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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 1d

ICYMI: Here's my exploration of Amsterdam's history through board games

One of the great cities of Europe celebrates its 750th birthday this year – Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, famous for tolerance, trade, and tulips. While the earliest settlements in the reg…

cliosboardgames.wordpress.com

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 2d

16th and 17th century Amsterdam was a vibrant laboratory of capitalism - and has thus become a popular subject of board games:

Amsterdam in History and Board Games

One of the great cities of Europe celebrates its 750th birthday this year – Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, famous for tolerance, trade, and tulips. While the earliest settlements in the reg…

cliosboardgames.wordpress.com

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Reposted by Clio's Board Games

Alison Fisk @alisonfisk.bsky.social · 2d

The Royal Game of Ur is the world’s oldest playable boardgame!

Played by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia about 4,500 years ago!

It is a two-player race game, the rules of which have been deciphered from a cuneiform tablet.

Game from the Royal Cemetery of Ur. 📷 British Museum

#Archaeology

British Museum photo showing a two-player board game with gaming counters known as the Royal Game of Ur. Dated c. 2,500 BC.

The game board is composed of a hollow box made of wood adorned with shell plaques. There is a drawer at one end for storing game pieces and dice. The top of the board is covered with twenty square-shaped off-white shell plaques, each bordered with dark-blue lapis lazuli. The shell squares are intricately decorated with blue inlaid patterns including dots inside circles and eye-shapes. Five squares are inlaid with flower-shaped rosettes with red limestone and blue lapis lazuli petals.

The game board is roughly rectangular in shape. Viewed from above in the photo, on the left side of the board is a block of 12 squares made up of 4 across by 3 down. On the right side of the board is a block of 6 squares made up of 2 across by 3 down. The two blocks are joined by two squares extending between the second square down on the end row of the left block and the second square down on the first row of the second block.

Dimensions H: 2.40 cm, L: 30.10 cm, W: 11 cm, (W 5.70 cm at narrowest part)

Beneath the board are 14 disc-shaped gaming counters. On the left are 7 white pieces, inlaid with 5 spots of blue lapis lazuli. On the right are 7 black pieces inlaid with five white spots.

Between the game pieces are three tetrahedron-shaped dice. L to R: Dark blue, brown, cream.

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 4d

During the religious struggles of the 16th century, Amsterdam adopted a rare posture - tolerance. Not a popular choice with overlord Philip II of Spain! Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/10/05/a...

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 6d

Thank you! Amsterdam is certainly a unique place. You'd enjoy it!

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Reposted by Clio's Board Games

Dave - Need a Con Soon! @whovian223.bsky.social · 6d

What a great post on a very beautiful city!

Want to go there some day

Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 6d

Ever been to Amsterdam? Here are some board games reflecting the city's rich history:
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/10/05/a...

Amsterdam in History and Board Games

One of the great cities of Europe celebrates its 750th birthday this year – Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, famous for tolerance, trade, and tulips. While the earliest settlements in the reg…

cliosboardgames.wordpress.com

1 1 1

Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 6d

Ever been to Amsterdam? Here are some board games reflecting the city's rich history:
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/10/05/a...

Amsterdam in History and Board Games

One of the great cities of Europe celebrates its 750th birthday this year – Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, famous for tolerance, trade, and tulips. While the earliest settlements in the reg…

cliosboardgames.wordpress.com

2 6

Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 9d

Christopher Duffy often notes the quality advantage of Prussia's army early in the Seven Years' War - neatly captured by the card-dealing mechanism in Friedrich. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/09/21/f...

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 11d

Frederick, the general, Frederick, the king - two different expressions of the same person in #Friedrich. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/09/21/f...

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 13d

From Roßbach to Leuthen: Hard to pull off for Frederick the Great, almost harder for players of Friedrich. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/09/21/f...

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 15d

ICYMI: Here's my book/game pairing on Prussia in the Seven Years' War!

