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The History of the Jews
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The History Of The Jews: From The Earliest Period Down To Modern Times, In Three Volumes. (Vol. 3)...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hostage (2005) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Chief of Police Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) is a man filled with turmoil. A former S.W.A.T. officer and top hostage negotiator for the Los Angeles Police Department, Talley now toils away in a quite California town where crime is light and very infrequent. The change in locales was made necessary for Jeff in the aftermath of a hostage negotiation where things did not go accordingly leaving Jeff with more questions than answers.
As if this is not bad enough, Talley is having difficulties with his wife Jane (Serena Scott Thomas), and his daughter Amanda (Rumer Willis), who is not happy with their relocation to the quiet locale or the strain that is amongst her parents as it is clear that they still love each other very much.
The quiet town is disrupted when a robbery of a successful locale business man goes horribly wrong and ends up with a dead police officer and three hostages being held in a high tech, high security home.
Jeff responds to the incident and soon finds himself dealing with the three young men who are clearly in over their head and very dangerous due to the instability of the situation. Jeff decides to call in the Sheriff’s office as he believe his police force is not suited for this sort of situation and essentially decides to wash his hands of the situation and go home.
While driving home, Jeff is carjacked by a group of individuals who show Jeff that they have taken his wife and daughter hostage and instruct him not to let anyone in or out of the house where the hostage crisis is taking place. Jeff is also instructed to not deviate in any way from his instructions under pain of immediate death for his wife and daughter. His only communication with his new handlers will be via a cell phone, and he is to resume control of the negotiations.
It is learned that there is something in the house that the people holding Jeff’s family need and are willing to resort to very extreme measure to get it.
It is at this point that the very, very gripping and entertaining setup to the film begins to slide, as the second half of the film does not come close to matching the quality of the opening segments.
There are some very good cat and mouse moments as the men in the house start to argue amongst themselves, and interact with the family inside the house. The supporting performances are solid especially those of Jennifer (Michelle Horn), who plays the daughter held captive by the trio and the eerie performance of Ben Foster as the twisted Hostage taker Mars.
Sadly the film decides to turn to a series of brutal images and sequences rather than continue to develop the characters and work the story. The characters often embark on some inane courses of action and do things that not only contradict what we know about their characters but also fly into the lapse of logic as people in their situations would never do. I would love to expand on this by referencing a segment of the film but in the interest of not spoiling the film, I will explain it as when characters are told not to do something, why would they repeatedly do it, and then continue to do so without any consequences?
It is the continued lack of common sense and the and the very over the top and lazy finale to the film that sinks what could have and should have been a much better movie as the film is clearly sunk by the awful final 40 minutes of the show. Willis does a solid job with his role but the last act of the script let him down as even a star of his magnitude and talents cant make up for the films numerous shortcomings.
As if this is not bad enough, Talley is having difficulties with his wife Jane (Serena Scott Thomas), and his daughter Amanda (Rumer Willis), who is not happy with their relocation to the quiet locale or the strain that is amongst her parents as it is clear that they still love each other very much.
The quiet town is disrupted when a robbery of a successful locale business man goes horribly wrong and ends up with a dead police officer and three hostages being held in a high tech, high security home.
Jeff responds to the incident and soon finds himself dealing with the three young men who are clearly in over their head and very dangerous due to the instability of the situation. Jeff decides to call in the Sheriff’s office as he believe his police force is not suited for this sort of situation and essentially decides to wash his hands of the situation and go home.
While driving home, Jeff is carjacked by a group of individuals who show Jeff that they have taken his wife and daughter hostage and instruct him not to let anyone in or out of the house where the hostage crisis is taking place. Jeff is also instructed to not deviate in any way from his instructions under pain of immediate death for his wife and daughter. His only communication with his new handlers will be via a cell phone, and he is to resume control of the negotiations.
It is learned that there is something in the house that the people holding Jeff’s family need and are willing to resort to very extreme measure to get it.
It is at this point that the very, very gripping and entertaining setup to the film begins to slide, as the second half of the film does not come close to matching the quality of the opening segments.
There are some very good cat and mouse moments as the men in the house start to argue amongst themselves, and interact with the family inside the house. The supporting performances are solid especially those of Jennifer (Michelle Horn), who plays the daughter held captive by the trio and the eerie performance of Ben Foster as the twisted Hostage taker Mars.
Sadly the film decides to turn to a series of brutal images and sequences rather than continue to develop the characters and work the story. The characters often embark on some inane courses of action and do things that not only contradict what we know about their characters but also fly into the lapse of logic as people in their situations would never do. I would love to expand on this by referencing a segment of the film but in the interest of not spoiling the film, I will explain it as when characters are told not to do something, why would they repeatedly do it, and then continue to do so without any consequences?
It is the continued lack of common sense and the and the very over the top and lazy finale to the film that sinks what could have and should have been a much better movie as the film is clearly sunk by the awful final 40 minutes of the show. Willis does a solid job with his role but the last act of the script let him down as even a star of his magnitude and talents cant make up for the films numerous shortcomings.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Trust Me, I'm a Superhero in Tabletop Games
Oct 8, 2020
You know when you’re fortunate enough to be given superpowers but they are super lame? Yeah me neither, but I still think it would be awesome to have even the lamest superpower. Well, if you’re like me, you will relish the opportunity to play Trust Me, I’m a Superhero where you can try out different superhero combinations and aid the citizens of our fair city!
Trust Me, I’m a Superhero is a negotiation-style party card game in the vein of Apples to Apples. In it players are bogus superheros answering the Call for Help and attempting to convince the Director to send them out as the city’s hero.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I know for sure that the final components will be different from these shown. I usually include a messy photo as my last of the review, but in this case I captured the art style that will be used in the final version. You are invited to back the game through the Kickstarter campaign launching October 27, 2020, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, shuffle the Super deck and Power deck separately. Deal each player five cards from each deck and the game may begin!
Playing Trust Me, I’m a Superhero is incredibly simple. From the hand of 10 cards dealt players will choose one Super card and one Power card to mash together creating a lame superhero. Players will display their superhero face-up in front of them. The player who is the current Director will flip over the top Call for Help card, read it aloud, and then players will initiate discussion with the Director to convince them that their hero should be sent to answer the call. The Director then chooses the best superhero by awarding the Call for Help card to the winning player. The next player in clock-wise order is the next Director. Play continues in this fashion until a player has won three Call for Help cards or some other determined time limit.
Components. Well, I cannot really comment on the components too much as again, I am using a prototype copy with prototype non-final artwork. From the photo below of the art style the final game will be using I can see that the art is whimsical and cartoony, which is perfect for this game. I am also sure that components will probably be upgraded as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign with crushed stretch goals.
