Stick games are ancient and prevalent in all cultures. In India, the Buddha games list, which dates back to the time of Gautama Buddha (c. 563-483 BCE), mentions the game of pick-up sticks.

In China, the sticks were used for divination, then later on as a gambling game. The game spread to Korea and Japan, and even to North America - the Haida Native Americans of British Columbia, and certain tribes in California (e.g., the Lenape).

It's not clear if, how or when these Asian games were introduced to North America, though if they were not simply invented another time in America, it had to be very early, via the land bridge across the Bering Strait or by ship across the Pacific Ocean.

Herodotus wrote that he had seen in 450 BCE a game played by the Scythians that was also known by the Teutons as a play of oracle named "Zitterwackel" (jitter whobble). There is also a resemblance to the "casting of lots" mentioned in the Bible.

In China (and Japan), a similar oracle was known, based on the Book of Changes (I Ching, Yijing, eki divination). A handful of sticks is scattered to base the reading of destiny (also in respect to the calendar) called "Chien Tung" in which a stick is called an "emperor stick." This oracle practice was most common around the 12th century during the civil wars, when Zen Buddhist monks were advisors of the warlords.

In the 16th century, the Tsuchimikado house in Japan adapted the astrology and calendar sciences from China and possibly also the Chien Tung oracle. A dated term for the Japanese emperor is Mikado.

In the 17th century, the Jonchets (French) game is mentioned in references.

The Haida (Native Americans) had also a pick-up sticks (Haida) game.

The Mikado pick-up sticks variant was brought from Europe (Hungary) in 1936 to the United States and became quite popular.