History was my least-favorite subject, but I have come to appreciate it more as I explore it with my children. However, we still do not have a ton of history games, though they are more widely available now.
We’ve studied history a few different times over the years, and will continue to study it at least another couple of times. When the kids were little, we read the book Absolutely Everything! It’s a great overview. Later, we tried Big History Project‘s 6-hour course as an introduction to world history. Next came Khan Academy‘s and Crash Course‘s world history (they work great together), European history, and now US history. Later, they’ll re-read Absolutely Everything and we’ll get in the long course by Big History Project. These studies should provide a solid background for our kids.
When you look for “history games,” you have a few different options. Games that cover all (most) of history, games about a specific event or period of time (and place), and ancient games that you can use to explore history with.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on it and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please check our Privacy Policy and Disclaimers and Disclosures.
History Games that Cover All of History
My family has tried Timeline and Chronology. They both work similarly; you have a deck of cards with different dates and attempt to place them within a timeline that you build. However, Timeline calls for creating one timeline for the whole group, which is more difficult, while Chronology calls for individual timelines. I do appreciate that Timeline has pictures and does not require reading (my daughter won this game the first time we played it – when she was 3!). Chronology has no pictures and requires someone else read the card for the person placing the card. This can be difficult if you have auditory processing issues. A variation of Timeline is Timeline Challenge, which adds a board to the game.
Also available and widely recommended (unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to try them yet) are Trekking Through History and Herstory. These are both made by the same creators as Trekking the National Parks, which we love. I’m sure they’re amazing games, but they are big and expensive. Edit: I got to play Trekking Through History lately, and I can confidently say that it’s totally worth it! It’s super fun and there’s tons of history, too!
History Games About a Specific Time and Place
It can be easier to find games about specific historical events, but really expensive to learn about history this way. Of these games, we have found The Civil War Game, Axis and Allies, and The Oregon Trail Card Game at thrift stores. In addition, I found a copy of Road to Enlightenment on a great sale, but we haven’t had a chance to play it yet.
The Civil War Game is basically flashcards of battles and locating them on a map. We played it once or twice and were happy to give it a new home; there’s no real strategy in it. The other two games, though, are long, HUGE, and complicated. I personally do not enjoy territorial games like Axis and Allies, but many people love the game.
If you are nostalgic and would like to introduce your kids to the frustration that was playing The Oregon Trail on a computer (but don’t want to have to deal with one of the emulators, of which there are plenty), the card game might be just what you’re looking for. It’s not deep like Axis and Allies or full of trivia like The Civil War Game, but it can be a fun introduction to the time period.
Ancient Games
You have many options here. Chess and Checkers are both quite old, as is Mancala. You can use a game like Hnefatafl to explore a particular culture, too. Senet and Go (similar to Othello) are very old games that I have not played yet. Pachisi dates from ancient India.
Backgammon is apparently very old. It was originally called Nard, circa 3000 BCE and from Iran. Hounds and Jackals is a game from ancient Egypt. Unfortunately, the rules have been lost. Astapada is from ancient India but we also don’t know the game anymore. Chutes and Ladders may be based on Moksha-Patamu, a Hindu morality-teaching game.
While my family explored our country’s origins in Virginia at various Revolutionary War museums, we learned about how the colonists played Shut the Box. My kids were charmed to know that they had played games that the colonists had.
No matter what part of history you are studying, there is probably a relevant game you can include. Some, like Mancala, are easy to DIY, while others might be fun to create your own rules for pieces (like Hounds and Jackals). There are also free print-and-play history games as well as video games that feature history. In any case, don’t forget to play a game when you’re studying history!