I have also played and reviewed Trust Me, I’m a Doctor and I said that I liked it, and I do. But if I like Trust Me, I’m a Doctor then I love Trust Me, I’m a Superhero. Just the added little twist of choosing your Super and Power cards BEFORE you see what the Call for Help will be is excellent. This game would be so different if you saw the Help card prior to assembling your Super Power. It would be too easy and not at all hilarious. I am so glad this twist exists and helps to elevate this from a good game to a great little A2A spin-off that CAN get NSFW with the right (or wrong?) people, and will feature some fun art. If you are interested in this little title, please consider backing it on Kickstarter on October 27, 2020! Tell them Purple Phoenix Games sent ya or I’ll send over Solar-Powered Punch or Seductive Corpse to rough you up a bit.
Trust Me, I’m a Superhero is a negotiation-style party card game in the vein of Apples to Apples. In it players are bogus superheros answering the Call for Help and attempting to convince the Director to send them out as the city’s hero.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I know for sure that the final components will be different from these shown. I usually include a messy photo as my last of the review, but in this case I captured the art style that will be used in the final version. You are invited to back the game through the Kickstarter campaign launching October 27, 2020, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, shuffle the Super deck and Power deck separately. Deal each player five cards from each deck and the game may begin!
Playing Trust Me, I’m a Superhero is incredibly simple. From the hand of 10 cards dealt players will choose one Super card and one Power card to mash together creating a lame superhero. Players will display their superhero face-up in front of them. The player who is the current Director will flip over the top Call for Help card, read it aloud, and then players will initiate discussion with the Director to convince them that their hero should be sent to answer the call. The Director then chooses the best superhero by awarding the Call for Help card to the winning player. The next player in clock-wise order is the next Director. Play continues in this fashion until a player has won three Call for Help cards or some other determined time limit.
Components. Well, I cannot really comment on the components too much as again, I am using a prototype copy with prototype non-final artwork. From the photo below of the art style the final game will be using I can see that the art is whimsical and cartoony, which is perfect for this game. I am also sure that components will probably be upgraded as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign with crushed stretch goals.
I have also played and reviewed Trust Me, I’m a Doctor and I said that I liked it, and I do. But if I like Trust Me, I’m a Doctor then I love Trust Me, I’m a Superhero. Just the added little twist of choosing your Super and Power cards BEFORE you see what the Call for Help will be is excellent. This game would be so different if you saw the Help card prior to assembling your Super Power. It would be too easy and not at all hilarious. I am so glad this twist exists and helps to elevate this from a good game to a great little A2A spin-off that CAN get NSFW with the right (or wrong?) people, and will feature some fun art. If you are interested in this little title, please consider backing it on Kickstarter on October 27, 2020! Tell them Purple Phoenix Games sent ya or I’ll send over Solar-Powered Punch or Seductive Corpse to rough you up a bit.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Air Force One (1997) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: Air Force One starts as we see President James Marshall (Ford) having a proud moment after capturing a terrorist leader and coming out with how he wants to take on Congress. Returning home on Air Force One President Marshall finds his plane hijacked by Ivan Korshunov (Oldman) who wants the recently captured terrorist released.
Once in control of Air Force One Ivan uses the President’s wife Grace (Crewson) and daughter Alice (Matthews) as leverage to push the President into breaking his no negotiations with terrorist’s stance, as he uses his combat skills to take out the terrorists himself from on board. The Vice President Kathryn Bennett (Close) has to control things from the ground potentially having to make the biggest decisions.
Air Force One gave us an action film unlike anything we had seen before because this time the action hero was none other than the President himself and yes I know we did get a strong leader in Independence Day but this time he was the star of the show. We get to see how the President will handle the action pressure as well as the big decisions. Another great part of this film is that we get to see the traitor from the start and always wonder what their next move will be. When we see action films we like to cheer for the guy who is against the odds and this gives us that and plenty more as we watch a nation wait for the news of his safety.
Actor Review
Harrison Ford: President James Marshall is a medal of honour winning soldier who has bought in a new no negotiation with terrorist stance. He finds his Air Force One under hijack where instead of escaping like procedure he takes a stand as he tries to take out the men taking over the plane. James is one of the best action Presidents in film history instead of being just a by the book nice guy. Harrison is brilliant in this role where he gets to show a new line of stunt work to go with a strong leader and action star.president
Gary Oldman: Ivan Korshunov is the extremist terrorist who has taken over Air Force One, he will kill any hostages to get what he wants which is one extremist leader to be released from prison. Ivan is one of the most memorable villains of the 90s because he is ruthless to the core. Gary is brilliant in this role showing he can play any character.ivan
Glenn Close: Vice President Kathryn Bennett has to make the decisions back in America as she is left helpless with the hijack of Air Force One. She must deal with all the diplomatic decisions as well as helping her President and innocent people on board the plane. Glenn is great in this role showing how difficult the side of this story is away from the action.vice
Wendy Crewson: Grace Marshall is the wife of the President who is on Air Force One, she becomes the leverage for Ivan to get what he wants. Wendy is good even if the character isn’t given the true screen time needed.
Support Cast: Air Force One has a big supporting cast that is filled with known names in the business who all help the story unfold with their different acts of bravery and betray.
Director Review: Wolfgang Petersen – Wolfgang gives us one of the best action films from the 90s that also gives us glimpses of political decision being made.
Action: Air Force One has plenty of action being most of the President taking on the terrorists.
Adventure: Air Force One works for the adventure side of story trying to save the day.
Thriller: Air Force One keeps us on the edge from the moment that Air Force One is hijack until the end credits.
Settings: Air Force One keeps the settings on both Air Force One and White House as the decisions get made for the good of the country.
Special Effects: Air Force One has good effects for the time but have started to date now.
Suggestion: Air Force One is one for all the action junkies to enjoy. (Action Fans Watch)
Best Part: Parachute escape.
Worst Part: Political side gets slightly annoying.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Con Air, The Rock
Oscar Chances: Nominated for Best Sound and Film Editing
Box Office: $172 Million
Budget: $85 Million
Runtime: 2 Hours 4 Minutes
Tagline: Harrison Ford is the President of the United States.
Overall: Brilliant action film that keeps us on edge from start to finish.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/05/11/air-force-one-1997/
Once in control of Air Force One Ivan uses the President’s wife Grace (Crewson) and daughter Alice (Matthews) as leverage to push the President into breaking his no negotiations with terrorist’s stance, as he uses his combat skills to take out the terrorists himself from on board. The Vice President Kathryn Bennett (Close) has to control things from the ground potentially having to make the biggest decisions.
Air Force One gave us an action film unlike anything we had seen before because this time the action hero was none other than the President himself and yes I know we did get a strong leader in Independence Day but this time he was the star of the show. We get to see how the President will handle the action pressure as well as the big decisions. Another great part of this film is that we get to see the traitor from the start and always wonder what their next move will be. When we see action films we like to cheer for the guy who is against the odds and this gives us that and plenty more as we watch a nation wait for the news of his safety.
