It’s a long-standing tradition that when Egyptians go to Sahel, at the end of a long day, friends and family sit together for a round of board games. While conventional playing cards like UNO tend to reign supreme, there are a lot of impressive and fun alternatives that you might want to check out for your next trip.
Skull
Everybody thinks they’re the most mischievous one in the family, this game exploits that and sees if you’re able to trick your friends and test their powers of deduction. How to win the game is simple but achieving that isn’t as easy.
How To Play
This isn’t a game of luck, however, as players need to keep an eye on what’s being played, and make deductions based on what they have in their hands.
Playable up to six people: each player gets a square tile and four similarly-themed coasters, three of which have flowers, while the final one has a skull.
Each participant plays a card face-down, as the turns go round, each player adds one more card, that is until someone feels safe enough to challenge the group and state that they can turn several cards face up and get only flowers.
The other players can overbid them, but the highest bidder must now turn the number of cards they claimed face up, including their own, of course.
Now, one of two scenarios can happen: If they can show only flowers, they win this round; if they miscalculate and reveal a skull, they lose and have to place one of their cards out of play.
If you have two successful rounds or if you’re the only one with cards in your hands, you win the game!
Why It’s different
The game’s simplicity is what makes it unique as people of all ages can pick it up quickly and play. The only similar game to it in traditional cards is called “Doubt.” That said, its fast pace is a great factor since you can play a few games in, before ending the night.
Ca$h & Guns
A lot of heist movies tend to have this intense scene where all the people involved start fighting over the loot they just stole, with many of them double-crossing and shooting each other in the end. This game puts you in the middle of that situation, where people make alliances, and backstabbing is the norm; it’s also where you can fulfill your fantasy as the Godfather too.
How To Play
This game is for four to eight gangsters, each player getting a character, a foam gun, and eight cards. Five of these cards indicate blanks represented by “Click! Click!,” while the other three show bullets represented by “Bang!”
At the beginning of the game, someone gets assigned the Godfather role, the round’s loot is placed in the middle, and each player plays a card face down to decide if they’re shooting their guns or not.
Once that’s done, the Godfather counts down from three, and each player aims their gun toward another one, creating a standoff. Due to the Godfather’s “power,” they can order the person aiming at them to change their mind.
During this tense standoff, each player has to choose to either risk their own life and face the guns aimed at them with the hopes that the other player chose a blank, to that they can cower in fear and leave the room abandoning the loot for this round.
After each player makes their choice, the cards are revealed, whoever gets shot takes a hit point and loses the ability to get a cut of the loot, be careful though because if you get shot three times, you’re dead!
Now comes the looting part, each surviving gangster gets to take loot from the table starting with The Godfather, of course. The loot includes bullets, band-aids, art pieces, diamonds, or cash. The one with the most stash at the end of the eighth round wins!
What Makes It Special
Like in the movies, you’re going to have to make alliances, and if you have a best friend playing, gang on anyone who you two think is a threat! What makes it perfect for the summer is the number of people playing as it’s more fun when there’s a large group, making it perfect after a long night out!
You and your friends will be shouting, laughing, and shooting bullets everywhere.
Al Hekaya
For all the imaginative storytellers out there, this is the game for you. Al Hekaya is a game all about tapping into your improvisational skills to come up with a story.
How To Play
In this game, one person takes on the role of the storyteller and starts off the game by telling a story using one of the story prompt cards. The rest of the players take on a different kind of role where they begin to ask questions about the story. At the same time, they will provide the author with criteria cards that the author has to follow which can include a particular location or timing they have to include in the story.
Why We Like It
With this game, each round is going to be completely different as each storyteller will have a different prompt and end up generating a completely unique story.
Onitama
Ever thought about what would happen if you combined chess with martial arts? Well, Onitama is the game you’ll get. Onitama is an elegant game where two players face each other in a martial tactics battle full of grace and strategy.
Thankfully this game is a lot more fast-paced than chess, moving away from any boredom that game can induce, it’s also simpler too.
How To Play
Like chess, two tacticians face each other but with five pieces, a sensei standing at the gates of his temple and four students at his side, on a five-by-five battlefield board.
Each player’s main goal is to either take their opponent’s sensei off of the board, similar to chess or to make their own sensei reach the other player’s temple.
Unlike chess, the twist here is that players can’t move regularly, instead, each player is dealt two movement cards, that have instructions on how their sensei or his students can move during the player’s turn.
Each round, a player moves one of their pieces using a movement card they have in their hand, then replaces it with the spare on the side of the board.
Using these movements, you can take out your opponent’s pieces or position yourself for a future attack.
The first warrior to remove his enemy’s sensei off the board or get their sensei to his opponent’s temple gate wins!
Why We Like It
This is great for two players looking for something different to play, or who are bored from watching TV or video games. It’s also fun to boast that you’re the strategic and tactical master in the group proving it on the spot with this game.
2oolameme
A card game with a Middle Eastern and more specifically an Egyptian twist, “Say A Meme” is the hilarious card game where everyone will try to prove they are the ultimate Meme Master.
How To Play
Each player gets eight cards, all of which have different funny memes that fit a multitude of situations. At the beginning of every turn, a player becomes a “Meme Judge” and doesn’t participate.
They’ll essentially play a situation card and read it out loud, while that’s happening, the other players deal their meme cards they think fit the situation face down and have them shuffled.
The Meme Judge reads the caption along with the meme, picks the one that fits the caption best, and gives the caption card to the winning meme card’s owner; the first person to get 10 cards wins.
Why It’s One Of Our Favorites
This one is a must-have if you’re from the region, not only is it relatable, but it’s also fun, and will have you and your friends fighting over who had the better meme all along.
Ool Aw E’mel (Say Or Do)
A great mix of “Truth or Dare” and “Snakes and Ladders” with a Middle Eastern flair, this game is going to have the whole group laughing in no time.
How To Play
This game is pretty straightforward, you and up to five of your friends start at the bottom of the board, and you’re trying to make it to the top, with the first to do so taking the title of “King for a Day.”
The group will select the first to go with dice, and the person chosen will choose a card to start either from “Ool” (Say), or “E’mel” (Do), and here’s where the fun begins.
The Ool cards have two questions, which the player can choose one to answer out loud. Each answer is worth different amounts of steps to help the player progress. What sets the questions apart is usually their difficulty, general naughtiness, or hilarity.
The E’mel ones have actions rather than questions, which puts the players in tough and embarrassing situations but are usually worth more steps.
There are different points within the path that either help or hinder the players on their way to the top, and the first person who reaches the top wins.
Why You Should Bring It With You To Sahel
This game is loads of fun, not only will you know more about your friends, but you’ll have the opportunity to embarrass them too!
Whichever board game you end up choosing, remember to bond with your friends/family and enjoy the time with them.
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