{
  "id": 11063113,
  "title": "TIL what may or may not be the oldest board game in recorded history is also, perhaps inevitably, now a roguelike",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/til-what-may-or-may-not-be-the-oldest-board-game-in-recorded-history",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-01T00:16:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PC Gamer",
    "slug": "pc-gamer",
    "url": "https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/til-what-may-or-may-not-be-the-oldest-board-game-in-recorded-history-is-also-perhaps-inevitably-now-a-roguelike/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Oh!Ware is a new roguelike on Steam that may be based on the oldest board game in recorded history, mancala. Mancala is believed to be around 6000 BC in age, though evidence of the game is newer, dating to around 500-600 AD. The deckbuilder game has only received 23 reviews so far. The game features marbles in place of cards, with players collecting mana and killing enemies, including a spider. Players are presented with a typical \"pick three\" option, but with amusing choices like \"blessing marble\" and \"aggro marble.\"",
  "summary": "Oh!Ware on Steam slaps a little Slay the Spire onto a 5000-year-old game.",
  "key_points": [
    "Oh!Ware is a new roguelike on Steam",
    "May be based on 6,000-year-old mancala",
    "Features marbles instead of cards"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Transforming the ancient game of mancala into a roguelike deckbuilder signals a fresh adaptation of classic gameplay into modern digital genres, potentially appealing to new audiences.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}