LUDOS Europe Petteia
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Twenty minutes where every move counts. No dice, no cards, just you and your opponent. In the end, one of you will have learned something.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A tactical duel spanning millennia
Petteia (or Latrunculorum, 'the game of thieves') is an abstract battle game played in ancient Rome, probably inherited from the Greeks and Egyptians even earlier. Historians debate everything: board size, number of pieces, exact rules. But one thing is certain: Moshe Callen did the hard work, cross-referencing literary sources and archaeological finds to formalize a playable version. Published by nestorgames, the game lives on today as a testament to millennia of strategy.
Move your pieces on a grid, one square at a time. You capture an opponent's piece when you manage to surround it between two of your own pieces. The winner is the one who eliminates all enemy pieces. No luck, no bluff: just position, timing, and the ability to see two moves ahead. Like chess, but with a more ancient and brutal soul.
What they say abroad
A direct bridge to the games of antiquity.
— FroGames
Simple rules, surprising depth. As all abstracts should be.
— FroGames
Petteia
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsThe elements of the field
What you find in the game
The grid
An orthogonal board (8x8, 10x10 or variants). Each square is a tactical position. No special squares, no terrain: just pure geometric space.
The pieces
Two colors, two armies. They move one square orthogonally. Their relative position is everything: an isolated piece is dead, a cohesive group is a fortress.
The capture
You surround an enemy piece between two of your own: you capture it. Simple to understand, devastating to experience. The heart of the game lies here.
The objective
Eliminate all opposing pieces. Or, in some variants, move two pieces to the enemy backline. Depends on the version you choose to play.
In twenty minutes you'll understand why the Romans played it between conquests. And you'll want a rematch.
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Deployment
The pieces occupy the first two (or three) rows on each side. The board is symmetrical, the situation is even. No one has an advantage yet. You look at the grid and search for a gap, a weak point, a line to force.
The first moves
You advance a piece. Your opponent responds. The first moves are cautious: no one wants to leave a piece exposed. But someone has to open the front. The first capture almost always comes from a positioning error.
The central battle
Pieces intertwine in the center. Each move opens one threat and covers another. You calculate two moves ahead, but your opponent calculates three. A chain capture can turn the game around in thirty seconds.
The critical moment
One side has lost too many pieces. Or a risky move has left a hole. The winner begins to emerge. But one mistake is enough to reopen everything: an uncovered piece, a missed capture.
Endgame
The last pieces fall. The board empties. The one who best read the field wins, who forced the error, who held the most solid position. No dice save you. Honor to the winner, immediate rematch to the loser.
How to play
The flow of each turn
There are no complex phases. Each turn is one move, and that move can change everything.
You can move any of your pieces still in play. There are no special pieces, no hierarchies: all move in the same way.
One square orthogonally (up, down, right, left). You cannot jump over pieces, you cannot move diagonally. The grid is rigid and this rigidity is tactical.
If your move has surrounded an enemy piece between two of yours, you capture it and remove it from the board. You can capture multiple pieces in a single move if the positions align.
The opponent moves. And the cycle restarts until one of the two has no more pieces in play.
Why it's different from others
Six elements that make a difference
Historical roots
It's not a modern abstract. It's a game played by the Romans, perhaps even earlier. Literary sources mention it, archaeological finds show its boards. Moshe Callen reconstructed it by cross-referencing historical evidence and plausible mechanics.
Capture by encirclement
You don't eliminate enemy pieces by jumping them or reaching them: you surround them between two of your pieces. This means that every isolated piece is a target, and every compact group is a threat. The geometry of the board becomes everything.
Total symmetry
No advantage to the first player, no setup asymmetry. You both start with the same number of pieces and the same position. The better player wins, no excuses.
Zero luck
You don't roll dice, you don't draw cards, you don't flip tiles. Every move is a decision. Every defeat is a lesson. Nothing to blame but yourself and your opponent.
Speed
Twenty minutes. No more. Perfect as a filler, as an evening opener, as a quick challenge before dinner. Or as a marathon of ten consecutive games until one of the two admits the other's tactical superiority.
Historical variants
The game allows for multiple versions: different boards (8×8, 10×10, 12×8), variable number of pieces, alternative victory conditions (eliminate all or move two pieces to the back row). Choose the variant you prefer and make it your standard.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when one of the two players achieves the objective. No draws, no points: only victory or defeat.
Victory
- You eliminate all opponent's pieces from the board
- (Variant) You move two of your pieces to the enemy's back line
- (Variant) The opponent can no longer make legal moves
Defeat
- You lose all your pieces
- You have no more legal moves available
- The opponent reaches their victory condition before you do
Petteia is a bridge to antiquity. Simple rules, tactical depth, zero compromises. If you love pure abstract games, this is a piece of history to play.
Frequently asked questions
Petteia FAQ
Do the original rules really exist?
No, there is no complete rulebook that has been handed down. Historians have reconstructed the game from literary sources (citations from Roman authors) and archaeological finds (boards and pieces discovered). Moshe Callen formalized a playable version by cross-referencing this evidence. It is a plausible reconstruction, not an absolute certainty.
How difficult is it?
The rules can be explained in three sentences. The difficulty lies in tactical reading: every move opens threats and closes defenses. A five-year-old can understand how to play, but it takes practice to play well. Like checkers, but more brutal.
Is it better than other similar abstract games?
It depends on what you're looking for. Petteia is simpler than chess (no special pieces), more direct than checkers (capture by encirclement instead of jumping), faster than Go. If you want an essential and historical abstract game, this is hard to beat. If you want extreme complexity, look elsewhere.
Can I play different variants?
Yes. Historical versions differed in board size (8×8, 10×10, 12×8), number of pieces (from 16 to 36 per player), and victory conditions (total elimination or race to the back row). Choose the variant you prefer and play it as standard. nestorgames includes rules for the most accredited versions.
Is it available in English?
The edition for sale is in English. But Petteia is a text-free abstract game: the pieces have no written abilities, the board is an empty grid. You only need to understand the rules (also available online in Italian), after which the product's language is irrelevant.
Petteia is an abstract game for 2 players of Roman origin, playable in 20 minutes and accessible from 5 years old and up. Designed by Moshe Callen for nestorgames, the game reconstructs an ancient tactical battle on a grid where you capture opponent's pieces by surrounding them between two of your pieces. No dice, no cards: just pure strategy and tactical geometry. Perfect as a cerebral filler or as an introduction to abstract games for younger players. Available on FroGames.it.
LUDOS Europe Petteia
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