Frederick the Great. A Military Life / Friedrich (Book & Game, #4)

It’s been a minute three years since we last had a book & game pairing on this blog! Today, we’re looking at Prussia in the Seven Years’ War (1756—1763). Our book & game for this topic are …

cliosboardgames.wordpress.com

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 15d

Some great & dramatic games we had!

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Reposted by Clio's Board Games

The Boardgames Chronicle @thebrdgmschronicle.bsky.social · 15d

Julius Caesar from Columbia Games is one of the classic wargames. We had a pleasure - again, thanks to #RallyTheTroops - to play it several times with @cliosboardgames.bsky.social. And below I am presenting several exciting session reports from this! Enjoy!
theboardgameschronicle.com/2025/09/26/j...

Julius Caesar – exciting sessions via Rally the Troops

We have played with Clio already several games on Rally the Troops – not being able to often see each other live, this is our main and preferred option to spend time together with the boardga…

theboardgameschronicle.com

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 17d

Inside Frederick the Great's mind... in a book and a board game: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/09/21/f...

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Reposted by Clio's Board Games

Alan Fisher @amfisher.bsky.social · 18d

The Year of the Four Emperors: The Game.

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Reposted by Clio's Board Games

JoeA64 @joea64.bsky.social · 18d

Covered in more detail in DG's 2003 game "Ignorant Armies".

boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/10...

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 18d

Looks like a bunch of barbarians ready to sack Rome... but in fact it's four would-be emperors and their 200,000 best friends!

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Reposted by Clio's Board Games

The Boardgames Chronicle @thebrdgmschronicle.bsky.social · 18d

They said: come to Rome, spend some time, it is nice & cozy. Then all of them arrived & caused a brawl!
Time of Crisis with @whovian223.bsky.social, @cliosboardgames.bsky.social & @playersaidblog.bsky.social on #RallyTheTroops. One of the most hilarious ends & tie-breakers!
@gmtgames.bsky.social

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 18d

#OTD 45 years ago, the Iran-Iraq war began. Both countries exhausted themselves in the process of the war. (Image from #TwilightStruggle @jasondcmatthews.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social)

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 19d

Book & Game: Frederick the Great. A Military Life (Christopher Duffy) and Friedrich (Richard Sivél, Histogame):

Frederick the Great. A Military Life / Friedrich (Book & Game, #4)

It’s been a minute three years since we last had a book & game pairing on this blog! Today, we’re looking at Prussia in the Seven Years’ War (1756—1763). Our book & game for this topic are …

cliosboardgames.wordpress.com

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 22d

It does... but I feel it's getting better!

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Reposted by Clio's Board Games

GMT Games @gmtgames.bsky.social · 22d

Check out our latest InsideGMT article from @cliosboardgames.bsky.social: "The War of Independence Through the Lens of Washington’s War, Liberty or Death, and Imperial Struggle" insidegmt.com/the-war-of-i...

The War of Independence Through the Lens of Washington’s War, Liberty or Death, and Imperial Struggle

After a somewhat longer break, we’re back with the American Revolution! We had concluded last time with the French entry into the war on the American side. Today, we’ll look at the cooperation betw…

insidegmt.com

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 22d

#OTD 60 years ago, Ludwig Erhard’s CDU won the federal election in Germany – the zenith of Erhard’s short chancellorship. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2022/05/01/l...

Ludwig Erhard (Chancellor Ratings, #1)

Last year, I have inaugurated a new irregular series on my blog assessing the merits of UK prime ministers (illustrated through the lens of a single board game each). The rating system seemed robus…

cliosboardgames.wordpress.com

Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 23d

I think it's a simple, effective model of realistic uncertainty. Also makes away with some of the last-turn shenanigans so often encountered in games.

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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 23d

The defeat at Yorktown eroded the parliamentary support of Lord North, British prime minister. When his government was toppled, the way for peace was open (image from #WashingtonsWar @markherman54.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social). Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/09/07/t...

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