The Royal Game of Ur

About this game

The Royal Game of Ur is the Game of Twenty Squares, played in Mesopotamia over four thousand years ago. Roll four pyramid dice and race seven inlaid pieces down your lane, up the shared middle lane and home. Rosettes are safe and give another roll; landing on an enemy sends it back. Learn in nine hands-on lessons, watch Auto Play demonstrate a whole game move by move at your own pace, play four computer levels or a friend, and solve a daily best-move puzzle. Lapis, shell and red-limestone art lit by an oil lamp. No ads, works offline.

How to play

1. New here? Nine short lessons teach every move, or watch free Auto Play play a whole game at your own pace.
2. Tap the dice to roll four pyramid dice: each gold tip up counts 1, so a roll is 0 to 4.
3. Tap a glowing piece, then the glowing square it goes to. Moves are exact.
4. Your path: 4 squares in your lane, 8 in the shared middle lane, then 2 home. Rosettes give another roll.
5. Landing on an enemy piece in the middle lane sends it back. A piece on a rosette is safe.
6. The central rosette blocks the lane: nobody can land there while it is occupied.
7. A piece leaves the board only with the exact roll. First to bring all seven home wins.
8. Refused move? The piece tries and returns, and a message says why. Hints and Take back help.