If you’re an avid gamer, you’ve probably spent countless hours trying to figure out what the oldest video game in the world is. While some may argue that it’s Pong, Tennis for Two, or Spacewar!, there are actually much older games out there that have been largely forgotten by time.
The Early Beginnings of Video Games
Before we dive into the world of the oldest video games, it’s important to understand the early beginnings of video games. The first known example of a video game dates back to 1940 when Edward Condon designed a computer that played the traditional game of Nim, in which players try to avoid picking up the last matchstick. This was done as part of his Ph.D. thesis at the California Institute of Technology.
However, it wasn’t until the 1960s and 70s that video games began to take off in a big way. It was during this time that we saw the birth of some of the most iconic games of all time, such as Spacewar!, Tennis for Two, and Pong.
The Oldest Known Video Game: OXO
While these games are undoubtedly classics, they still pale in comparison to the oldest known video game in the world: OXO. Also known as noughts and crosses, this game is believed to have been played by the ancient Greeks and Romans over 2,000 years ago.
In OXO, players take turns placing a disk on an empty grid to try and get three in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The objective of the game is to prevent your opponent from getting three in a row first. While it may not sound like much, OXO is actually quite challenging and requires strategic thinking.
The game was recently rediscovered by a team of archaeologists in Greece who found a board game dating back to 600 BC that contained the rules for OXO. While the game itself has been lost to time, the rules have been preserved and can still be played today.
Another Old Game: The Royal Game of Ur
While OXO may be the oldest known video game in the world, it’s not the only one. Another ancient game that predates OXO is The Royal Game of Ur, which dates back to around 2600 BC.
This two-player strategy game was discovered in the ancient city of Ur in modern-day Iraq and is believed to have been played by the Sumerians. The game is played on a rectangular board with 64 squares and involves moving pieces along a track, with the goal of getting your piece to the end before your opponent does.
While it may not sound like much, The Royal Game of Ur is actually quite complex and requires careful planning and strategy. Today, The Royal Game of Ur is still played by enthusiasts around the world.
The Game of Twenty Squares
While OXO and The Royal Game of Ur are two of the oldest known video games in the world, there are actually many other games that have been around for centuries. One such game is The Game of Twenty Squares, which dates back to the Middle Ages in Europe.
This game involves moving pieces along a track with the goal of getting your piece to the end before your opponent does. It’s believed that the game was played by monks and nuns as a way to pass the time during long hours of prayer and meditation. Today, The Game of Twenty Squares is still played by enthusiasts around the world.
The Evolution of Video Games
As we can see from these examples, video games have been around for much longer than most people realize.