Knucklebones or Astragalus is quite possibly the oldest tabletop game. At the very least, it is the oldest game archeologists have discovered, with its implements dating into pre-history. Certainly it’s the oldest tabletop game to have survived history, as it is still played today. The oldest discovered gaming implement is the astragali or knucklebones of sheep. These were used as dice for divination and gaming, since the bones have 4 unique sides that it can land on at random. Archeologists have discovered a connection between magic and gaming going into pre-history and the astragali are central to this theory. The game of Knucklebones has been independently invented by cultures around the world that have had no contact with one another. The game is simple, we know it as Jacks in our modern time. Here is how to play.

• Knucklebones are cast onto a surface.

• A stone is tossed into the air

• The player must grab as many knucklebones as they can

• The player must catch the stone they tossed, or all knucklebones they grabbed are forfeit.

• The player who is able to collect the most knucklebones in their turn is the winner.

Knucklebones will be the central mechanic used for checks throughout the game. Different demons will have the ability to affect outcomes or change the check entirely. Examples include forcing do-over of the stone toss, or changing the knucklebone check into a dice roll or coin toss. Demons will use their unique abilities during their encounter. If the player has any demons bound to them, they can activate a demon’s ability once per encounter.