Senet - oldest game in the world

When @geek2nurse shared her design for an Egyptian game awhile back, I was reminded that my husband and I used to play this game called Senet all the time. I felt inspired to make our own game board and well… we’ve played it almost every evening since I finished it.

senet%201

My husband liked the coloring on the bottom of the box so much he almost didn’t want me to use it there. I compromised by saying we could just park it on its side when we are not playing so as to enjoy the bottom of the game board.

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Here is the free svg file:
Senet%20game%20posting

  • Printed on :proofgrade: basswood ply.
  • colored with uni-posca pens
  • Check your settings first to make sure all is set to engrave and not cut where needed.
  • I’ve left all the artwork in that is available on openclipart. The rest you’ll have to find, beg or steal yourself.
  • You’ll need 5 of each of the round game pieces (just copy and paste). I printed them on thick cherry ply and added an other layer of the same so they stand up tall. You need 4 sticks, one side black and one side white. (sticks in photo are inaccurate, I redid since and painted them instead.
  • Yes, @evansd2, I just had to use the papyrus font here… :wink:

How to play the game - there are more than one set of rules around on the internet, so you can choose simple or more complex.

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Beautiful job! (I’m trying to figure out what I can put on the bottom panel to get my hubs to play a game with me…nope. Coming up blank except for images I’d prefer not to stare at.) :wink:

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Your artwork is amazing! Very nice job.

(BTW, don’t feel bad @Jules, I can’t get the hubsters to play games either).

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Mine might go in for some kind of video game where he gets to shoot things, but he really prefers to do it IRL. (And I think guns are too loud, hate all the blood, don’t agree with killing things for sport, and don’t care for the taste of wild game, so I usually just let him do his thing.)

He wasn’t a hunter when I married him…maybe I drove him to it. :thinking:

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Am so thinking of the punch line…
“was it wild?”
“…apparently not, but the farmer who owned it sure was!”
Perhaps a better choice of what to hunt?

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Mine likes to win… :wink:
and I let him sometimes…

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But if he likes them isn’t that what marriage is all about? Making your partner happy? :wink:

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Up to a point. :laughing:

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Excellent combo of color and form. Thanks for the files. Gonna resist the urge to weigh in on husbands and games and visuals and shooting and wild game.

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Very nice work! Thank you so much for sharing your files.

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Oooh, another game AND something I can color! This is going on my list. Thanks so much for sharing! :slight_smile:

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Due to some extra meds I was on I kept waking up at 2:30am most of February. Many of those nights I just got up and colored a portion of those Senet panels. I’m now looking for another something to color. Although I no longer am wide awake at 2:30am - something to be said for that. :+1:

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This one kept me busy for WEEKS. :slight_smile:

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Awesome - yes that would have kept you busy! Wonderful job!

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Hi!
Newer user here and I am a teacher. I am doing a unit on Ancient Egypt and was hoping to make this game to play/teach my students. I see the file, but I can’t figure out how to download it or open it.
If anyone can help, I’d appreciate it!
Thanks in advance. :slight_smile:
-Tracy

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Right click the file which is right under the “Here is the free svg file” in the original post and save the image as svg to your computer.

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Enjoy! Glad you’re going to make it for your students.

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Perfect! Thank you!!! :slight_smile:

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Thanks for putting it out there! Excited to share it with them!!

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That is a great game box and graphics! Thanks for sharing the design. I’m making a “Royal Game of Ur” for a godson. I’ve taken the basic design ideas from a couple of plans I bought on Etsy, so I can’t share the details on this forum, but I’ll post pictures of it when I finish. Your painting of the images really makes the game board/box look great!

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