Actor Review
Harrison Ford: President James Marshall is a medal of honour winning soldier who has bought in a new no negotiation with terrorist stance. He finds his Air Force One under hijack where instead of escaping like procedure he takes a stand as he tries to take out the men taking over the plane. James is one of the best action Presidents in film history instead of being just a by the book nice guy. Harrison is brilliant in this role where he gets to show a new line of stunt work to go with a strong leader and action star.president
Gary Oldman: Ivan Korshunov is the extremist terrorist who has taken over Air Force One, he will kill any hostages to get what he wants which is one extremist leader to be released from prison. Ivan is one of the most memorable villains of the 90s because he is ruthless to the core. Gary is brilliant in this role showing he can play any character.ivan
Glenn Close: Vice President Kathryn Bennett has to make the decisions back in America as she is left helpless with the hijack of Air Force One. She must deal with all the diplomatic decisions as well as helping her President and innocent people on board the plane. Glenn is great in this role showing how difficult the side of this story is away from the action.vice
Wendy Crewson: Grace Marshall is the wife of the President who is on Air Force One, she becomes the leverage for Ivan to get what he wants. Wendy is good even if the character isn’t given the true screen time needed.
Support Cast: Air Force One has a big supporting cast that is filled with known names in the business who all help the story unfold with their different acts of bravery and betray.
Director Review: Wolfgang Petersen – Wolfgang gives us one of the best action films from the 90s that also gives us glimpses of political decision being made.
Action: Air Force One has plenty of action being most of the President taking on the terrorists.
Adventure: Air Force One works for the adventure side of story trying to save the day.
Thriller: Air Force One keeps us on the edge from the moment that Air Force One is hijack until the end credits.
Settings: Air Force One keeps the settings on both Air Force One and White House as the decisions get made for the good of the country.
Special Effects: Air Force One has good effects for the time but have started to date now.
Suggestion: Air Force One is one for all the action junkies to enjoy. (Action Fans Watch)
Best Part: Parachute escape.
Worst Part: Political side gets slightly annoying.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Con Air, The Rock
Oscar Chances: Nominated for Best Sound and Film Editing
Box Office: $172 Million
Budget: $85 Million
Runtime: 2 Hours 4 Minutes
Tagline: Harrison Ford is the President of the United States.
Overall: Brilliant action film that keeps us on edge from start to finish.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/05/11/air-force-one-1997/
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Animal Empire in Tabletop Games
Jul 2, 2020
The age of humans is in its prime, and our civilizations keeps evolving every day. Have you ever wondered what comes after us though? The answer is the animals – at least, it is according to Animal Empire. Over time, animals have gained enough sentience to rise up and overthrow the humans! The animal kingdom is thriving as the different species learn to coexist in peace. However, the carnivorous animals are thirsting for more power and the delicate balance of peace has been upended! The game is afoot, and any species can come out victorious – can you lead your armies to victory and power over the Animal Empire?
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of this game for the purposes of this preview. I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook, but rather provide the general rule set and overall flow of the game. The components pictured are final. Feel free to reach out to the publisher to snag your own copy! -L
Animal Empire is a card game of hand management, area majority, battling, and a bit of negotiation in which players are trying to be the first to gain control over 9 of the 16 Kingdoms. How? By deploying your armies, defeating your opponents, and maintaining control over your captured Kingdoms. Set up the game as described in the rulebook, and take the starting cards into your own hand and play area. Your starting Kingdom (marked by your Crown card) is placed face-up in front of you, and your Army and Wilderness cards are hidden from opponents in your hand.
Animal Empire is played over a series of turns, and on your turn you may take up to two Actions by using your Army cards. Each Army card can only perform one action per turn, unless it has a Specialty or you use a Wilderness card to affect your action. Actions that can be performed are: March, Capture, Battle, Use Specialty, Seize Crown, or Manage Vassal. Most of the actions are straight-forward – March allows you to move an Army to any Kingdom (either in the Play Area or one controlled by an opponent), Capture allows you to take a Kingdom (if you have majority presence on the card or if your Armies are unopposed), and Battle allows you to fight off rival Armies inhabiting the same Kingdom card as you. Seize Crown and Manage Vassal are the most unique. If you capture an opponent’s starting Kingdom (thereby Seizing the Crown), you take their Crown card and they are now your Vassal. They belong to your Kingdom, and must work to help you win – their Kingdom cards count with yours towards the majority total. If you have Vassals, you can use an action to Manage Vassal, which allows you to either give or take a Kingdom card from your Vassal. When you capture a new Kingdom, you also gain a new Army that matches your newest acquisition. Wilderness cards can be used at any time, and they can affect you or your opponents, depending on the card text. Play continues, with players taking turns, battling, and influencing Kingdoms until a player has captured a total of 9 Kingdoms. The game then ends and they are declared the winner!
So how does this game of ruling the animal kingdom actually fare? Pretty well for the most part, if you ask me! The basis of the game is simple – capture the majority of the Kingdoms. The execution of that goal is what takes Animal Empire to the next level for me. The amount of strategy required for success is beyond what you originally think. No matter how many Armies or Wilderness cards you have at your disposal, you only get a maximum of 2 actions per turn. That means that you really have to strategize which cards and actions to use and when. You are trying to amass a majority of Kingdoms, but just because you capture a Kingdom doesn’t mean it’s safe! Opponents can try to steal your Kingdoms, as you can theirs, so you have to find a good balance of offense and defense to ensure that your majority claim is not being compromised. Your strategy must be adaptable to respond to the actions of your opponents, and you have to be constantly engaged and alert to the playing field. Just be ready for some confrontation though – this game pits you directly against your opponents.
The only components in Animal Empire are cards, and they are a good quality and pretty sturdy. The artwork is really detailed and unique, and I find myself admiring the artwork almost as much as I spend strategizing. The trickiest part for me regarding components is that beyond the Crown cards, nothing is colored according to Crowns. All of the artwork is unique across all cards, and some cards of different types share the same base color – so you have to make sure to remember who played which card where to ensure no accidental confusion. The way I found to circumvent that was for all players to play their cards oriented towards them, so it was more clear to see which cards belonged to which players. I would’ve also liked to see Player Reference Cards detailing the different card Specialties – just to minimize the amount of time referring back to the rulebook for clarification.
All in all, I think that Animal Empire is a solid little card game. I like the strategic elements and that it keeps all players engaged throughout the entire game. I would definitely recommend it at the mid- to higher player counts though, because at only 2 player it feels like it kind of drags on in a back-and-forth battle for majority. With more players, there are more strategic implications, more options to deal with, and a little more chaos for everyone. If you’re looking for a fun little game of head-to-head battling, check out Animal Empire!
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of this game for the purposes of this preview. I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook, but rather provide the general rule set and overall flow of the game. The components pictured are final. Feel free to reach out to the publisher to snag your own copy! -L
Animal Empire is a card game of hand management, area majority, battling, and a bit of negotiation in which players are trying to be the first to gain control over 9 of the 16 Kingdoms. How? By deploying your armies, defeating your opponents, and maintaining control over your captured Kingdoms. Set up the game as described in the rulebook, and take the starting cards into your own hand and play area. Your starting Kingdom (marked by your Crown card) is placed face-up in front of you, and your Army and Wilderness cards are hidden from opponents in your hand.
