4 Timeless Games to Play Online

photo credit: Mick Haupt - Unsplash

Video games may be a relatively new form of entertainment, but gaming is as old as time immemorial. The most ancient historical board games date back millennia. While the Egyptian Senet has long fallen out of fashion, other classics like the Game of the Goose or chess have stood the test of time. Fast-forward to the 21^st century and the digital revolution has rejuvenated some timeless games to cater to all demographics and generations. If you’re not much of a gamer, thus, you might be more comfortable giving a virtual shot at a classic tabletop game than digging into the dizzying open world of an RPG. So, we’ve put together a list of four ageless games to enjoy online.

Mahjong

Originating from China, this strategy-based game plays out with a set of 144 tiles depicting Chinese symbols and characters. Players draw and discard tiles until they can complete their hand, aiming to get 14 tiles into four melds and one eye (or pair). Historians believe that the first-ever game of Mahjong surfaced during the Qing dynasty. This game of luck and strategy was later introduced to the Western world in the 19^th century, where both its similarity to rummy and its quintessentially Chinese design may have helped push it to the top. Mahjong is now more popular than ever online thanks to gaming platforms offering dozens of variations to give a try, including Mahjong solitaire. This Chinese classic has also taken the casual gaming genre by storm with free-to-play puzzle games such as Mahjong Trails.

Backgammon

Backgammon may well be the most infamous table game of all time, and perhaps one of the best board games, period. The earliest official game of backgammon on record only dates back to 17^th-century England. But the ancestors of this classic game of dice and counters come from ancient Mesopotamia and Persia, circa 5000 years ago. The world’s oldest two-player board game, the Sumerian Royal Game of Ur may definitely have paved the way for what would become the modern backgammon worldwide players know and love. This game of luck and skill is still all the rage throughout the Middle East, being considered a national hobby in countries like Egypt and Turkey. And even if you’ve never played this timeless game, several online websites deliver handsy tips and guidelines to learn the rules. Beginner tutorials also abound on dedicated YouTube channels, so check them out before digging into online backgammon.

Roulette

French for “little wheel,” roulette may not be quite so French as its name implies. While the first official game of roulette was devised in 18^th-century France, its creators might have drawn inspiration from an Italian game of chance called Biribi. Still, rolling the dice took off in France. And before long, roulette would become in style at every Paris casino of the late 1790s. The game quickly spread all over Europe and reached the US, where it would evolve into the so-called American-style roulette. Centuries later, roulette is still a crowd-puller at every brick-and-mortar casino across the globe. But players may also keep it rolling in countries where gambling venues are few and far between, such as India. Thus, gamers can play roulette online in India in a few clicks. Top platforms include different variants of the game, from French to American roulette. Real-time games with live croupiers even conjure up the vibe of a true-to-life casino. And a range of bonuses like welcome packages and cashback deals await first-timers and seasoned players alike.

Baccarat

Next up is another casino staple, and James Bond’s signature casino game to boot. But it wasn’t always so. While historians are still conflicted about the origins of this classic card game, baccarat might have deeper roots than previously believed. A wildly popular pastime among 19^th-century French nobility, baccarat may have come from Italy in the 15^th century, courtesy of French soldiers returning from the Italian Wars. Some sources claim the game was invented in the 1400s by Felix Falguiere, who would coin the name “baccara” as Italian for zero. However, the house-banked version of this tabletop game would only take shape upon its introduction in America through the Caribbeans. From the glitzy Vegas Stripe to online platforms, baccarat is now a classic in most casinos. If you feel like venturing into the world of RPGs, entries like Fallout: New Vegas and GTA V also feature playable baccarat minigames.