By Program Manager Tricia

At Eastside Student Center (ESC), we have an extensive collection of board games used by students. Board games are played EVERY day by our students and staff. 

 

The staff at the Line St ESC location (7th-12th grade) hand made their own version of The Royal Game of Ur, a 4,500-year-old Mesopotamian race game, popularized by British Museum curator Irving Finkel, who translated ancient Babylonian rules. 

 

The Royal Game of Ur, a speed and strategy game, is one of the oldest and longest-lived board games ever discovered. Alongside Morra (dating back to at least 3,000 years ago) and Native American Handgame (predating recorded history and ALSO a game played at Eastside Student Center)

 

“This board game is from the city of Ur in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). Although first excavated in a royal cemetery, this game was not only played by the elite, it was popular with all levels of society. It fits within a category of games played on varied configurations of 20 squares. After about 1,000 years the game evolved into a more complex version, whose rules are partly explained in a cuneiform tablet in the British Museum deciphered by Irving Finkel. Working backward, he designed this simple version of the game.” - J. Paul Getty Museum

 

Ur has been played over 20 times at ESC since its creation last month, making it the third most played board game at Line St. The top 3 board games/card games being Chess, Uno and Ur. 

 

Special shoutout to 7th grade student Rody for uttering a unique quote suspected to have never spoken ever in history.

 

 “Check out this G.O.A.T.ed [greatest of all time] Ur gameplay, sheeeeeesh”

 

He won that game, and it was a GOATed move. 

 

His dad bought him the game board for his birthday later that month. They have a board for home now.

 

If you'd like to try out this game online click here and if you'd like a comprehensive guide and tangible board click here