Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is a quirky luck-pushing game where the players are the cousins of the famous woodcutter and discoverer of the cave of treasures, Ali Baba. Now we have found the cave as well, and rush to grab what we can – before the thieves return at midnight…

The game is comprised of a deck of cards numbering from zero to five. Each player is given 20 treasures and dealt three cards, arranging them in ascending order (left to right) face-down in front of them. In the middle of the table is a card representing the cave itself, with attendant treasures – and a second card representing the time.

On your turn you flip a single card – either another players’, or from the deck – never your own! – and the number revealed is much time you take, moving a marker around the clock card. As long as it’s not yet midnight, you can take the next available treasure from the treasure card: these escalate from 1 to 3 to 5 to 10, and so on. But if the time reaches midnight, you’re caught, and take no treasure, instead paying ten back to the general supply.

There are three special cards in the deck which if you are dealt in your starting cards must be placed either left, right, or centrally (-each card tells you where). The left-hand card – placed where someone’s lowest card would usually go – instantly moves the time to midnight. The right-hand card duplicates whatever card was played by the previous player, but plus one. And the centre doubles the value of the previously-played card!

These cards mix things up a bit, springing surprises. But a critical part of the game is communication: players can reveal or lie about what their own cards are, either encouraging busts or perhaps making sure there’s still chance to grab treasure for you on your next turn. As soon as one player breaks 80 treasures, finish the current round then count up: the richest player wins.