Animal Empire is played over a series of turns, and on your turn you may take up to two Actions by using your Army cards. Each Army card can only perform one action per turn, unless it has a Specialty or you use a Wilderness card to affect your action. Actions that can be performed are: March, Capture, Battle, Use Specialty, Seize Crown, or Manage Vassal. Most of the actions are straight-forward – March allows you to move an Army to any Kingdom (either in the Play Area or one controlled by an opponent), Capture allows you to take a Kingdom (if you have majority presence on the card or if your Armies are unopposed), and Battle allows you to fight off rival Armies inhabiting the same Kingdom card as you. Seize Crown and Manage Vassal are the most unique. If you capture an opponent’s starting Kingdom (thereby Seizing the Crown), you take their Crown card and they are now your Vassal. They belong to your Kingdom, and must work to help you win – their Kingdom cards count with yours towards the majority total. If you have Vassals, you can use an action to Manage Vassal, which allows you to either give or take a Kingdom card from your Vassal. When you capture a new Kingdom, you also gain a new Army that matches your newest acquisition. Wilderness cards can be used at any time, and they can affect you or your opponents, depending on the card text. Play continues, with players taking turns, battling, and influencing Kingdoms until a player has captured a total of 9 Kingdoms. The game then ends and they are declared the winner!
So how does this game of ruling the animal kingdom actually fare? Pretty well for the most part, if you ask me! The basis of the game is simple – capture the majority of the Kingdoms. The execution of that goal is what takes Animal Empire to the next level for me. The amount of strategy required for success is beyond what you originally think. No matter how many Armies or Wilderness cards you have at your disposal, you only get a maximum of 2 actions per turn. That means that you really have to strategize which cards and actions to use and when. You are trying to amass a majority of Kingdoms, but just because you capture a Kingdom doesn’t mean it’s safe! Opponents can try to steal your Kingdoms, as you can theirs, so you have to find a good balance of offense and defense to ensure that your majority claim is not being compromised. Your strategy must be adaptable to respond to the actions of your opponents, and you have to be constantly engaged and alert to the playing field. Just be ready for some confrontation though – this game pits you directly against your opponents.
The only components in Animal Empire are cards, and they are a good quality and pretty sturdy. The artwork is really detailed and unique, and I find myself admiring the artwork almost as much as I spend strategizing. The trickiest part for me regarding components is that beyond the Crown cards, nothing is colored according to Crowns. All of the artwork is unique across all cards, and some cards of different types share the same base color – so you have to make sure to remember who played which card where to ensure no accidental confusion. The way I found to circumvent that was for all players to play their cards oriented towards them, so it was more clear to see which cards belonged to which players. I would’ve also liked to see Player Reference Cards detailing the different card Specialties – just to minimize the amount of time referring back to the rulebook for clarification.
All in all, I think that Animal Empire is a solid little card game. I like the strategic elements and that it keeps all players engaged throughout the entire game. I would definitely recommend it at the mid- to higher player counts though, because at only 2 player it feels like it kind of drags on in a back-and-forth battle for majority. With more players, there are more strategic implications, more options to deal with, and a little more chaos for everyone. If you’re looking for a fun little game of head-to-head battling, check out Animal Empire!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Hit the Silk! in Tabletop Games
Mar 9, 2021
Ok here’s the deal. You and your buddies have gone in deep with the casino and they are out to ice you if you don’t pay up. You have secured the funds to repay your debts and have hijacked the plane needed to get back to settle up. There’s just one problem: there are 3-6 of you and only 2-5 parachutes on board this plummeting aircraft. With whom to ally and can you make it off the plane with enough parachutes and money to make this run worth it?
Hit the Silk! is a semi-cooperative game about hidden information, strong and weak alliances, bluffing, and negotiation in the skies where the plane WILL go down. Players will be trading information with others in order to figure out which players they will unite with and which they will deceive to win the game. Not all players can win, and some players may not even survive the flight. WHO DO YOU TRUST?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. For this preview I will be describing the Standard game mode. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the Altimeter board on the table and set the needle to the correct altitude per number of players. The card organizer board is setup near the Altimeter with the Flannel cards on the Laundry space, the draw deck on the left space, and the discard pile between the two. Four cards are randomly placed face-down onto the Lockbox space on the Altimeter board, and six cards are dealt to the players. They will choose four to keep and discard the other two. Place all remaining components on the table. A first player is chosen and the game is setup to begin!
On a turn a player may do any or all of the following: Change a card, Take actions, Trade with another player. To change a card the current player will choose one card from their hand, either discarding face-up to the discard pile or to the Laundry if it is a Flannel card, and then drawing a number of cards pertaining to the altitude level on the Altimeter board (the higher the plane the less cards can be drawn). The player chooses one card to keep and discards the others.
Many cards will be action cards, so during a turn the active player can use as many action cards as they wish. To take an action the player simply notes any altitude adjustments printed on the card, adjusts the Altimeter needle by that much, then plays the card for its action. Some action cards allow players to Steal cards from another player (blocked by a Knife card), Spy another player’s hand, Handcuff two players together (or a player to a briefcase of money), use Key cards to unlock Handcuffs or to pilfer one card from the Lockbox on the Altimeter board, Poison another player (cured with the Antidote card), kick a weapon out of a player’s hand by using a Kung Fu card, or blatantly attacking a player by using both a Pistol and a Bullet card. Players will take one wound from the first bullet and will be permanently slain by taking another bullet wound.
The final action that can be taken on a turn is trading with another player. This is a risky action to take as players are not bound by their verbal agreements. Therefore, a player may offer to trade a Bullet and a Knife in exchange for a $10,000 and a Key card. However, neither player is REQUIRED to trade these exact items during the trade, and alliances weaken over trade disputes.
Intermittently throughout the game, as altitude drops, players are given the task to vote whether to keep flying or to hit the silk (which means to jump out of the plane with a parachute in hand)! Should players vote by majority to continue playing the game keeps going as before. If the players vote by majority to hit the silk!, then all players with parachutes reach the ground safely and pool together their money in hopes of reaching the goal amount determined at the start of the game. Those who jump without a parachute sadly perish, but those who are able to stay on the plane without being handcuffed to a jumping player may attempt the very difficult task of landing the plane (which involves the dice shown, but I will let you discover the method on your own).
Should the landing party have gathered enough money to pay the debt, those players win! If the player lands the plane correctly they win! If a player dies, well, they lose.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so components shown are probably going to look differently as the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I want to first applaud Escape Plan Board Games for their usage of “eco-conscious production.” The component materials we received are certainly unlike any I have felt or played with in the past. They feel different, and I assume it is due to this new eco-friendly material they are using. I also want to point out the art style of Hit the Silk! It is fabulous and definitely gives off that jetset vibe. I love it! I do hope the dice will be getting an upgrade in the final version, as stickered dice are rarely in style. I have not seen or heard of any plans for upgrades or final components, but I hope a nice eco-friendly upgrade option exists for this game.
