LUDOS Europe Collection
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LUDOS Europe Collection
Four ancient European games in one box set. A different evening for each culture, a thousand years of history in your pocket.
The LUDOS project
Four cultures, four traditions, one box set
In 2019, Lemery Games discovered Bagh Chal, a centuries-old game on the verge of being forgotten, in Nepal. That discovery led to the creation of the LUDOS series: four volumes dedicated to ancient games from four different regions of the world. Asia, Africa, America — and now Europe, the fourth and final volume of the series. Four games played by the Greeks, Romans, Celts, and the Sámi people of Lapland. A thousand or two thousand years ago, someone carved them onto stones, mosaics, house thresholds. Lemery sought them out, reconstructed them, themed them, and brought them to pocket size.
The LUDOS Europe Collection box set gathers the four games in a single box, each with its individual box, its microfiber mat with stitched edges, its wooden tokens with screen printing. No fragile cardboard, no plastic, no unnecessary miniatures. Four distinct games, each with its own identity — united by format, editorial care, and the idea that playing an ancient game means participating in a centuries-long conversation.
The four games
What the box set contains
Each game is complete, self-contained, and playable in minutes. But together they tell a map of ancient European strategy.
Petteia
The game Homer mentions in the Odyssey and which Plato compared to geometry. Greeks against Etruscans with commanders Strategos and Lars, capture by encirclement on a grid. Zero luck, pure strategy.
Sahkku
The running-fight game of the Sámi people of Northern Finland. Fifteen reindeer per side, four-sided dice, a fickle lead buck that changes allegiance. Luck and tactics intertwined.
Brandubh
The Gaelic "Black Raven," the smallest tafl game. A Celtic King + 4 defenders against 8 Vikings on a 7x7 grid. Real artifacts found at Ballinderry and Downpatrick. Strong asymmetry and ruthless rules.
Bear Hunt
The Roman hunt game carved on thresholds of houses and temples. One bear against three gladiators on the Roman wheel, no captures, victory by stalemate or by surviving 40 turns. The simplest, the fastest.
Why the box set
Six reasons to get the collection
Four different genres
These are not four variations of the same game. Petteia is a symmetric abstract, Sahkku a running-fight with dice, Brandubh an asymmetric tafl, Bear Hunt a hunt game without captures. Each evening you choose the right game.
All quick
Ten minutes for Bear Hunt, twenty for Petteia, half an hour for Brandubh, up to 45 for Sahkku. None require an entire evening. Play during an aperitif, lunch break, or while traveling.
Quality materials
Microfiber mats with stitched edges, wooden tokens with screen printing, anti-scratch linen boxes with UV and embossing. It feels like playing with something straight out of the British Museum, international reviews say.
Collector's box
The four games come in individual boxes, collected in a dedicated Collector's Box (approx. 21×21 cm). It stands on a shelf like an art book, opening like a travel suitcase.
Narrative rulebooks
LUDOS manuals do more than just explain the rules: they tell the historical context, archaeological sources, and regional variants. Reading them is already a journey through ancient European cultures.
Ethical project
Lemery Games donates games to schools around the world — one game donated for every two Collection Boxes sold during Kickstarter campaigns. Buying LUDOS Europe is also supporting a cultural project, not just a product.
Inside the box set
What you find when you open it
Individual boxes
Each game has its own laminated anti-scratch linen box, with dedicated UV graphics and embossing. Each weighs approximately 110 grams.
Fabric mats
Microfiber playmats with stitched edges, washable, rollable. Decorative designs dedicated to each culture — Greek, Sami, Celtic, Roman.
Wooden tokens
Flat wooden pieces with dedicated screen printing. Greeks and Etruscans for Petteia, reindeer for Sahkku, Celts and Vikings for Brandubh, bear and gladiators for Bear Hunt.
Satin bags
Durable fabric pouches to carry each game in your pocket. They also serve as containers if you prefer to keep the individual boxes at home.
