Ranks the board
Skill XP
Skill XP comes from things you can control: winning games, making good decisions, completing challenges and finding artifacts. It shows your knowledge and skill, and it is the number the leaderboard ranks by default.
The hall of play
The Arena
Eleven games, one leaderboard and five ages. XP is earned by playing, never bought.
A museum of
playable games
Play Every game counts
The games of the Arena
Eleven games, all checked on the server. Win against the computer, finish a run or a session, and the XP lands on the board.
11playable games
Ancient OriginalDiceBone PokerRome · knucklebonesFour tali, poker hands and nine opponents from the taverns of Rome to the Emperor.10–150 XPPlay 
Ancient OriginalWheels & DrawsFortuna's WheelRome to Paris · the wheel of FortuneSpin, bank or risk the favour of Fortune across five stations, from Rota Fortunae to Biribi.8–100 XPPlay 
Race GamesRoyal Game of UrMesopotamia · c. 2600 BCFour pyramid dice, seven pieces each and the rosettes that give you another throw.20–60 XPPlay 
Race GamesSenetEgypt · c. 3100 BCFive pieces a side, four throwing sticks, thirty squares and the House of Water that sends you back.20–50 XPPlay 
Race GamesPachisiIndia · 16th centurySix cowrie shells, three computer players and the castles where no piece can be taken.60 XPPlay 
Race GamesPatolliMesoamerica · AztecFive marked beans and a cross-shaped track, played for symbolic stakes only.40 XPPlay 
StrategyHnefataflScandinavia · Viking AgeBring the king to a corner, or trap him. Two unequal armies on an 11 × 11 board.30–80 XPPlay 
StrategyShatranjPersia · c. 600 ADChess before 1475: a weak counsellor, a jumping elephant and a slow, patient game.30–80 XPPlay 
StrategyNine Men's MorrisRome to medieval EuropePlace, move and fly. Three in a row takes a piece from the other side.20–60 XPPlay 
StrategyMancalaAfrica · Kalah rulesSow the seeds, land in your store for another turn, capture from the empty pit.20–60 XPPlay 
DiceCrapsNew Orleans · 19th centuryA 30-roll session at the 3D table with practice chips only. Chance decides, so it pays luck XP.5–20 luck XPPlay
The leaderboard
#PlayerBadgeAgeSkill XPLuck XPTotal
XP from games the server has checked, challenges, quizzes and finds. Claim a nickname to appear on the board.
Today's board resets in
At midnight UTC. Skill XP decides the order; the Vault never does.
--:--:--
Ten steps. One decision.
The XP Vault
The ascent Double or bank. You decide.
- x1024
- x512
- x256
- x128
- x64
- x32
- x16
- x8
- x4
- x2
Ivory winsLapis loses
Your play XP0
Current multiplier x1In the vault 0 XP
Choose a stake. Begin your ascent.
Every flip: 50 / 50Reach x2: 1 in 2 from the startFrom here: 10 wins to x1024, 1 in 1,024
Last 5
Play XP only. No cash value.Best run none yetNo money. No prizes.
Ranks Badges
Marks of your journey
Collect badges as you play and explore the Ancient Games.
0 of 6marks earned
How XP works
Earn XP by playing games, learning and exploring. Some activities reward your skill, while the XP Vault is a separate chance-based game.
| You do | XP | Counts as |
|---|---|---|
| Win a board game against the computerUr, Senet, Pachisi, Patolli, Hnefatafl, Shatranj, Nine Men's Morris and Mancala | 20-80by difficulty | Skill |
| A run of an Ancient OriginalBone Poker and Fortuna's Wheel, for every opponent you beat | 8-150per run | Skill |
| A daily challengeThree new ones every day at midnight UTC | 80-120per challenge | Skill |
| Finish a learn quizFive questions at the end of a guide | 30once per page | Skill |
| Watch a film to the endThe short films on the learn pages | 10once per film | Bonus |
| Find a hidden artifactTen are hidden across the site | 15once each | Bonus |
| A craps session, Vault winsOutcome decided by chance, not by you | variesby result | Luck |
Never changes your rank
Luck XP
Luck XP comes only from the XP Vault and craps sessions. It can multiply your stake, but it cannot be bought or withdrawn. Luck XP adds to your total, but it never changes your skill rank.
XP is never given for visiting a casino, signing up anywhere or making a deposit. There are no prizes at the moment.
Play XP only · No cash value · Free to play
Guide The Arena
How the Arena keeps score
- Ages
- 5
- Daily tasks
- 3
- Board reset
- 00:00 UTC
- Vault top
- x1024
Two kinds of XP
Everything you do on Ancient Games earns XP, but not all XP is the same. Skill XP comes from things you can get better at: beating the computer at Ur, Hnefatafl or any of the other board games, a long run of Bone Poker, finishing a quiz, solving a daily challenge. Luck XP comes from the Vault and from craps sessions, where the outcome is out of your hands. The leaderboard shows both, and you can switch the view to Skill XP only.
The five ages
Your total XP places you in an age. You start in the Stone Age. At 100 XP you reach the Bronze Age, at 600 the Iron Age, at 2,000 the Golden Age and at 6,000 you become Eternal. The bar on your profile shows how far you are from the next one. A single win at Ur on Hard takes you most of the way out of the Stone Age; the Golden Age takes a few weeks of regular play.
Today, this week, all time
The board resets every day at midnight UTC, so a good morning can put you near the top before the evening players arrive. The weekly board runs from Monday to Sunday, and the all-time board never resets. Your own row is pinned to the bottom of the list wherever you are, so you can always see your rank without scrolling.
The Vault
The Vault is a double-or-nothing ladder for XP you have already earned. Put in 50, 100 or 250 XP and choose to risk it: each step doubles the stake, up to 1,024 times, and you can cash out after any step. A miss loses the stake. It is a game about knowing when to stop, played with points that have no cash value and cannot be bought or withdrawn.
Badges and artifacts
Badges mark things you have done once: a first win at Ur, a seven-day streak, all ten artifacts found, a clean craps quiz. They never expire and they sit on your profile next to your age. Artifacts are the small objects hidden on the homepage track and on some articles. Each one opens a short note about a real find, from the knucklebones of Greek players to the guard graffiti on the winged bulls of Khorsabad, and adds 10 XP the first time you open it.
Before you enter the Arena
A few common questions about how the Arena works.
Your first XP
One win at Ur on Hard takes you most of the way to the Bronze Age.
Is the leaderboard live?
Yes. Every finished game against the computer is sent to the server, which plays your moves again with the same dice and books the XP only if the result holds. Claim a nickname in your profile to appear on the board; without one you still collect XP, you are just not listed.
Can I win anything?
No. There are no prizes at the moment. XP, ages and badges are for bragging rights only, and XP has no cash value.
Why is my progress gone?
Progress is stored in your browser. A private window, another device or clearing your browser data starts you from zero.
How do I appear on the board?
Save a nickname in your profile panel. Up to 16 letters, no account and no e-mail address needed.
Does the Vault count for the leaderboard?
Vault wins count as Luck XP. If you switch the board to Skill XP, only what you earned in games, trainers, quizzes and challenges counts.