Play Senet Online — Ancient Egyptian Race Game vs AI

Senet on Arcadia

Senet — “the game of passing” — is one of the oldest known board games, played in Egypt over 5,000 years ago and buried in the tombs of pharaohs including Tutankhamun. Two players race five pawns along a winding 30-square path. Instead of dice you throw four casting sticks. Bear all five pawns off the board — into the afterlife — before the AI, Anubis, does.

How to Play

Throw the four sticks: count the light faces up for a move of 1–4, or 5 when all land dark.
Move one pawn forward along the boustrophedon path (row 1 left→right, row 2 right→left, row 3 left→right).
Land on a lone enemy pawn to swap places with it; a pawn beside a friendly pawn is protected, and three in a row form an impassable wall.
A throw of 1, 4 or 5 earns another throw; 2 or 3 ends your turn. If you can’t move forward you must move back; no move at all forfeits the turn.
Squares 28/29/30 bear a pawn off with an exact 3/2/1, and a 5 from the House of Beauty (26) sends one straight off. Clear all five to win.

Core Rules

Square 26 – House of Beauty: a mandatory stop; a pawn must land here exactly before going on.
Square 27 – House of Waters: landing here washes the pawn back to square 15 (or the nearest empty square before it).
Square 15 – House of Rebirth: where washed-back pawns re-enter.
Forward moves are mandatory when available; only when none exist may you move backward.
Protection by adjacency and 3-in-a-row walls block swaps and passage.

Strategy

Keep pawns paired. A pawn beside a friend can’t be swapped off its square.
Build a three-pawn wall to block Anubis from passing a key stretch of the path.
Respect the House of Waters (27) — landing there is a huge setback; time your throws to skip it.
Don’t rush a single runner ahead unguarded; a lone pawn is a swap target.
Bank the extra-throw rolls (1/4/5) to reposition safely and chain progress.

Practical Tips

Movable pawns glow green after a throw; the legal destination is highlighted in amber.
The special squares are marked with glyphs — learn 26, 27 and the bear-off trio 28/29/30.
Because forward moves are forced, plan for throws that would strand a pawn on the House of Waters.
Watch the “off” counters — first to five wins, so late-game exact throws matter most.

FAQ

How old is Senet?

Senet dates back more than 5,000 years to predynastic and dynastic Egypt, making it one of the oldest board games known. Boards have been found in tombs including that of Tutankhamun.

How do you move in Senet?

You throw four casting sticks instead of dice. The number of light faces up (1–4, or 5 for all dark) is your move. A throw of 1, 4, or 5 grants another throw; 2 or 3 ends your turn.

What are the special squares?

Square 26 (House of Beauty) is a mandatory stop; 27 (House of Waters) sends a pawn back to 15; and 28/29/30 bear a pawn off with an exact 3/2/1. A 5 from square 26 bears off directly.

How do captures work?

Land on a lone enemy pawn to swap places with it. A pawn next to a friendly pawn is protected and can’t be swapped, and three friendly pawns in a row form a wall the enemy cannot pass.