ancient records show senet has been around since Egypt’s first dynasty in 3,100 BC. While it seems that it started as fun game to pass the time, by 1,550 BC it became a religious symbol that even appeared in the Book of the Dead. [10]
    • Some researchers believe the game pieces represent souls journeying through the afterlife and finally reaching it when they’re removed from the board.
    • Senet became so popular in ancient Egypt that a board was even found in King Tut’s tomb. [11]
  2. 2
    The original rules of senet are lost to time. No records of senet’s original rules have been discovered, so the way it’s played now is probably a bit different from how the ancient Egyptians did. Scientists have found some ancient texts referring to the game and have made their best guesses on the rules, but the actual gameplay is still a mystery. [12]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Can I move side to side? And do I bump other people?
    Community Answer
    You can only move side to side when you are at the end of a row. And you don't necessarily 'bump' other people, but you can capture them. In chess, you can physically 'bump' a piece off a square if it is captured, and I suppose you could do that with Senet, but that's not technically how it's done.
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  • Question
    Where can I find the supplies to make a Senet board game?
    Community Answer
    A stationery store or office supplies store or maybe a crafts store. You just need paper, colored pencils, a black fine-tipped marker, and craft sticks.
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  • Question
    What do the sticks even do?
    Community Answer
    They are tossed in the air. They spin sometimes, and they'll land on one side.
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      • Some modern variations of senet give players 7-10 pieces instead of 5 for a longer and more strategic game.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://isac.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/docs/Education/Make+Your+Own+Senet+Game_0.pdf
      2. ↑ https://isac.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/docs/Education/Make+Your+Own+Senet+Game_0.pdf
      3. ↑ https://www.mpm.edu/sites/default/files/images/content/education/programs/curiosity/may/senet_v3.pdf
      4. ↑ https://isac.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/docs/Education/Make+Your+Own+Senet+Game_0.pdf
      5. ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/content/dam/kelsey-assets/kelsey-images/kelsey-edu-resources/games/Senet+Instructions.pdf
      6. ↑ https://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~storer/JimPuzzles/GAMES/Senet/Senet.pdf
      7. ↑ https://isac.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/docs/Education/Make+Your+Own+Senet+Game_0.pdf
      8. ↑ https://www.mpm.edu/sites/default/files/images/content/education/programs/curiosity/may/senet_v3.pdf
      9. ↑ https://isac.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/docs/Education/Make+Your+Own+Senet+Game_0.pdf
      1. ↑ https://www.livescience.com/board-game-tied-to-egyptian-book-of-dead.html
      2. ↑ https://www.mpm.edu/sites/default/files/images/content/education/programs/curiosity/may/senet_v3.pdf
      3. ↑ https://www.science.org/content/article/original-board-game-death

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Senet is an ancient Egyptian board game designed for two players. The goal of the game is to be the first player to get all of your pieces off of the board before the other player. To play, you will need a senet board, senet sticks (which work like traditional dice), and 4 or 5 color-coded pieces for each player. To set up, start by placing all of the pieces in the first row in an alternating pattern so that no player has two pieces sitting next to one another. Players take turns by throwing the senet sticks down to see how many spaces they can move. The sticks are color-coded (or marked in some way) with the blank or “light” side counting as face up. If 0 sticks are face up, you can move 5 spaces and get to go again. For 1 face-up stick, you move 1 space and get an extra turn. The 2 or 3 allows you to move 2 or 3 spaces, respectively. If all 4 of the sticks land face up, you can move 4 places and get an extra turn. Pieces move around the board in a serpentine pattern, and a player can move any piece they’d like. If you move a piece to a square occupied by the other player’s piece, you send the opponent’s piece back to the square you just moved from. However, if a player has more than 1 of their pieces in an adjacent row, you cannot land on their pieces. Players may jump pieces, though. If a player cannot move on their turn, it automatically moves on to the next player. There are 5 special spaces on the board. There are the two safe squares where the opponent cannot send your piece back—the “power of life,” and the “house of beauty”—which are located near the center of the board. Below that, there is the “house of water.” If you land there, you go back to the “power of life” square, and if that’s occupied, you roll again. There is also the “house of three spirits,” which is a safe square that requires a roll of a 3 to get out of it. Finally, there is the “house of twos,” which requires a 2 to get out of. Play continues until the game ends whenever a player gets all of their pieces off of the board, and that player is declared the winner. To learn about capturing in Senet and special houses on the board, keep reading!

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