SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM

When hearing the name Sheriff of Nottingham, you don’t immediately think of a game about customs controls, nor one that can be fun. Whether you are a stern man of the law, the Sherriff, sniffing out illegal goods, or a merchant who managed to sneak in a contraband crossbow under the very legal loaves of bread, Sheriff of Nottingham offers a lot of opportunities to be devious, honest, lucky or perceptive, sometimes all at the same time. Unlike any other bluffing game, the power dynamic changes as players switch from being merchants to Sheriff. Sneaking something under Sheriff’s nose is just as satisfying as discovering someone’s illegal goods before they reach the town, so either position is equally challenging and enjoyable. When declaring the contents of their bags, players must be truthful about one thing: the number of cards in the bag. They also must claim them as only one type of good (but can have multiple and even not the type disclosed). If Sheriff decides to open the bag and discovers they’ve been lied to, the merchant pays them the goods value in coin, but if the merchant was entirely honest, the Sheriff pays for their mistake. Sheriff, of course, can be enticed not to open the bag at all: ‘It’s just chickens, good sir! I will give you one, if you let me pass!’ *Wink* Upon crossing the border, the Sheriff realises that they have been duped: the bag had only contraband and no chickens, but then it’s too late. At the end of the game who has the most victory points become secondary to players’ interactions. Who managed to sneak the most contraband, and who was entirely honest, but their bag was still checked every time? Who was the sternest Sheriff and who took the most bribes? No matter how you decide to play Sheriff of Nottingham, this game creates memories for life.