The Board Game Senet: A Journey of the Dead

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9 Aug 2024
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Senet is a board game of the ancient Egypt that is over 3000 years old.

Senet is not just a board game. Its gameplay symbolizes the process by which the soul of the deceased overcomes various challenges in the afterlife, achieving freedom and joining the sun god’s celestial journey aboard the sun god's boat.

Given its significant meaning, Egyptians placed senet boards as grave goods in tombs, so the deceased could have them in the afterlife. For example, senet boards were also found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

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Calender in the Temple of Kom Ombo


Senet also played an important role in Egyptian mythology.

The Egyptians, who considered a year to be 360 days, recognized the actual length of a year as 365 days and explained the 5-day difference mythologically . This story is known from Plutarch, a Greek writer and biographer (46 - 120 AD).


The sun god Ra was jealous of the love between Nut, the goddess of the sky, and Geb, the god of the earth.

By the love between these two gods, Nut became pregnant with five children. Ra was displeased with this and he prohibited Nut from giving birth for 360 days, the amount of time he would pass through the sky. As a result, Nut could not give birth and her belly continued to swell, eventually filling the sky. Desperate, Nut sought help from Thoth, the god of wisdom and problem solver, who devised a clever plan: he suggested playing senet with the moon god Khonsu.

The game of senet between Thoth and Khonsu was not just a game but a wager. The winner of each round would gain one of the opponent's abilities. Khonsu, who enjoyed games, gladly accepted, but Thoth, known for his wisdom, was also an exceptional player, and Khonsu ended up losing five consecutive rounds.

Thus, with his five consecutive victories, Thoth used the power of the moon that Khonsu had to add 5 days to the 360 days of the sun god’s year, making a total of 365 days. This additional time, unrelated to the sun god, allowed Nut to give birth to her five children, one each day over the 5 days.

The gods born in this order were Osiris, Horus (the Elder), Set, Isis, and Nephthys.



<How to Play Senet>


1. Materials Needed

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• Board: A 3×10 grid board with 30 square spaces

• Pieces: Each of the two players has 5 pieces

• 4 wooden sticks used as dice (black on one side, white on the other)


2. Movement and How to Use Sticks

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The senet game starts from the left and proceeds in an ‘Z’ shape as shown in the picture. The player who first reaches the final (the 30th) space, wins.


Throw the 4 senet sticks and proceed as follows:

• If one white side shows, move one space and roll again.

• If two white sides show, move two spaces and do not roll again.

• If three white sides show, move three spaces and do not roll again.

• If four white sides show, move four spaces and roll again.

• If all sides are black, move five spaces and roll again.



3. Starting the Game

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• Place each player's 5 pieces alternately on the board.

• Only one piece can occupy each space.

• If a piece lands on a space occupied by the opponent's piece, the opponent's piece is captured and the space is taken.

   However, if both adjacent spaces to the target space are occupied by the opponent's pieces, the piece cannot be captured or moved.



4. The 6 Symbols on the Board

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The squares with these symbols play a crucial role in determining the winner.


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1) House of Life (15th space)

     As the name suggests, landing here means the piece cannot be captured by the opponent.

     This is also where pieces that land on the 'House of Water' (27th space) are sent back to.

     To leave this space, a roll must show one white side.

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2) House of Happiness (26th space)

     Landing here gives an extra roll.

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3) House of Water (27th space)

     Landing here sends the piece back to the 'House of Life' (15th space) to wait for the next turn.

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4) House of the Three Truths (28th space)

     Landing here gives an extra roll. However, to leave this space, the roll must show three white sides.

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5) House of Ra-Atum or the Two Judges (29th space)

     To leave this space, the roll must show two white sides.

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6) House of Horus (30th space)

     Although it is the final space, landing here does not immediately make a player the winner.

     An extra roll is allowed here, and to leave the space and win, one white side must show.

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