So here’s the rub. I truly like this game quite a bit. I do have issues with player elimination games, personally, because for whatever reason I am always the first to be targeted for elimination. While it’s funny at first, I despise having to be left out of the rest of the game. That said, I still very much enjoy this game. Yes, I don’t like being targeted, but I am able to take one for the team, and then ask players to try a different strategy the next playthrough. Being able to make loose alliances and just break trades by giving the other player two Flannels instead of the Parachute and Key is just fun times. I enjoy the ever-decreasing altitude of the plane that stresses players to get things done quickly without having the needle dip too far for comfort. I like that a lot.
I wish the dice were used more in the game (at least in Standard mode), as I love nice chunky dice, but I can look past this because the rest of the gameplay is so solid. I still have yet to figure out the best way to use the Handcuffs, but the weapons and Kung Fu are just so ridiculous and amazing simultaneously that I like using them as soon as I get them in hand. So if you, like me, have a hole in your collection for a game taking place in the skies featuring a gang of casino-chased hoodlums, then I urge you to take a look at Hit the Silk! Just know that if you handcuff yourself to me, you can bet on me making some very inappropriate comments.
Hit the Silk! is a semi-cooperative game about hidden information, strong and weak alliances, bluffing, and negotiation in the skies where the plane WILL go down. Players will be trading information with others in order to figure out which players they will unite with and which they will deceive to win the game. Not all players can win, and some players may not even survive the flight. WHO DO YOU TRUST?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. For this preview I will be describing the Standard game mode. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the Altimeter board on the table and set the needle to the correct altitude per number of players. The card organizer board is setup near the Altimeter with the Flannel cards on the Laundry space, the draw deck on the left space, and the discard pile between the two. Four cards are randomly placed face-down onto the Lockbox space on the Altimeter board, and six cards are dealt to the players. They will choose four to keep and discard the other two. Place all remaining components on the table. A first player is chosen and the game is setup to begin!
On a turn a player may do any or all of the following: Change a card, Take actions, Trade with another player. To change a card the current player will choose one card from their hand, either discarding face-up to the discard pile or to the Laundry if it is a Flannel card, and then drawing a number of cards pertaining to the altitude level on the Altimeter board (the higher the plane the less cards can be drawn). The player chooses one card to keep and discards the others.
Many cards will be action cards, so during a turn the active player can use as many action cards as they wish. To take an action the player simply notes any altitude adjustments printed on the card, adjusts the Altimeter needle by that much, then plays the card for its action. Some action cards allow players to Steal cards from another player (blocked by a Knife card), Spy another player’s hand, Handcuff two players together (or a player to a briefcase of money), use Key cards to unlock Handcuffs or to pilfer one card from the Lockbox on the Altimeter board, Poison another player (cured with the Antidote card), kick a weapon out of a player’s hand by using a Kung Fu card, or blatantly attacking a player by using both a Pistol and a Bullet card. Players will take one wound from the first bullet and will be permanently slain by taking another bullet wound.
The final action that can be taken on a turn is trading with another player. This is a risky action to take as players are not bound by their verbal agreements. Therefore, a player may offer to trade a Bullet and a Knife in exchange for a $10,000 and a Key card. However, neither player is REQUIRED to trade these exact items during the trade, and alliances weaken over trade disputes.
Intermittently throughout the game, as altitude drops, players are given the task to vote whether to keep flying or to hit the silk (which means to jump out of the plane with a parachute in hand)! Should players vote by majority to continue playing the game keeps going as before. If the players vote by majority to hit the silk!, then all players with parachutes reach the ground safely and pool together their money in hopes of reaching the goal amount determined at the start of the game. Those who jump without a parachute sadly perish, but those who are able to stay on the plane without being handcuffed to a jumping player may attempt the very difficult task of landing the plane (which involves the dice shown, but I will let you discover the method on your own).
Should the landing party have gathered enough money to pay the debt, those players win! If the player lands the plane correctly they win! If a player dies, well, they lose.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so components shown are probably going to look differently as the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, I want to first applaud Escape Plan Board Games for their usage of “eco-conscious production.” The component materials we received are certainly unlike any I have felt or played with in the past. They feel different, and I assume it is due to this new eco-friendly material they are using. I also want to point out the art style of Hit the Silk! It is fabulous and definitely gives off that jetset vibe. I love it! I do hope the dice will be getting an upgrade in the final version, as stickered dice are rarely in style. I have not seen or heard of any plans for upgrades or final components, but I hope a nice eco-friendly upgrade option exists for this game.
So here’s the rub. I truly like this game quite a bit. I do have issues with player elimination games, personally, because for whatever reason I am always the first to be targeted for elimination. While it’s funny at first, I despise having to be left out of the rest of the game. That said, I still very much enjoy this game. Yes, I don’t like being targeted, but I am able to take one for the team, and then ask players to try a different strategy the next playthrough. Being able to make loose alliances and just break trades by giving the other player two Flannels instead of the Parachute and Key is just fun times. I enjoy the ever-decreasing altitude of the plane that stresses players to get things done quickly without having the needle dip too far for comfort. I like that a lot.
I wish the dice were used more in the game (at least in Standard mode), as I love nice chunky dice, but I can look past this because the rest of the gameplay is so solid. I still have yet to figure out the best way to use the Handcuffs, but the weapons and Kung Fu are just so ridiculous and amazing simultaneously that I like using them as soon as I get them in hand. So if you, like me, have a hole in your collection for a game taking place in the skies featuring a gang of casino-chased hoodlums, then I urge you to take a look at Hit the Silk! Just know that if you handcuff yourself to me, you can bet on me making some very inappropriate comments.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Matryoshka in Tabletop Games
Apr 8, 2022
I don’t know about you, but I have always been fascinated by Russian nesting dolls, known as Matryoshka dolls. Something about opening the outer-most doll and finding an exact replica, but smaller, just brings me so much joy and satisfaction. I could play with them all day. So whilst perusing Miniature Market, I came across this little card game. Does Matryoshka give me the same sense of satisfaction as playing with physical nesting dolls? Or does it leave me feeling empty, like a Matryoshka that is missing its inner dolls? (This analogy is a stretch, but I’m sticking with it)
Matryoshka is a card game of hand management and set collection in which players are antique collectors attempting to gather complete sets of valuable Matryoshka dolls. Over the course of 4 rounds, players will be trading (in a sort of auction/bidding way) cards in their attempts to collect different sets of numerically ascending Matryoshka dolls. To setup for a game, you will first create the game deck. Depending on the player count, you will use a specific number of Matryoshka sets for the game – each set ranging from values 1-7. Shuffle the deck and deal 6 cards to each player, placing the remaining cards in the middle of the play area in a face-down draw deck. Players will then select 2 cards from their hand to place in their Display (tableau), organized as described in the rules. Cards in your display are visible to all players, and provide information as to what cards you have, and what cards you may be looking for. So deciding which cards to Display is part of your strategy. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin! Pictured below is the setup for a four-player game.
