Ur's Path: The Race of Kings

Ur's Path: The Race of Kings is an ancient game of strategy, luck, and competition from Mesopotamia. To play, you’ll need a cross-shaped board with 20 squares, including special “star” squares, and two sets of four pieces in different colors. You’ll also need a single five-sided die. Start by placing the board flat between both players and setting each player’s four pieces off the board, ready to enter during the game. The goal is simple: be the first to move all four of your pieces from the starting area to the “home” zone at the end of the board.
To see who goes first, both players roll the die, with the higher number going first. On each turn, a player rolls the die to see how many spaces they can move. If a player has multiple pieces on the board, they can split the rolled number between different pieces, which adds some strategy. For example, if a player rolls a 3, they might move one piece forward by two squares and another by one. To bring a new piece onto the board, a player must roll a 1 or higher, placing that piece in the starting square. This means sometimes you’ll have to wait to roll a high enough number to get a new piece on the board.
When moving a piece, landing on an empty square means the turn ends with no special action. However, landing on a “star” square allows the player to take an extra turn, which can be a big advantage. If a piece lands on a square where the opponent already has a piece, a challenge takes place. Both players roll the die again, and the player with the higher roll wins, sending the opponent’s piece back to the starting position and taking an extra turn. These challenges bring an extra layer of excitement to the game, with players carefully choosing when to risk a confrontation.
To move a piece into the home area, a player must roll the exact number needed to reach it. This requirement adds suspense near the end, as players wait to roll the exact number needed to move each piece into the home zone. If a player rolls too high and would overshoot, the piece has to wait on the board until the exact roll comes up, adding an element of chance to the final moves.
The first player to get all four pieces to the home area wins, completing their journey through Ur’s Path. With simple rules and exciting choices, the game blends luck and strategy. Dice rolls add unpredictability, while decisions around movement, challenges, and star squares add depth. Reaching the end requires a balance of bold moves, defense, and a bit of luck as players race to guide their pieces home first.