Duodecim Scripta, Tabula and how the modern game of backgammon came about!

The Game Backgammon came from that of a few old games as it evolved over the era's of play, and the original origins can be traced back to Duodecim Scripta, a old roman game played in inns and such places.

Duodecim Scripta was found in a silver mirror from the second or third century B.C.E
On the mirror's reverse side is an engraving of a young man and a damsel seated at a gaming table ,both dressed lightly. The translated words on the mirror are believed to be "I believe I have won." and the other word "Ofeinod" meaning is unknown.

The Game is a two player racing game, that is meant to last or be played for about 30 mins in duration time and needs a Special game board, with 15 pieces of their colour choice, plus three six sided dice.

The game starts with the piece off the board and build up, they can't move out of the home place in the middle in till you have filled and stacked the board, once this A/home row is filled then you move up to the top right of the board and move left along the top of the board and then once that is done down to the bottom and move right till the final phase of the game.

To move the pieces on the board you throw three dice and can use all the 3 dice as one or 2 dice for 1 and 1 for 1 or all 3 dice for 1 piece each, and on the final phase you use one dice to get the end of the board and off, if you don't get the number for off the board then you need to wait for the next turn or move another piece if possible.


The game has a blocking mechanic to help build strategy in the game, meaning moving pieces to help block or to advance has a choice and means you have to choose between safety or progression and know where or when to move, or even how to move the pieces in what line-up.

Capturing a piece is basic to if there is a single piece , it can be taken, if there is a stack of pieces then it can not be taken and helps save your pieces and slow your opponent limiting the choice they have.

The winner is the first one to get all the pieces of the board before the opponent and thus gaining a point, If the winner wins 10 times, they gain the title of Ultimate winner.

Let's now move on to Tabula and talk about how this game is a version that was iterated and changed to improve the game of Duodecim Scripta; So Tabula was a game populate with the Romans era and this solved the template for the game Backgammon as we know it today.

The game of Tabula was a race game, played with 2 players, with a game being about 25 minutes long and involving a board, 15 pieces for each player and 3 dice.

This game builds on the last ones mechanics but fixes moving and stacking to a point. The player must finish and get the pieces off the board, making progression force struggle between the players.

and thus we have the modern game of backgammon was iterated into existence!