Idea for a variant - comments?

[Murrur]

As senet is 4500 years old game, it is quite unique. It may have had many different rulesets throughout the time.

Many players would probably agree with me, that it's quite random on last stone(s). When players play well, it's mostly about good luck. This one change would make it more strategic and it could make tournaments more about skill and less about luck (as the game is otherwise more strategic than the last stones).

So my idea is:

Why not let players take 1, 2 or 3 times during the game a movement token instead of actually moving. When player takes a token, their turn is skipped (no extra turns) and they get a token with movement that they threw. E.g. if you get 5 from sticks, you could take value 5 movement token and end your turn. Later when you need it (e.g. when you are in House of Beauty) you could spend that 5 movement token. Meanwhile this token taking could also save player from horrible move they don't want to take. So there would be double benefit, but as the tokens are limited (to one or two per game) you have to be mindful when is the right time to take the token and when to use it.

With this change, the end game would be more about skill and less about which sticks do you get.

[RossTigerz]

That's an interesting addition. Definitely gives the player more agency to make decisions, rather than just rolling with the luck of the draw.

I've been tinkering with a modern adaptation of Senet during lockdown. This could make an interesting additional mechanic if you don't mind me using it.

[vichy]

I also find it interesting.

[SquashEngineer]

I'm +1 for this movement mod. I may incorporate it into my real board game play.

[SimplicatusGames]

Very interesting idea. I've also thought about what to do about the randomness of getting the last piece safely across the water.

It seems like nobody has tried to implement a new version of Senet or adding this option to the current version though, in the 2 years and 2 weeks since the last comment here.

[SquashEngineer]

I believe I have seen additional Senet variant rules out there, that include bouncing an opponent from the Ankh spot all the way back to position one. I don't specifically have the link for it, however I have seen some boards with additional marked spaces added.

[SimplicatusGames]

That's very interesting! Do you know if these boards with additional markings were also archaeological artefacts or were the other markings added in modern times?

Regardless of when it's added, I think many players would appreciate a more strategic way to enter the afterlife, and not bet on pure luck for the last stone.

And that luck is also why the top ELO is not higher than it is.