IN DESIGN

Royal Ur

The Royal Game of Ur

A modern digital adaptation of the world's oldest known board game, 4'500 years old. Built in Godot 4 for PC and Linux, targeting Steam.

Board Game Historical PC + Linux Steam EN / DE / FR / LB

The World's Oldest Game

The Royal Game of Ur was played in ancient Sumer 4'500 years ago. It was discovered in the Royal Tombs of Ur (modern-day Iraq) by archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s. The rules were preserved on a Babylonian cuneiform tablet translated by Irving Finkel at the British Museum. It is the predecessor of backgammon and the oldest board game known to humanity.

What We're Building

A polished, modern digital edition for PC and Linux. Not a bare-bones implementation, but a full-featured game with multiple visual themes, online multiplayer via Steam, CPU opponents at three difficulty levels, full controller support, and planned Steam Workshop modding.

5 Visual Themes

Sumerian, Egyptian, Norse, Cyberpunk, and Paper & Ink. Switch themes at runtime.

Multiplayer

Local hot-seat for 2 players and online multiplayer via Steam Networking.

CPU Opponents

Three difficulty modes: Easy, Medium, and Hard. No search trees, just clean heuristics.

Full Controller Support

Xbox, PlayStation, generic gamepads. Steam Deck verified target.

4 Languages

English, German, French, and Luxembourgish. One of very few Steam games with LB support.

Modding (Phase 2)

Data-driven JSON design. Steam Workshop for custom boards, themes, and rules.

Project Info

Engine	Godot 4.x (GDScript)
Platforms	PC (Windows) + Linux (Steam Deck)
Distribution	Steam (Emperor Penguin Development)
Price	€9.99 regular, €7.99 launch
Languages	English, German, French, Luxembourgish
Controller	Full support (Xbox, PlayStation, generic)
Steam Deck	Verified target
Modding	Phase 2, Steam Workshop

Status

Game Design Document complete. Pre-development phase. The full design covers 21 sections including core gameplay, board design, CPU AI, art direction, audio, accessibility, localization, modding, and a 16-week development roadmap. No release date yet.