Since before the beginning of recorded history, board games have been a constant source of fascination and entertainment for human beings. From 7000-year-old bone dice and the Ancient Egyptian religious game of Senet to the spread of chess throughout medieval Eurasia, the history of board games is as sprawling, oftentimes mysterious, and complex as history itself. Though sometimes correctly characterized as meaningless fun or simple distractions, board games have also been assigned varying degrees of spiritual, cultural, and competitive importance. Often this importance can be examined not only to learn more about board games but also about the people who played them.