Heavy WatUR in Flotation Case: Royal Game of Ur hot

*** New! All Royal Game of Ur games have been marked down 21% for 2021, right off the top instead of a discount so it lowers VAT. ***

The ancient game known as the Royal Game of Ur originated over four thousand years ago in Mesopotamia. It was discovered in a royal tomb in Ur by Sir Leonard Woolley, archeologist from the British Museum. Rather than copy the original artifact closely I made up new designs for the twenty squares based on Sumerian artifacts depicting the God of Water. The board is decorated with fish, swirls, turtles, and mountain goats. The center star is combined with the river. I call this version WatUR.

Two players race their stones around a path on the board to try to finish first. You can bump the other player's stones off the board if you land on a square they occupy. Stars are lucky. You get another turn if you land on a star. You're also safe on stars and can't be bumped off.

When one player gets ahead by moving stones off the board, the other player gains an advantage by having more stones to use to bump their opponent. Often the game is so close that both players are rolling two, three, four times, waiting for the exact right roll to bear off their last stone and win the game.

Making this game has been a year long process. See www.beachton.com for details on how this item is made. I have partners making the boards from my design. I also have someone laser cutting the fabric and engraving the dice and stones with vector files provide by me. I do all the sewing and finishing myself in my lab in Beachton.

My photos show a unique aspect of this game. It's totally waterproof. And the carrying case floats. I call the case the presURver. The three individual pURses that hold the dice and stones and the expansion also float. All of these items are made of Solarmax nylon that is UV resistant and water repellant.

The outdoor level of durability is not necessary to enjoy the game, just a side effect of my design. It is a handy case to throw in a backpack to take to a coffee shop, free from worry that it will get ruined with flavoring syrup. The case can be wiped off with a wet cloth and the board, dice and stones can be washed like dishes. While the game is technically dishwasher safe it would be better to just wash everything by hand and dry it with a towel rather than risk losing parts in the bottom of the dishwasher.

The gold pURse contains ElabURation, based on an ancient cuneiform tablet describing how to gamble on the Royal Game of Ur, and FloURishes, which is an additional aspect I totally made up. I recommend learning the basic game first. Try the expansions together and separately to change up your strategy and keep your mind nimble.

If you have serious plans to take this game on a boat I can print the rules on Rite-in-the-Rain paper so they are also waterproof. There is a $2 upcharge to cover the high price of this paper. (I only bought 25 sheets.) Standard rules are laser printed on regular bond paper. See the Finish options to select waterproof rules.

This game works sitting across from each other at a dining table or sitting side by side on the couch at a coffee table. You simply orient the board vertically if you are sitting side by side and horizontally between you if you are facing one another. I can custom make a table cloth for you in this complementary green flannel as seen in the photos above. Message me the dimensions you need and I'll give you a price.

Three player board orientation hot suggestions are detailed in the rules.

Dimensions:
PresURver with game inside:
13 3/4" x 5 1/2" x 1" (350 mm x 140 mm x 25 mm)

Board alone:
12 3/4" x 4 7/8" x 1/16" (324 mm x 124 mm x 1.6 mm)

pURses:
4 1/4" x 3 1/2" x 7/8" (filled) (108 mm x 89 mm)

I look forward to shipping some of these overseas. Enter your information for a price for International First Class Shipping.