What is the oldest game ever?

The title of "oldest game ever" can vary depending on how you define "game" — whether it’s a video game, board game, or something more abstract. Here are some notable examples across different categories:

1. The Oldest Video Game:

The oldest recognized electronic video game is Tennis for Two, created in 1958 by physicist William Higinbotham. This game was displayed on an oscilloscope screen and is considered one of the first interactive video games.

Tennis for Two (1958)

• Platform: Oscilloscope.
• Gameplay: It simulated a tennis game where two players used controllers to move paddles and hit a ball back and forth across a screen.
• Legacy: While not widely known today, Tennis for Two is considered one of the first video games to involve interactive gameplay using a visual display.

However, Tennis for Two was more of a demonstration than a commercial product. The first commercially successful video game, Pong (1972), became much more popular and influential, and is often seen as the first widely-recognized video game.

2. The Oldest "Computer Game":

Another candidate for the oldest video game is Spacewar!, created in 1962 by Steve Russell and others at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). It was one of the first games to be widely distributed and played on different computers.

Spacewar! (1962)

• Platform: PDP-1 (a mainframe computer).
• Gameplay: Two players controlled spaceships that tried to destroy each other, while avoiding gravitational pull from a central star.
• Legacy: Spacewar! is widely considered one of the first true computer games, inspiring future video game development and influencing the arcade game industry.

3. The Oldest Board Game:

When it comes to traditional board games, the title of the "oldest game" usually goes to Senet, an ancient Egyptian game that dates back to around 3100 BCE.

Senet (c. 3100 BCE)

• Origin: Ancient Egypt.
• Gameplay: The game was played on a board with 30 squares and involved strategy and luck. The rules are not fully known, but it is believed to have been a game of race (similar to backgammon).
• Legacy: Senet is widely considered the oldest known board game and has been found in many tombs in Egypt, suggesting it had ceremonial and recreational importance.

4. The Oldest Strategy Game:

If you consider strategy games, one of the oldest recorded is The Royal Game of Ur, which dates back to around 2600 BCE.

The Royal Game of Ur (c. 2600 BCE)

• Origin: Ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).
• Gameplay: The game was played on a rectangular board with a set of dice and pieces. It’s thought to be a race game, where players move their pieces based on the throw of dice. The rules of the game are still debated, but a version has been reconstructed.
• Legacy: The Royal Game of Ur is one of the earliest examples of board gaming and is considered a precursor to many modern games like backgammon.

5. The Oldest Card Game:

If we consider card games, playing cards originated in China during the 9th century. The first deck of cards was thought to be based on dominoes.

Chinese Playing Cards (c. 9th century)

• Origin: China.
• Gameplay: Early card games were likely based on Chinese domino games, and the cards themselves were originally painted on wood or ivory. The playing card game gradually spread to other parts of Asia and then Europe.

Conclusion:

• Oldest Video Game: Tennis for Two (1958).
• Oldest Computer Game: Spacewar! (1962).
• Oldest Board Game: Senet (c. 3100 BCE).
• Oldest Strategy Game: The Royal Game of Ur (c. 2600 BCE).
• Oldest Card Game: Chinese Playing Cards (c. 9th century).

Depending on the category, games have existed for thousands of years, whether as ancient physical games like Senet or The Royal Game of Ur, or electronic games like Tennis for Two and Spacewar! that laid the foundation for modern gaming.