[cr0sh]

It probably goes back further than that; one could argue that things like Conway's LIFE implement certain aspects of the idea, as well as military "tabletop" game simulations (which go back a long ways). Other kinds of fantasy RPGs are similar, and then you have older video games on systems in the 1970s that could be considered.

But I think military and other more "physical" simulations likely pre-date all of this; these systems have their own rule systems for the various "pieces" on the "board", and use things like dice and other random number generators to determine how things progress.

There's also probably more than a few fictional stories which set up this idea as well.