Sheriff of Nottingham: I was Bribed to Write this Post (JK)
If you're in college and have cards/chips, you most likely played poker. I'm not judging anyone; poker is fun. There are a lot of bluffing, risks, and lots of food during my games sessions. But, at the end of the night, you have to take out your wallet and pay up. It sucks! I mean, I could've sworn the guy next to me was hiding cards in his sleeves. Even though I'm no longer invited to my friend's poker games, I still like poker. But, I don't want to lose money. So instead, I recommend to you guys, Sheriff of Nottingham. From the company Arcane Wonders, Sheriff of Nottingham is a Robin Hood themed game. You're a merchant trying to smuggle goods to town while trying to avoid the Sheriff sniffing through your bag. The best thing to do is to bribe him like crazy. Before we go any further, I recommend you guys watching the gameplay right down here.
Here's the brief explanation. You will decide who the sheriff is. Then everyone gets a handful of cards. All green cards are legal, but the reds are all contrabands. If you don't know what contraband means, get a dictionary. You decide what cards to put in your bag (limit is five cards) and hand it to the sheriff. You declare what's in the bag, and the Sheriff decides whether to look inside or not. If the bag passes, you keep the cards, but if the sheriff looks inside, two things can happen. If the sheriff finds any illegal goods inside the bag, you will pay a fine, but if you are telling the truth, the sheriff pays you the fine. When everything's all done, the sheriff's role goes to the next player, and the new round begins. The player with the highest points win. Now the moment you're all waiting for, my review! What? Were you expecting me to say something funny? Well screw you! I'll say anything I want unless there is something in it for me. (Hint. Hint.) "I'm not asking for a bribe officer! I might have something in it for you if you look away. (Big emphatic wink) What are you doing with those handcuffs? Hey, I have rights. I have . . .
Sheriff of Nottingham is a great party game. The game is very simple, easy to learn, and the game doesn't take too long. The bluffing component is fun, but I love the system of bribery. You can not only bribe the sheriff not to look in your bag, but you can bribe the sheriff to look at another player's bag. You can also admit to the Sheriff that you have crossbows, but you promise him one crossbow if he doesn't look at your satchel. The problem with that is the player can be lying about the crossbows. If the sheriff looks inside, he might find it filled with apples. But if he passes it, the player could have spices instead of crossbows, and so don't have to fulfill his promise. The game has so much potential to be equal or even better than poker. The cover design is pleasant, and the concepts are brilliant. The only problem is the endgame. When you count the points, there are too many rules for it. There are extra points for those who has the most apples, and every player has to count their cards. It's not good because it takes forever. I have calculators prepared for my friend when the game ends. This board game is fun. It has even won board game of the year! I do recommend it, but you should have your calculator app prepared.