Controls

You play by throwing for movement and advancing a piece. Tap to throw, then choose which piece to move along the snake's spiral.

The spiral path is what sets Mehen apart:

• Spiraling in and out means moving your pieces inward along the snake's coils to the head at the center, then turning around and traveling back outward to finish.
• Turning at the head requires an exact throw. You can only round the corner at the snake's head with the right roll, so the center of the board is a natural bottleneck.

Landing on a rival's piece sets it back, which is the main way to interfere with your opponent.

The first player to bring every piece home wins. Against the computer, the difficulty rises across eight levels.

Tips

• Plan for the exact throw at the head. Since turning at the snake's head needs a precise roll, keep an eye on how close your pieces are to the center so you're not left stuck waiting for the right number.
• Set rivals back when you can. Landing on an opponent's piece pushes it back, so look for chances to interfere, especially with pieces that have made good progress along the coils.
• Spread your pieces along the spiral. Advancing several pieces rather than one keeps you flexible and means a single setback can't ruin your whole race.
• Watch the bottleneck at the center. The head is where pieces cluster and can be set back, so timing your approach to the center carefully avoids getting caught there by a rival.
• Keep a piece in reserve for awkward throws. Having a piece that can absorb an inconvenient roll without harm means you're rarely forced into a move that exposes a more advanced piece.
• Enjoy the mystery. Because the original rules are lost, Mehen is as much a piece of history as a game, so part of the fun is simply playing something the ancient Egyptians once did.

Frequently asked questions