Royal game of UR
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Royal game of UR
The Royal Game of Ur is an ancient race game where the player must be the first to exit his tokens from the board.
This cartridge features:
6 different AIs which are unlocked as the player wins games
3 different rulesets and the ability to create your own custom ruleset
At the start of the cartridge, the main menu has 4 entries (left-right to cycle the entries):
new game: play a game by selecting a ruleset, an AI level and by defining who plays first
rules description: explain briefly each of the ruleset (top menu for the ruleset, bottom menu for each rule information)
edit custom rule: define your own ruleset
reset game: reset all game progressions and custom ruleset to factory settings. IMPORTANT WARNING: it doesn't request for confirmation once selected by X.
The rulesets are:
basic: simple race game which can be played against the first 2 AI levels
intermediate: simple race game with simple betting which can be played against the first 4 AI level. Winning against the AI player unlocks further AI players
advanced: complex race game with complex betting which can be played against the last 4 AI levels
custom: user defined ruleset with its own game progression. The player must win against the lower AI players to unlock the next ones.
Designer notes:
I have been inspired by the essay and videos of Mr Irving L. Finkel regarding the royal game of Ur. I wanted the player to play this ancient boardgame versus Assyrians and feel a distant connection to this long past era.
The game does not have any music since I did not have the time to compose one. However, if enough players request for it, i will try to add an assyrian one.
Enjoy. May Pazuzu be with you !
PS: the cartridge illustration is a bas-relief sculpture of the benevolent assyrian god Pazuzu. This bas-relief can be seen at the British Museum.