Each round is consists of 3 phases: Draw, Exchange, and Display. To begin the round, all players will draw 2 new cards from the deck. The Exchange phase is played in turns, beginning with the starting player as the active player. The active player will select one card from their hand to be placed face-up in the middle of the table. This is the card that is up for trade. All other players must then choose one card from their hands to be offered in exchange. Players keep their offer cards hidden, and the active player will secretly look at all offer cards. The active player then chooses one of the offer cards to take into their hand, and the player whose card was chosen takes the active player’s face-up card. All other players take their offer cards back into their own hand. Play then moves clock-wise, beginning another Exchange with a new active player.
When all players have had the opportunity to be the active player, the game moves to the Display phase. Players take all cards from their Display into their hand, and will then create a new Display. As the game rounds progress, the number of cards in each Display increases. To start the game, all players Display 2 cards. After the first round, the Display will have 4 cards, then 6, 8, and finally 13 to end the game. Again, cards in your Display are visible to all players, and that information could be used strategically when Exchanging cards in the second game phase. After the fourth and final round, players will have a total of 13 cards in their Display. Each Display is now scored, earning points for consecutive cards per row as well as sets of the same size of doll. The player with the highest total score is the winner of the game!
I should probably start by saying that I’m a sucker for set collection. So when I stumbled across Matryoshka, the theme drew me in and the set collection mechanic prompted me to hit ‘Add to Cart.’ And I have to say that I am loving this game. One major element that I like about Matryoshka is the simplicity of the gameplay. Draw 2 cards each round, offer cards from your hand in Exchange for others, create Displays of your sets. Easy as pie.
What really takes this game above and beyond for me are the strategic elements. Deciding which cards to Display at the end of each round is a major strategy point of the game. You have to be careful with which cards you choose to Display, because they are visible to all players. So maybe you’ve got a set of 5 consecutive cards, but do you really want your opponents to know that? Is it better to only Display a couple and use other sets to finish your Display? Or maybe you do want people to know you’re gunning for that set, as it may prompt them to offer any of those cards from their hand, for which you would pay a pretty price. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, right? Along with that comes the negotiation tactic. During every Exchange, players are allowed to try to influence the active player for certain trades. Take my card now and I’ll owe you a favor later sort of thing. It’s neat to see what strategies players will try with each passing round.
ALSO it pays to pay careful attention to all opponents each round. When creating your Display at the end of every round, you do not have to use the same cards as in your last Display. So you can strategize to bait opponents to giving you cards you want, or to try and keep your chosen sets secret. That being said, paying attention to opposing Displays can be a good tactic. Maybe your neighbor just had a consecutive run of 3 cards in their Display, but now are choosing to only Display 1 of those cards – just because you can’t see the others, doesn’t mean they’re not necessarily there. So changing up Displays can be a way to maybe trick your opponents into thinking you do or do not have specific cards. If you keep a careful eye out, you may be able to deduce what everyone is hiding…
A quick note on components – this game is a stack of cards in a small magnetically-closing box. The artwork is thematic and unique, the rules and scoring aids are understandable, and the box itself is nice and sturdy. The cards are not the most high-quality I’ve seen in games, but as long as my players are gentle, that shouldn’t be a problem in the long run.
So all in all, I think you can tell that I love Matryoshka. The gameplay is simple and fast, yet the strategic options really get you thinking and perhaps second-guessing every Exchange that is made. I really like the element of changing Displays at the end of every round, as it allows players to adapt their strategy for the coming round. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I picked up this game, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s one that I’m definitely happy to have, and can see myself pulling it out often for a quick, yet strategic game between some of the bigger games out there. To bring back my analogy from my intro (yep, I’m committed to this joke), I would say that Matryoshka is nearly as satisfying as playing with a physical set of nesting dolls. If you’re looking for something light yet engaging, I would definitely recommend picking this one up. Purple Phoenix Games gives Matryoshka a nestled 5 / 6.
Matryoshka is a card game of hand management and set collection in which players are antique collectors attempting to gather complete sets of valuable Matryoshka dolls. Over the course of 4 rounds, players will be trading (in a sort of auction/bidding way) cards in their attempts to collect different sets of numerically ascending Matryoshka dolls. To setup for a game, you will first create the game deck. Depending on the player count, you will use a specific number of Matryoshka sets for the game – each set ranging from values 1-7. Shuffle the deck and deal 6 cards to each player, placing the remaining cards in the middle of the play area in a face-down draw deck. Players will then select 2 cards from their hand to place in their Display (tableau), organized as described in the rules. Cards in your display are visible to all players, and provide information as to what cards you have, and what cards you may be looking for. So deciding which cards to Display is part of your strategy. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin! Pictured below is the setup for a four-player game.
Each round is consists of 3 phases: Draw, Exchange, and Display. To begin the round, all players will draw 2 new cards from the deck. The Exchange phase is played in turns, beginning with the starting player as the active player. The active player will select one card from their hand to be placed face-up in the middle of the table. This is the card that is up for trade. All other players must then choose one card from their hands to be offered in exchange. Players keep their offer cards hidden, and the active player will secretly look at all offer cards. The active player then chooses one of the offer cards to take into their hand, and the player whose card was chosen takes the active player’s face-up card. All other players take their offer cards back into their own hand. Play then moves clock-wise, beginning another Exchange with a new active player.
When all players have had the opportunity to be the active player, the game moves to the Display phase. Players take all cards from their Display into their hand, and will then create a new Display. As the game rounds progress, the number of cards in each Display increases. To start the game, all players Display 2 cards. After the first round, the Display will have 4 cards, then 6, 8, and finally 13 to end the game. Again, cards in your Display are visible to all players, and that information could be used strategically when Exchanging cards in the second game phase. After the fourth and final round, players will have a total of 13 cards in their Display. Each Display is now scored, earning points for consecutive cards per row as well as sets of the same size of doll. The player with the highest total score is the winner of the game!
I should probably start by saying that I’m a sucker for set collection. So when I stumbled across Matryoshka, the theme drew me in and the set collection mechanic prompted me to hit ‘Add to Cart.’ And I have to say that I am loving this game. One major element that I like about Matryoshka is the simplicity of the gameplay. Draw 2 cards each round, offer cards from your hand in Exchange for others, create Displays of your sets. Easy as pie.
What really takes this game above and beyond for me are the strategic elements. Deciding which cards to Display at the end of each round is a major strategy point of the game. You have to be careful with which cards you choose to Display, because they are visible to all players. So maybe you’ve got a set of 5 consecutive cards, but do you really want your opponents to know that? Is it better to only Display a couple and use other sets to finish your Display? Or maybe you do want people to know you’re gunning for that set, as it may prompt them to offer any of those cards from their hand, for which you would pay a pretty price. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, right? Along with that comes the negotiation tactic. During every Exchange, players are allowed to try to influence the active player for certain trades. Take my card now and I’ll owe you a favor later sort of thing. It’s neat to see what strategies players will try with each passing round.
