Nefertiti

In Nefertiti players represent ambassadors of the Pharaoh in ancient Egypt, sent far and wide to collect presents for his wife – the Nefertiti of the title – on their anniversary.

To do this players send their ambassador pieces to bidding spots in several markets around the board, and as soon a a certain set of conditions are met – these vary from market to market – the market closes, and players with ambassadors there can claim the available ‘presents’. The highest bidder must pay their bid into the market and can choose between collecting two presents, or one that comes with a Royal Seal – more on the seals in a minute.

It’s then the next highest bidders’ turn and they can choose to pay their bid and collect one present or collect half the money in the market, rounded up. There is limited money in the game – with no ‘bank’ the available cash is always in play – either with the players or in the markets, so everyone has to manage their finances while they collect their presents. And the presents themselves have different amount of kudos in the eyes of the Pharaoh – not only in terms of what they are (necklaces, for instance, will impress him more than a chair) but how many players are delivering the same present. The more players sharing the same set the less impressed the Pharaoh will be, and the less points they contribute in your quest for victory!

The Royal Seals bring an extra bit of intrigue – they can score you points at the end of the game, or you can cash them in for character cards, which give you an immediate special action: swapping gifts with another player, immediately scoring a set, or placing an extra ambassador on your turn.

The rules are comparatively simple, but the shifting markets and changing strategies of the players make Nefertiti a game with a lot of variation.