Board Games

Ancient Egyptians played Senet, a board game where players threw sticks or bones as dice.

The Royal Game of Ur, which dates back as far as 2600 BCE, is believed to be one of the oldest board games in the world.

Play the Royal Game of Ur, one of the world's oldest known board games.

Browse a timeline of the fascinating history of board games in America.

Monopoly was based on the satirical Landlord's Game, which criticized the abilities Monopoly rewarded.

The board game Candyland was invented for children quarantined in polio wards.

Clue, the murder-mystery board game, was designed during World War II air raids.

The board game Risk was created by an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.

Parents criticized 'Dungeons & Dragons' during the 'Satanic Panic'

The role-playing game became popular enough to attract the ire of special interest groups, like Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons (or BADD) during the so-called "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s and 1990s, when parents believed the game was corrupting children.

Browse a pamphlet warning parents about the dangers of 'Dungeons & Dragons'

Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons was a nonprofit dedicated to counteracting what it considered the "Witchcraft Suicide Violence" of the fantasy roleplaying game. It includes a list of recent teenage suicides, arguing that they all had "one common denominator: ALL WERE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS."