Senet, known also as Senat, was an ancient Egyptian board race game at least five thousand years old. Archaeological findings show that this very popular game was was associated with the Book of the Dead, especially to the Egyptian belief of the resurrection of the ba, the Egyptian notion of soul.
The relation of board games to death is a phenomenon that is not limited to ancient Egypt, or ancient times in general. Historical sources witness that it was at least equally widespread in medieval times. Games placed on ancient and medieval tombs are found in various places of the world, which means that the relation of games to death and the soul was a cross-cultural phenomenon.