Special components
Four-sided dice for Sahkku, turn tracker for Bear Hunt. Nothing superfluous, every component serves a specific mechanic.
Narrative rulebooks
Rulebooks printed on linen paper with gloss varnish. They explain the rules but also recount the historical origins, sources, and archaeological curiosities of each game.
What they say abroad
Reviews of the series
"LUDOS Europe feels like a collection you come back to rather than work through once. Games you learn, forget a little, and then relearn."
LUDOS Europe is a collection you return to, rather than just completing once. Games you learn, forget a little, and then relearn.
— Tabletopping Games
"The lovely pieces and fabric mats are not only a joy to play with, but do justice to the loving authenticity the game is trying to achieve, with the feeling like you're playing something straight out of the British Museum."
The beautiful pieces and fabric mats are not only a joy to play with, but they do justice to the loving authenticity the game strives to achieve, giving the feeling that you are playing something straight out of the British Museum.
— Zatu Games
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about the LUDOS Europe Collection
Is the box set better value than individual games?
Yes, strongly. Purchased separately, the four games cost significantly more, and the Collector's Box cannot be purchased alone — it is only included in the Collection. Not to mention that having all four games together multiplies your playing opportunities: different evening, different game.
Are they all for two players?
Yes. All four games are exclusively for two players, like most ancient abstract games. They are perfect for couples, one-on-one matches, and brainy challenges. They are not designed for large groups: for those, there are party games.
Which game do you recommend to start with?
Bear Hunt is the most immediate: rules in three sentences, 15 minutes per game, no captures. From there, move on to Petteia for those who want a more challenging symmetric abstract, Brandubh for Celtic-Viking asymmetry, Sahkku for those who accept the randomness of dice in the tradition of the Sámi people.
What language are the rulebooks in?
The LUDOS Europe edition exists in a multilingual version and an English version. Language dependence during the game is zero — the mats only have symbols and grids, the tokens are identifiable at a glance. Once the rules are read, the product's language is irrelevant.
Are they suitable for children and families?
Yes, from 8 years old and up. Bear Hunt also works for younger children if parents explain the basics. Brandubh and Petteia are excellent gateways to strategic thinking. Sahkku is the most "adult" due to the dice and complexity — but even a child can enjoy it.
Are there any expansions or add-ons?
Yes. During the Kickstarter, Lemery Games released "Heroes" and "Challenges of Europe" mini-expansions, as well as the "Oracles" pack, which introduces custom dice and new thematic rules (Zeus' lightning for Petteia, ravens for Brandubh, etc.). These are optional add-ons — the core collection is already complete.
Is this the last volume in the series?
Yes. LUDOS Europe is the fourth and final volume in the series. After Asia (Japanese, Mongolian, Nepalese, Korean games), Africa (Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar), America (Chile, Guatemala, Hawaii, American Southwest), Europe completes the world tour. Lemery has announced that the next project will be set in Japan, but outside the LUDOS series.
LUDOS Europe Collection is the box set for the fourth and final volume in Lemery Games' LUDOS series, dedicated to ancient European games. It includes 4 traditional abstract board games for 2 players: Petteia (Ancient Greece, symmetrical abstract with capture by encirclement, Greeks vs Etruscans), Sahkku (Finnish Lapland, Sami people, running-fight game with four-sided dice and a turncoat lead buck), Brandubh (Medieval Ireland, 7×7 asymmetrical tafl with a Celtic King + 4 defenders vs 8 Vikings), Bear Hunt (Roman Empire, hunt game 1 bear vs 3 gladiators on a "Roman wheel" pattern without captures). Ages 8+, game duration 10-45 minutes, pocket format. Components: microfiber mats with stitched edges, wooden pawns with screen printing, scratch-resistant linen boxes with UV and embossing, satin bags, illustrated rulebooks with historical context. Collector's Box organizer included (approx. 21×21 cm format). 2026 Lemery & Co. Edition. Available on FroGames.it for €64.99.
LUDOS Europe Collection
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