Backgammon, the oldest game in recorded history, is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia. 

http://www.encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761573052

or

http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/Backgammon

In Greece, it is called "tabli" from Turkish "tavla"; in Persia, "shesh-pesh" (the "six-five" game).

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I suspect GameOfGo holds the title ''most ancient''. Check out http://www.cwi.nl/~jansteen/go/history/china.html ''(BrokenLink - 2003/08/26)'' for the something more substantial on this. I'm actually a little surprised that no-one's remarked on the relationship between Patterns and Joseki ... I should also mention a pet theory that the TaoTeChing actually began as a Go manual. Sure clears up the interpretation of Chapter 33. -- PeterMerel

Two other very old games which I know to have named patterns are the African board game Wari, and, of course, PatternsInChess. -- FalkBruegmann

I assume Wari is the same as (or closely related to) Mancala and Kalaha. -- OleAndersen
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We on the C3 project take issue with the whole concept of builders. If your customer wants a point, then make the point. Don't move a piece because you think you might need it later, YouArentGonnaNeedIt. In fact, in XP both players sit on the same side of the table and advance their stones in the same direction after exchanging dice from their respective rolls to maximize their collective advantage. -- RonJeffries

This last is in Go too. To win at Go you have to PlayToDraw. -- PeterMerel

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My interest in this ancient game has been renewed by the ready availability of high quality opponents online. -- WardCunningham

	* http://play.yahoo.com/games/login?game=Backgammon

For me it was Fibs that got me going again, terrible interface but very good players. -- AndyMorris

	* http://www.fibs.com/
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It seems to me that the oldest games are running games. One must also think that games appeared ''before'' dice, and playing dice alone is much simpler than backgammon. So something must have appeared before backgammon.

My theory: some game, then dice, then running games, then backgammon.

I probably have a book on the subject, I will check and fix this. 

Ok, I checked, it seems that backgammon descends from Pachisi.

-- GeraldoXexeo

Mancala is a running game without dice. Backgammon resembles it in many ways (the goal is to get your players to a home base, you get ahead by hitting other players blots).

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Mancala, also called Wari, Omweso, and many other names is probably older than Backgammon.  Boards for it were found in Luxor and Thebes.  It is common in many places in Africa.  Muslims took it to India, Indonesia and the Phillipines.  Slaves in the Carribbean and South America played it. There are many varieties with different numbers of rows, pits, and different kinds of rules for continuing play and for what happens when blots are hit.

On Go and Joseki: yes they are patterns but another level of Go patterns is the series of Go Proverbs like "The enemy's key play is my own key play." 

-- JeffZucker

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It's likely that the oldest game still played today is tag. This game requires no hardware at all, even spoken language is not required.
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See BackgammonOpenings
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CategoryGame