ALSO it pays to pay careful attention to all opponents each round. When creating your Display at the end of every round, you do not have to use the same cards as in your last Display. So you can strategize to bait opponents to giving you cards you want, or to try and keep your chosen sets secret. That being said, paying attention to opposing Displays can be a good tactic. Maybe your neighbor just had a consecutive run of 3 cards in their Display, but now are choosing to only Display 1 of those cards – just because you can’t see the others, doesn’t mean they’re not necessarily there. So changing up Displays can be a way to maybe trick your opponents into thinking you do or do not have specific cards. If you keep a careful eye out, you may be able to deduce what everyone is hiding…
A quick note on components – this game is a stack of cards in a small magnetically-closing box. The artwork is thematic and unique, the rules and scoring aids are understandable, and the box itself is nice and sturdy. The cards are not the most high-quality I’ve seen in games, but as long as my players are gentle, that shouldn’t be a problem in the long run.
So all in all, I think you can tell that I love Matryoshka. The gameplay is simple and fast, yet the strategic options really get you thinking and perhaps second-guessing every Exchange that is made. I really like the element of changing Displays at the end of every round, as it allows players to adapt their strategy for the coming round. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I picked up this game, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s one that I’m definitely happy to have, and can see myself pulling it out often for a quick, yet strategic game between some of the bigger games out there. To bring back my analogy from my intro (yep, I’m committed to this joke), I would say that Matryoshka is nearly as satisfying as playing with a physical set of nesting dolls. If you’re looking for something light yet engaging, I would definitely recommend picking this one up. Purple Phoenix Games gives Matryoshka a nestled 5 / 6.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Sheriff of Nottingham in Tabletop Games
Nov 16, 2021
One neat thing about the board gaming hobby is how many new games are designed/created daily. So much innovation, creativity, and hype surrounds new releases and helps keep us gamers hooked! That being said, what happens to older games as time goes on? Can they still hold their own over the years? Do they still feel new and novel to first-time players who are getting to them late? The latter describes me with Sheriff of Nottingham. I only received it for Christmas two years ago, and it has sadly been sitting on my Shelf of Shame until recently. So now that I’ve finally gotten it to the table, how does it hold up? Keep reading to find out!
Disclaimer: I have the first edition of this game, so the pictures below do not reflect the art/component changes brought in the recently released second edition. -L
Sheriff of Nottingham is a party game of bluffing, negotiation, and set collection in which players are trying to earn the most money by bringing their goods (Legal or Contraband!) to market. However, before those goods can get to your merchant stand, they must be cleared to pass by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Are you honest in your declarations, or are you trying to sneak something past the town authority? Bluff, bribe, or negotiate your way to victory and collect the most gold!
To setup for a game of Sheriff of Nottingham, each player receives a merchant stand board and bag in their chosen color, 20 starting gold, and 6 Goods cards. The remaining Goods cards are placed in a draw pile, with 2 adjacent discard piles. Turn over 5 cards to each discard pile, select a starting Sheriff, and the game is ready to begin! Sheriff of Nottingham is played over a series of rounds, and each round is broken down into 5 phases: Market, Load Merchant Bag, Declaration, Inspection, and End of Round. Important note – the player acting as Sheriff for the round will only act in the Inspection phase of a round. During the Market phase, players have the opportunity to discard unwanted Goods from their hand in order to draw cards from the draw pile or either discard pile. New cards are drawn one at a time, and you will draw as many cards as you have chosen to discard. The cards you discard will be placed in either discard pile, in whatever order you choose.
The next phase, Load Merchant Bag, is pretty self-explanatory. All merchant players will select up to 5 cards from their hand to place in their merchant bag. Snap it closed, and place it in front of you for the next phase, Declaration. In this phase, players will take turns declaring what good they are bringing to market. You must say exactly how many cards you are bringing, and you may only declare 1 type of Legal good! Even if your bag has multiple types of goods, you must declare only 1 type. Here is where your bluffing skills come into play! Once all players have made their declarations, the game moves to the Inspection phase, and it is now time for the Sheriff to act! In this phase, the Sheriff will get to decide if they wish to inspect any of the merchant bags, and merchants will have the opportunity to negotiate or bribe the Sheriff to not inspect their bag, or to inspect an opponent’s bag instead. If you make a deal with the Sheriff, you must hold up your end of the agreement!
Once the Sheriff has made their decision, they will either inspect bags or allow them to pass. If you are allowed to pass, you will take back your bag, open it, and add all goods to your merchant stand in their corresponding locations. Legal goods are known to all players, but Contraband goods are kept face-down. If the Sheriff chose to inspect your bag, they will open it and reveal the cards inside. If you were in fact telling the truth, and the cards inside are exactly what you declared, you add them to your merchant stand and the Sheriff will pay you a penalty for each Good card in your bag. If you were lying, a few things happen. First, any goods that were truthfully declared will go to your merchant stand as normal. Any goods that you lied about are confiscated by the Sheriff, and placed onto either discard pile. You then will pay the Sheriff a penalty fee for each confiscated good! The final phase, End of Round, has all players draw back up to 6 cards in hand, and the Sheriff title passes to the next player. The game continues in this fashion until all players have been the Sheriff twice (or three times in a 3-player game). Points are counted up – from your goods in your merchant stand, any gold coins you possess, and any bonus points for majority of Legal goods compared to opponents. Once all points have been tallied, the player with the highest score wins!
I know that I have said before that I generally don’t like bluffing games, but I think that Sheriff of Nottingham might be an exception. Yes, in some cases you will have to bluff about the contents of your merchant bag, but the ability to bribe/negotiate with the Sheriff takes some focus off the actual bluffing part. Can you convince the Sheriff to inspect another player’s bag just because you are trying to hinder that player? Or do you try to get the Sheriff to inspect your own bag, because then they will have to pay you a penalty fee for your honesty (this round, at least). It feels like there is more strategic gameplay here than simple bluffing, and I like the opportunity to strategize instead of relying solely on my (admittedly horrendous) poker-face.
Another thing that I really like about Sheriff of Nottingham is that it can technically be categorized as a party game, but it doesn’t feel like a typical party game to me. It takes strategy to play, and doesn’t just rely on crude/adult humor for laughs. This game really engages all players at all times, as you’re constantly watching your opponents, keeping track of what goods they seem to be collecting, and trying to catch them in a lie. The gameplay itself is pretty streamlined and straightforward, and that just helps to make it flow naturally and logically. The playing time is listed as 60 minutes, but it doesn’t feel like a long game to me at all. It’s just a light, fun, and entertaining game for really any type of game night.
