Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
by Hiew Chok Sien
The original get-rich-quick scheme... if you don't get caught.
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The Game
The Game
You are cousins of Ali Baba. After he becomes rich, you keep pestering him until he tells you his secret - the hidden cave of the forty thieves. Now it is your turn to visit the cave and make yourselves rich too! Take as much as you can, but beware - you lose your sense of time in the cave. The thieves return at 12 midnight. If you hear them coming, drop everything and run for your lives!
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is a game about grabbing as many treasures as you can before time runs out and everybody must scatter. Take risks to earn bigger rewards. Collude to throw someone else to the thieves. In the end there can only be one richest scoundrel.
2 - 6 players, 30 minutes, ages 9+
What's in the Box
What's in the Box
How To Play
How To Play
《阿里巴巴与四十大盗》游戏教学
How To Play (in Mandarin)
How To Play (in Mandarin)
The Journey
The Journey
The game was originally codenamed Catch 22, the number 22 being 1 more than the 21 in Black Jack. It didn't have a theme then, and I used Studio Ghibli fan art in my prototype. Don't ask me why.
It was upon my friend Jeixel's suggestion that I thought about using fairy tale themes for my games. Thus Ali Baba. One other story I considered was Jack and the Beanstalk. This above was placeholder art.
My daughter Chen Rui did the art for this version.
The treasures in the previous art.
Box for the prototype purchased at Daiso.
Some enhancements done on the graphic design to improve useability.
Showcased at BOXCON 2023
Playing with my game artist Edwin (2nd from left) and friends.
The prototype uses poker chips.
Prototype game box.
Prototype in play.
The card on the left is not necessary the safest, because it might be the boss!
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