FORTY THIEVES

Hey there! Have you ever played the exciting card game called Forty Thieves? It’s a game for 2 to 4 players where the goal is to score more points than your opponents by the end of the game.

So, how do you score points in this game? Well, you do it by creating connecting lines of 4 chips during different rounds of play. Before you start the game, you and your friends should decide how many rounds you want to play. The game’s creator, Charles Magri, suggests playing 10 rounds.

SETUP

Now, here’s how you set up the game. First, you’ll need a special deck of cards with only 40 cards. All the cards that are higher than 10 will be removed, so you’ll be left with cards Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. It’s important to know that Aces count as 1, and 10s are a special type of card called thieves.

Once you have your modified deck, you need to choose a random player to be the dealer. The dealer will pass the deck to the left for each new deal. That way, everyone gets a turn to deal the cards.

Let me explain how to get started with the game. First, the dealer will shuffle the deck of cards and give each of us a hand with five cards. The cards we don’t use will become the stockpile, right in the middle between both of us. Above the stockpile, we’ll put the gameboard. And to make things more interesting, we’ll each have a set of colored chips or tokens.

Hey there! Are you ready to dive into the exciting world of the game board? Well, let me break it down for you in simple terms. The game board is like a big playground, with a grid that measures 6 by 6 and has a grand total of 81 numbered spaces. Here’s a picture to give you a better idea of what it looks like.

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Once the hands have been dealt, the stockpile has been placed, and the game board is all set up, it’s time to kickstart the gameplay. The real fun begins now!

The Mighty Thieves (aka 10s)

Now, let’s talk about the special cards in this game – the 10s. These cards have a unique purpose that sets them apart from the other cards. We like to call them thieves, and for good reason! These sneaky little devils enable you to steal spots that are already taken by another player’s chip. How cool is that?

When I want to use a 10 card in this game, I have to first discard it to one of the discard piles. Then, I have the chance to look through the discard pile and select a card from there, except for the 10 card. The card that I choose is placed back on top of the discard pile. Next, I need to find the product of the two cards that are currently on top of the discard piles. This spot must already be claimed by one of the other players in the game. If it is, I can claim that spot by removing the other player’s chip and replacing it with my own.

It’s important to note that 10 cards can only be used to claim spots in this specific way. They cannot be used for any other purpose, and they can only be played if there is a spot that can be stolen from another player.

GAMEPLAY

There are two ways to win a round in Forty Thieves. You can win by creating a line of 4 connected chips, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The other way to win is by strategically placing your chips to force your opponent(s) to concede.

The game can be played with 3 to 4 players, but the creator of the game, Charles Magri, suggests it’s best suited for 2 players. Now, let me show you how to play the game with 2, 3, and 4 players separately.

2-Player Game

To start the game, the dealer will choose one card from their hand (excluding a 10) and place it face up to create a discard pile on their side of the stock. The game begins with this move. The dealer then replenishes their hand by drawing up to 5 cards and passes their turn.

So here’s how it goes: I’m going to tell you about a cool game. It’s quite simple, really. We start with two players, and each player has a deck of cards. The first player takes a card from their hand and places it face up on their side of the table. The second player does the same. Easy enough, right?

But wait, it gets interesting. We take the two numbers on the cards and multiply them together. That product will determine where the second player gets to put their colored chip on the game board. And just like that, the board starts to fill up with chips!

After that, the second player draws some more cards to bring their hand back up to its original size. And then, it’s their turn to play. Simple, yet exciting! Don’t you think?

Let me give you an example. Player 1 starts with a card showing the number 5. Player 2 follows by playing a card with the number 2. We multiply 5 by 2 and get 10. And guess what? Player 2 can now cover the space on the board that represents the number 10. Cool, right?

Let’s talk about how the game works. On your turn, you can choose to discard any card, even a 10, to one of the two discard piles. Whenever you discard a card, you have the opportunity to find and claim a new product. But keep in mind that each spot on the board can only be claimed once, unless you use a 10 card. And you can’t discard a card if the product it would create is already claimed by another player.

