Designed by: Anthony J. Gallela,Eric Goldberg,Kevin Maroney,Zev Shlasinger
Tales of the Arabian Nights is a game unlike most others on GNG – it’s not really strategic, there is almost no interaction (on the board, at least) and each time you play it you’ll have an entirely new experience. For some, it’s a misfire, but for the right group, it’s perfection.
Based on an older game with the same name, which was in turn based on the famous tales themselves, the game intertwines the legends and mythology of Arabia into a game rich in theme and story. Each player takes a role and a quest that character hopes to complete. Then the game itself simply sees you moving around the board (a map of the Middle East, Europe and North Africa) encountering different people and interacting with them. What you encounter and how you choose to react dictates your story – your experience of, and progress in, the game – much the same mechanic as a choose-your-own-adventure book except because of the canny way it is constructed, with a lot more choice.
The game comes with a thick Book of Tales, and from this your own story will be told. Say you encounter a wicked hag, there are numerous choices you can make. Run? Fight? Bargain! Plead? Hide? Or try to court her, perhaps. There is much hilarity to be had as your choices take you unexpected directions, or backfire completely. But don’t assume the whole game is entirely random – because as your story unfolds, you will also be developing skills based on your experiences – and these skills inform the choices you make as the game progresses, giving you an incremental sense of control over your destiny…
Players stories see them advance along two tracks: story and destiny. When one has reached a pre-determined place on these tracks, they must return to their starting position of Baghdad to end the game.
There's quite a bit of Take That from the game. You might be imprisoned, cursed, burned, stabbed, or worse. But the other players will be busy with their own problems...
Very low. When it's not your turn you have the opportunity to be impressed, envious or amused by your fellow players travails.
None really. You do have to make a decision about how you react in an encounter, but there are no secret strategies or optimal moves.
Yes it's long (although you can easily make a house rule that ends games quicker) but it's also fun and occasionally hilarious. The initial faff over how the stories are generated (lists, reaction matrices, destiny die, tales) subsides as play continues and everyone gets a turn to read from the book, which is almost as much fun as taking your own turn.
1-6
Players
12+
Years
120+
Mins
Sam says
At first I couldn't think what to make of Tales of the Arabian Nights. It doesn't fit many of the characteristics you associate with games, as somebody playing randomly or erratically is just as likely to win as somebody trying to be shrewd or sensible. But there was a genuine air of mystery and expectation about how your own story would pan out - as well as genuine hysterics over the weird, illogical, and potentially disastrous encounters of all the players. Something about it is really wonderful, and I imagine for families especially this would go down well.