People in ancient Egypt were painting this board on tomb walls thousands of years ago. Senet unblocked brings it to your browser, with a 30-square track that zigzags across three rows and five pieces for each player.
No complete rulebook survived, so this version follows a common modern reconstruction. It comes from Christopher Müller's PaperGames collection, and you can face the computer at three levels or a friend on one device.
How to play Senet
The ten pieces begin on squares 1 to 10, alternating colors. Press Throw sticks to toss four sticks. The number of marked sides facing up is how far you go, and a throw with zero marks counts as 6.
Choose a highlighted piece and move it forward. Landing on a single enemy piece swaps the two of you. You cannot land on a square where two or more enemy pieces are stacked, and square 15 is safe. A 1, 4 or 6 earns a bonus throw once you have moved.
The end of the track is where it gets tense. Every piece must stop exactly on square 26 before going further, and square 27 sends a piece back to 15. An exact throw past square 30 bears a piece off. First to bear off all five wins.
Controls
| To… | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throw the sticks | Tab to "Throw sticks" and press Enter | Click "Throw sticks" | Tap "Throw sticks" |
| Move a piece | Tab or arrow keys to a highlighted square, then Enter | Click a highlighted piece | Tap a highlighted piece |
| Choose color and opponent | — | Pick a color and a level, then click "New game" | Pick a color and a level, then tap "New game" |
| Undo or resign | — | Click "Undo" or "Resign" | Tap "Undo" or "Resign" |
Tips
- Stack up for safety. Two or more of your pieces sharing one square cannot be landed on, so a stack guards itself.
- Use bonus throws well. A 1, 4 or 6 gives another throw, so think about how your first move sets up the second.
- Hit lone stragglers. Swapping with a single enemy pushes it back while moving you ahead.
- Respect square 27. It undoes a lot of progress. Aim to leave square 26 with a throw that skips past it.
- Do not rush into the end zone. Keep a piece or two back so you have flexible moves when the exact throws get hard.
Senet questions
Why is there no throw of 5?
With four sticks, the marked sides add up to 1 to 4. A throw with no marks showing counts as 6, so 5 never comes up.
What does square 15 do?
It is a safe square. A piece sitting there cannot be swapped, and pieces washed off square 27 are sent back to it when it is free.
Does Senet save my game?
Yes. The game in progress is saved automatically, and you can use Undo or Resign at any time.
