Video games are a very modern form of entertainment. Most new video game releases are developed and programmed with the world’s leading technology. The latest projects often rely on new innovations, from the latest smartphones to new consoles. In other words, the modern gaming industry is cutting-edge in almost every sense of the word.
But that doesn’t mean gaming is a new concept. From the dawn of human civilization, people have enjoyed playing games as a form of entertainment. In fact, dozens of popular games today originated centuries and even millennia in the past. Thanks to being digitized, they feel young—but that’s far from the truth.
Some of the world’s most popular and well-known games have been around for hundreds of years. Though you can play them online or on smartphones, they slowly developed over the course of history. Can you name some of the oldest games in the world to go digital?
Poker
Some estimate that around 100 million players enjoy poker around the world. The most popular variation is Texas Hold’em poker, which can be found online in just about every country. But Texas Hold’em is a modern twist that developed from German games like pochen and even older Persian favorites like as-nas—and possibly even India’s ganjifa.
Some historians believe that ganjifa cards made their way to the Middle East, where as-nas developed. This trick-taking game moved to the West and, eventually, evolved into Germany’s pochen game, which was taken to the United States where it evolved into poker during the Wild West era.
Go
The game of go dates back to China and might be as old as 2,500. This game requires players to strategically capture another player’s pieces on a large, square board. Similar to poker, there are hundreds of strategies for players to choose from—which sometimes leads to long-lasting and highly complex games.
In fact, go was originally used to help educate royals and elite members of society. Because the games take so long to play and require such dynamic and strategic thinking, go helped develop skills like analysis, planning, and decision-making.
Backgammon
Backgammon is a popular choice for online gamers, just like poker. But this game is even older—and is often considered the world’s oldest continually played board game. The origin of backgammon goes straight back to Mesopotamia in around 2000 BC. As in go, two players face off to move checkers from the outer part of the board to the inner part of the board.
Despite its ancient origin, backgammon can be found around the world. It’s a favorite for players who gather in person, along with remote gamers who face off anonymously online. Its most commonly played in Eastern Mediterranean countries, the UK, North Africa, India, and Europe.
Dominoes
We’re heading back to China to study the origin of dominoes, which is the predecessor of more modern hits like mahjong. Dominoes date back to the 13th century, at which point in time they were used the same way as playing cards. Over time, the modern game of matching dominoes slowly evolved.
By the 18th century, modern dominoes could also be found in Italy. Some believe that Italian dominoes evolved from the pieces brought back by missionaries from China. Others believe that the games were developed separately in both regions.
Chess
Similar to poker, chess is one of the most well-known historical games in the world. Professional players even take on a celebrity-like image and can make a career from their skills. But do you know where chess comes from? This game evolved in the 7th century in India, first known as chaturanga. Over time, it slowly moved west to Persia and then to Europe.
By the end of the 1800s, the FIDE emerged as a way to standardize the rules and help organize official competitions. The very first World Chess Champion was Austrian, while today’s latest World Champion is Chinese, highlighting the global nature and ongoing appeal of this ancient game.
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