Ancient Mesopotamian board game Royal Game of Ur has been reimagined as a roguelike video game called *Ur: A Roguelike*. Its creator, designer and programmer Jack Harrison, says the project grew from his interest in the game’s history and the possibilities of adapting its dice-and-race mechanics.

The original game dates back roughly 4,500 years, though claims that it is the oldest board game in recorded history depend on how “oldest” is defined. Harrison’s version adds procedural challenges and modern game systems while drawing on the original rules; the article presents it as a new example of developers turning historical games into roguelikes.