Directions for the Ancient Egyptian Hyena Game

•  The game is played on a one legged table with a circular top shaped like a snake.

• Players each begin with six marbles and one lion. Throw sticks determine movement.

Players start at the tail, along the outer edge of the board, and move towards the center where the snake’s head rests. The players race to the center with their marble-like pieces. Once a marble reaches center, turns back out and reaches start again, the lion piece is put into play. This predatory piece is then used to capture (eat) an opponent’s marble pieces.

The throwing of 1 allows a player to move his marble piece initially onto the board. Any 1’s thrown after all pieces are placed on the board, are kept track of, for later use. Taking turns, each player rows and moves their pieces inward (or outward if returning). Upon exact roll, a player can reach center. Here, a player must roll two 1’s or have two 1’s stored up, to begin on the return path out.

Once a player has returned a marble to start, his lion begins; moving twice as fast. Upon reaching center, the lion must roll or have four 1’s stored in order to head back out. As the lion moves towards start, he captures any opponent’s marble pieces he meets. (If a player lands on the space of another lion, that lion returns to start). The winner is the person whose lion first captures all of his opponent’s marbles.

Suggested throwstick values for movement :