Let’s talk components for a minute. Again, I have the first edition of the game, so I cannot speak as to any component changes in the second edition. But overall, the quality of the first edition is pretty nice! The merchant stand boards are nice, thick cardboard, and are colorful and clear. Perhaps my favorite part of the boards is they each have a turn order reference on them. Not that the gameplay is that complicated, but it’s nice to just have that quick guide. The Goods cards are good quality and feel nice in hand. The artwork is mostly pretty simple, but I like that, since the crux of the gameplay is in the player interactions. The cardboard coins are chunky, and the insert doubles as a draw/discard pile organizer – which to me is a lifesaver! Nothing bothers me more than unruly stacks of cards. The merchant bags are nice and mostly functional. My biggest issue with them is that sometimes the snaps are a little hard to open, and it feels like you might tear the bag if you pull on them too hard. To alleviate that, I just don’t have players actually close the snap, instead just folding over the flap, and that works just as well! Great production quality in my opinion.
So if I seem to like this game, why did I only give it a 4 out of 6? The simple answer to that is that I do like the game, but I don’t love it. It’s fun and serves its purpose well, but it’s not a game that I am dying to pull out every game night. It’s one that will stay in my collection for sure, because there are some occasions that are just perfect for it. But it’s not one that will ever make its way to my Top 10. All in all, it holds up well for being an ‘older’ game, but it doesn’t exactly have me jumping up and down to play. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an 11 / 18.
Disclaimer: I have the first edition of this game, so the pictures below do not reflect the art/component changes brought in the recently released second edition. -L
Sheriff of Nottingham is a party game of bluffing, negotiation, and set collection in which players are trying to earn the most money by bringing their goods (Legal or Contraband!) to market. However, before those goods can get to your merchant stand, they must be cleared to pass by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Are you honest in your declarations, or are you trying to sneak something past the town authority? Bluff, bribe, or negotiate your way to victory and collect the most gold!
To setup for a game of Sheriff of Nottingham, each player receives a merchant stand board and bag in their chosen color, 20 starting gold, and 6 Goods cards. The remaining Goods cards are placed in a draw pile, with 2 adjacent discard piles. Turn over 5 cards to each discard pile, select a starting Sheriff, and the game is ready to begin! Sheriff of Nottingham is played over a series of rounds, and each round is broken down into 5 phases: Market, Load Merchant Bag, Declaration, Inspection, and End of Round. Important note – the player acting as Sheriff for the round will only act in the Inspection phase of a round. During the Market phase, players have the opportunity to discard unwanted Goods from their hand in order to draw cards from the draw pile or either discard pile. New cards are drawn one at a time, and you will draw as many cards as you have chosen to discard. The cards you discard will be placed in either discard pile, in whatever order you choose.
The next phase, Load Merchant Bag, is pretty self-explanatory. All merchant players will select up to 5 cards from their hand to place in their merchant bag. Snap it closed, and place it in front of you for the next phase, Declaration. In this phase, players will take turns declaring what good they are bringing to market. You must say exactly how many cards you are bringing, and you may only declare 1 type of Legal good! Even if your bag has multiple types of goods, you must declare only 1 type. Here is where your bluffing skills come into play! Once all players have made their declarations, the game moves to the Inspection phase, and it is now time for the Sheriff to act! In this phase, the Sheriff will get to decide if they wish to inspect any of the merchant bags, and merchants will have the opportunity to negotiate or bribe the Sheriff to not inspect their bag, or to inspect an opponent’s bag instead. If you make a deal with the Sheriff, you must hold up your end of the agreement!
Once the Sheriff has made their decision, they will either inspect bags or allow them to pass. If you are allowed to pass, you will take back your bag, open it, and add all goods to your merchant stand in their corresponding locations. Legal goods are known to all players, but Contraband goods are kept face-down. If the Sheriff chose to inspect your bag, they will open it and reveal the cards inside. If you were in fact telling the truth, and the cards inside are exactly what you declared, you add them to your merchant stand and the Sheriff will pay you a penalty for each Good card in your bag. If you were lying, a few things happen. First, any goods that were truthfully declared will go to your merchant stand as normal. Any goods that you lied about are confiscated by the Sheriff, and placed onto either discard pile. You then will pay the Sheriff a penalty fee for each confiscated good! The final phase, End of Round, has all players draw back up to 6 cards in hand, and the Sheriff title passes to the next player. The game continues in this fashion until all players have been the Sheriff twice (or three times in a 3-player game). Points are counted up – from your goods in your merchant stand, any gold coins you possess, and any bonus points for majority of Legal goods compared to opponents. Once all points have been tallied, the player with the highest score wins!
I know that I have said before that I generally don’t like bluffing games, but I think that Sheriff of Nottingham might be an exception. Yes, in some cases you will have to bluff about the contents of your merchant bag, but the ability to bribe/negotiate with the Sheriff takes some focus off the actual bluffing part. Can you convince the Sheriff to inspect another player’s bag just because you are trying to hinder that player? Or do you try to get the Sheriff to inspect your own bag, because then they will have to pay you a penalty fee for your honesty (this round, at least). It feels like there is more strategic gameplay here than simple bluffing, and I like the opportunity to strategize instead of relying solely on my (admittedly horrendous) poker-face.
Another thing that I really like about Sheriff of Nottingham is that it can technically be categorized as a party game, but it doesn’t feel like a typical party game to me. It takes strategy to play, and doesn’t just rely on crude/adult humor for laughs. This game really engages all players at all times, as you’re constantly watching your opponents, keeping track of what goods they seem to be collecting, and trying to catch them in a lie. The gameplay itself is pretty streamlined and straightforward, and that just helps to make it flow naturally and logically. The playing time is listed as 60 minutes, but it doesn’t feel like a long game to me at all. It’s just a light, fun, and entertaining game for really any type of game night.
Let’s talk components for a minute. Again, I have the first edition of the game, so I cannot speak as to any component changes in the second edition. But overall, the quality of the first edition is pretty nice! The merchant stand boards are nice, thick cardboard, and are colorful and clear. Perhaps my favorite part of the boards is they each have a turn order reference on them. Not that the gameplay is that complicated, but it’s nice to just have that quick guide. The Goods cards are good quality and feel nice in hand. The artwork is mostly pretty simple, but I like that, since the crux of the gameplay is in the player interactions. The cardboard coins are chunky, and the insert doubles as a draw/discard pile organizer – which to me is a lifesaver! Nothing bothers me more than unruly stacks of cards. The merchant bags are nice and mostly functional. My biggest issue with them is that sometimes the snaps are a little hard to open, and it feels like you might tear the bag if you pull on them too hard. To alleviate that, I just don’t have players actually close the snap, instead just folding over the flap, and that works just as well! Great production quality in my opinion.
So if I seem to like this game, why did I only give it a 4 out of 6? The simple answer to that is that I do like the game, but I don’t love it. It’s fun and serves its purpose well, but it’s not a game that I am dying to pull out every game night. It’s one that will stay in my collection for sure, because there are some occasions that are just perfect for it. But it’s not one that will ever make its way to my Top 10. All in all, it holds up well for being an ‘older’ game, but it doesn’t exactly have me jumping up and down to play. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an 11 / 18.
