The Ur Variations

This hand-crafted artisanal gaming set combines four new games with four ancient games. The new games include a devious abstract strategy game (Oasis), a crazy version of Senet in which you move both forward and backward on every turn, and can move not only the pawns but also the spaces on the board itself (Sand), an ultra fast and exciting push-your-luck game that plays in under 5 minutes (Caravan), and a 4-player multi-species strategy game (Ostriches and Alligators). The ancient games include the Royal Game of Ur, the Advanced Game of Ur, Senet, and Aseb. All games are played on a modular wooden gameboard into which different tiles are inserted in a different pattern for each game. Some games make use of a modular "board extension" that consists of an extra two spaces for tiles. Most of the games make use of throwing sticks as randomizers, though one game, Oasis, involves no luck at all. Playing pieces include hand-painted wooden discs as well as pawns cast in resin from clay sculptures and then hand painted. The Ur Variations is the third and final entry in game designer Zach Horton's "Ancient Games trilogy," following re-creations of Mehen and Men. —description from the publisher