Senet is one of the oldest known board games in the world, originating in Ancient Egypt around 3100 BCE. Early versions of the game appear in tomb paintings and hieroglyphs from the First Dynasty, making it older than chess by thousands of years.

Originally, Senet was likely played as a game of skill and chance for entertainment. Over time, its meaning evolved. By the New Kingdom period (c. 1550–1070 BCE), Senet had become deeply connected to religion and the afterlife. Egyptians believed the board symbolized the soul’s journey through the Duat (the underworld), facing trials before reaching eternal life. Often they were placed in tombs, and depictions show gods, especially Osiris, playing the game. Winning a game of Senet symbolically represented overcoming chaos, divine judgment, and fate itself.

King Tutankhamun’s tomb famously had several placed there to accompany him in the afterlife. Their presence reinforced the belief that Senet was not just a pastime, but a sacred game meant to help the pharaoh successfully navigate the spiritual trials beyond death.

Because no complete rulebook survived, modern versions of Senet are reconstructions based on tomb artwork, ancient texts such as the Book of the Dead, and archaeological evidence of boards and pieces. The rules tend to reflect the most widely accepted scholarly interpretation, designed to balance history with enjoyable play.