New Game of the Owl

The Game of the Owl is a lively 18th-century table game that offered simple amusement in homes, taverns, and encampments alike. Easy to learn and suitable for any number of players, it was the kind of pastime enjoyed at the end of a long day, when company gathered around a table and a handful of coins provided all the stakes needed for an evening’s diversion.

Played with three dice, the rules are straightforward: players place or take coins or draughts from the center pot according to the result of each throw. Some rolls reward you, some cost you, and others keep the table laughing as fortunes shift back and forth. With no limit on how many can join in, the game works just as well for two friends as it does for a bustling group around a campfire or candlelit table.

Beautifully reproduced with period artwork featuring the watchful owl, this game makes an excellent addition to a historic household display or a welcome activity at living-history events. Quick to set up and endlessly replayable, it offers a small but charming glimpse into leisure time in the 18th century.