After discarding your card and claiming a spot, you’ll draw back up to 5 cards and pass your turn to the next player. The game continues with players taking turns until the round ends. If you run out of cards in the stockpile, you won’t draw any more cards until the round is over.

Now, let’s talk about how the round ends. There are two ways it can happen. One, if a player successfully completes a line of 4 on the board, they win the round. Or, if a player decides to concede, the round will also end. It’s up to you to choose your strategy!

LINE OF 4

If you want to win in this game, you need to connect 4 chips in a row. You can do this horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. And if you’re really good, you might even be able to connect more than one row at a time. But be careful, because once you connect 4 chips, the round is over.

Giving Up

Sometimes, you might want to give up in the middle of a round. Maybe you only have one good move left, or maybe you can’t make any moves at all. When you give up, you only get 1 point instead of several. And if you’re forced to give up because you have no more cards to play, you also get a strike against you.

Playing with 3 People

When playing a game with three players, there are a few important differences to keep in mind. First, the game will proceed clockwise from the dealer. This means that each player will take their turn in a clockwise order.

Another difference is that in a three-player game, when one player decides to concede, the round doesn’t automatically end. The game will continue until either all but one player concedes or a line of four is reached.

When a player concedes, whether it’s by choice or because they are forced to do so, they will place their hand face down in front of them. It’s important to note that all of their chips will still remain on the board and can only be removed by a 10.

If the stock runs out of cards, the player who conceded will shuffle their hand and use it as the new stock. The game will then continue as before. If, after this, the stock is exhausted again, the game will follow the same rules as mentioned above.

4-Player Game

So, here’s the deal: when you’re playing with four people, you split into two teams, with two players on each team. You and your teammate will have chips of the same color. Now, the game goes on just like I told you before. If one teammate decides to give up or is forced to give up, the other teammate can keep playing. The game only stops when both teammates on a team give up or when one of the teams gets a line of 4 chips in a row.

When a player gives up, whether by choice or because they have to, they put their hand face down in front of them. All their chips stay on the board and can only be removed if a 10 is played.

If we run out of chips to play with, we take the hands of the players who gave up, shuffle them, and use them as the new stock. Once those hands are also played, the game goes on as usual.

SCORING

After a round is over, we can start counting the points.

So here’s the deal, if you manage to line up 4 or more chips in a row, you score 1 point for each line of 4. For example, 1 point for a single line of 4, 2 points for a line of 5, and 3 points for a line of 6. If you have one vertical line of 4 and one diagonal line of 4, that’s worth 2 points. You get the picture!

Now, let’s say the game ends with one player conceding. In that case, the player who didn’t give up will score 1 point.

But wait, there’s an extra rule for 2-player games. If you decide to play with this option, a player who scores a point by concession will receive a queen. And if they manage to collect 3 queens, they win the game right then and there. It’s like a “Three Strikes-You’re Out” rule, but with a twist!

Now, here’s another interesting variation. Instead of using paper, you can use kings and jacks for scoring. Each jack is worth 1 point, and each king is worth a solid 3 points! So go ahead and mix it up!

The Game Comes to an End

Once I finish playing the game for the intended number of rounds and we tally up the scores, that’s when the game ends. The player who has the highest number of points is the winner. But what happens if there’s a tie? Well, in that case, we can play additional rounds to determine the ultimate champion.

Now, let’s talk about the “Three Strikes-You’re Out” variant rule. If a player happens to draw their third queen, they immediately become the winner, even if we haven’t played the final round yet. It’s a neat twist that can bring a game to an unexpected and thrilling conclusion.

So, who am I? I’m Amber, and I go by they/them pronouns. If you’re looking for someone who knows their way around games and enjoys playing them, you’ve found the right person. I also happen to have a soft spot for dogs, plants, and Dungeons & Dragons.