What was the first board game played?

It's impossible to say with absolute certainty what the very first board game was. The history of board games stretches back thousands of years, long before written records were kept.

However, some of the earliest evidence points to games like:

* Senet: An ancient Egyptian board game, dating back to 3000 BC, that involved moving pieces across a grid. It was thought to be a game of luck and strategy, possibly with religious or spiritual significance.

* Royal Game of Ur: Another ancient board game, found in a royal tomb from Mesopotamia, around 2600 BC. This game involved rolling dice and moving pieces around a board, likely with some element of luck and strategy.

These are just two examples, and there are many other ancient board games that could be considered contenders for the "first." Ultimately, the true "first" board game is lost to the mists of time.