How do board games reflect the societies that play them? This course explores the history of play from the ancient Royal Game of Ur to modern tabletop design. Centering the Near East and South Asia, we examine how games like backgammon, chess, and snakes and ladders modeled fate, courtly etiquette, and spiritual piety. Students will study medieval chess problems, coffeehouse culture, and postcolonial theory. Bridging history and modern game design, the course will feature guest lectures from historians and tabletop industry figures, challenging students to read and prototype games as complex cultural texts.
