Exploring Antiquity Through Ancient Games

Eclectic Games is hosting an Ancient Games Day on Saturday 7 November, from 10:00 to 17:00. It's run by Dr Tim Penn, a Classics lecturer at the University of Reading, together with the shop, and it's part of the Being Human Festival, the UK's national festival of the humanities, which runs from 5 to 14 November 2026. The festival is led by the School of Advanced Study at the University of London in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.

The day is split across two rooms. The first is built around drop-in sessions where you can try games from the ancient world, including the Egyptian Mehen and the Roman Ludus Latrunculorum. The second room gathers modern board games set in the ancient world, like Concordia and Imhotep, with historians on hand to talk you through them. Penn points out that only fragments of original ancient game boards and very few rules survive, so players are encouraged to fill the gaps with rules of their own.

There are also board game design workshops on the day. Two are for younger gamers aged 8 to 15, with a responsible adult, at 11:00 and 14:30. For adults, there's a four-hour hands-on session from 13:00 to design your own versions of ancient games.

It's free, but you have to book your tickets in advance. You'll find it at Eclectic Games, 21 Duke Street, Reading, RG1 4SA, open from 10:00 to 17:00.