An atlas of play
Every game is a window into a civilization.
Walk through the games, sports, instruments, crafts and dances that people have kept alive from the first stone games to the street games of today. 1,147 traditions from 196 countries, each with a permanent ID. Search once, then look at them in any view you like.
- 1,147Traditions
- 196Countries
- 19Cradles
- 7Eras
New · mobile app
String Music of the World
11 string instruments from the Andes to the Caucasus, playable on iPhone, iPad and Android. Try every one free in your browser first.
In review on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play
Mosaic of tiles
Where in the world
Africa193 games
Middle East103 games
South Asia131 games
East Asia230 games
Europe258 games
Americas160 games
Oceania51 games
Worldwide21 games
What kind of play
Where in the world?
Twenty cradles of culture
Each star is a cultural world. Larger stars hold more games. Choose one to step inside.
- Africa: Nile and the Horn
- Africa: Sahel, West and Central
- Africa: Great Lakes and Indian Ocean
- Africa: Southern Africa
- Mesopotamia, Levant and Arabia
- Persia, Caucasus and Central Asia
- South Asia
- China
- Japan and Korea
- Southeast Asia and the Islands
- Pacific and Oceania
- Mediterranean
- Northern and Eastern Europe
- Celtic and Atlantic Europe
- The Americas: Mesoamerica
- The Americas: Andes and South America
- The Americas: Caribbean
- The Americas: North America
- Steppe and Arctic
- Shared across the world
Explore by place
The world map of play
Drag the map, spin the globe or search for any tradition. Select a country to browse its games, or jump to a region.
