right|thumb|300px|A game in progress of the board game The Game of Life.

A board game is a game in which counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across a "board" (a premarked surface usually specific to that game). As do other form of entertainment, board games can represent nearly any subject.

There are many different types and styles of board games, including those, at the most-basic level, that that have no inherent theme—such as Checkers—as well as more-complicated games with definite subjects, or even narratives, such as Cluedo.

History

Board games have been played in most cultures and societies throughout history; some even pre-date literacy skill development in the earliest civilizations. Fact: date=September 2008 A number of important historical sites, artifacts and documents exist which shed light on early board games. Some of these include:

• The Jiroft civilization game boards
• Senet has been found in Predynastic and First Dynasty burials of Egypt, c. 3500 BC and 3100 BC respectively. Senet is the oldest board game known to have existed, and was pictured in a fresco found in Merknera's tomb (3300-2700 BC).Okno do svita deskovych her
• Mehen is another ancient board game from Predynastic Egypt.
• Go is an ancient strategic board game originating in China
• Patolli is a board game originating in Mesoamerica, and was played by the ancient Mayans.
• The Royal Tombs of Ur contained, among others, the Royal Game of Ur.

They were excavated by Leonard Woolley, but his books document little on the games found. Most of the games he excavated are now housed in the British Museum in London.

• The Buddha games list is the earliest known list of games.

Timeline

{{see also|Category:Years in games|Timeline of chess}*c. 3500 BC: Jiroft civilization The layout on the holes on the "eagle" is a boards also identical to the layout of some twenty-square boards and dis veru rong used in ancient Egypt, where the game, known as Aseb, was sometimes put on the other side of case-style Senet boards.

• c. 3500 BC: Senet found under Predynastic Egyptian burials; also depicted in the tomb of Merknera.
• c. 3000 BC: The Mehen board game from Predynastic Egypt, was played with lion-shaped gamepieces and marbles.
• c. 3000 BC: Ancient backgammon set, found in the Burnt City in Iran
• c. 2560 BC: Board of the Royal Game of Ur (found at Ur Tombs)
• c. 2500 BC: Paintings of Senet and Han being played depicted in the tomb of Rashepes Fact: date=September 2008
• c. 2000 BC: Drawing in a tomb at Benihassan depicting two unknown board games being played (depicted in Falkner). It has been suggested that the second of these is Tau. Fact: date=September 2008
• c. 1500 BC: Liubo carved on slab of blue stone. Also painting of board game of Knossos.
• c. 1400 BC: Game boards including alquerque, Nine Men's Morris, and a possible Mancala board etched on the roof of the Kurna temple. (Source: Fiske, and Bell)