Through the Ages
In the beginning…
GOD GAMES
Words by Sam Desatoff
In many ways, playing a board game is a lot like playing god. The player, an omnipotent being that exists above the game’s world and denizens, influences elements that exist outside the control of ordinary people. That may be a bit of a stretch, but there are many games that quite literally drop players into the role of gods. Whether it’s the gods of Greek mythology, gods of chaos in the Warhammer universe, or elemental spirits defending their home island from the threat of colonial invasion, there are numerous ways to flex your divine rights.
One of the earliest examples of a game casting players as a god is from 1938. Helios is an abstract Chess-like game where the pieces represent various mythological gods. The game’s analogue for the king is the titular sun god, Helios. The other pieces are named after the pagan gods of ancient Rome. For the most part, Helios plays out like Chess, just with different takes on classic movement abilities.