Arcane Wonders Sheriff of Nottingham

This game is loads of fun and extremely easy to play! I will consent that anything over $30 seems steep based on what comes in the box, but having said that I would have paid upwards of $50 considering all of the replay value this game has. In the box you'll find loads and loads of standard playing card size/quality cards containing both legal goods and contraband (a pain to shuffle between games), small bags with snaps to keep them closed (by far the best component in the game), cardboard character tiles, a cardboard sheriff that gets passed around each turn to denote who the sheriff is for that turn, and lastly some decent quality thick cardboard coins. The removable plastic box organizer is average at best, nothing special on the organization front and is made from poor thin plastic...as I said, materials not worth much more than $25-$30.The gameplay is where you'll find the added value. It is extremely easy to learn to play, and after a round or two into your first game you'll have every game concept figured out. The only "difficult" part to this game is the scoring at the end, as there are lots of factors to consider when scoring - this is easily remedied by using the free downloadable phone app, which makes scoring a breeze.The object of the game is to be worth the most at the end, this takes into account the actual money in coins you have, the value of your legal goods and the value of your contraband. Each round you place a certain number of cards into your pouch, snap it shut and hand it to the sheriff declaring how much and which kind of legal goods you have in the bag. You can only declare legal goods, so any contraband you place in the bag is subject to seizure and fines if you're caught. It is up to the sheriff to decide whether you are bluffing to get contraband through, or if you are telling the truth and only have the legal goods you claim to have. If the sheriff decides to open the bag, whoever ends up being in the wrong has to pay the other person the penalty depicted on the card(s). The really fun part of this game occurs during this decision for the sheriff, as all players can get involved in bribes, trades, etc... to influence the sheriff. The little bags are by far the best component in the game. The fact that there are snaps that make an audible popping sound is great and adds a little finality to the sheriff's decisions. It is great when someone is trying to plead their case, and halfway through a sentence the sheriff 'pops' open the bag and the person just stops talking and starts paying the sheriff for all of the confiscated goods!Replay value is enormous, even if you keep playing with the same group of people. The game's central mechanic makes it almost impossible for someone to use the same strategy each game, which forces variety and keeps the game fun for a long time. Last I checked, Amazon has it for $28 which is most definitely worth it...you won't regret this purchase.

So, i purchased this game 2 years ago and i have a couple of comments about it which i will categorize into two different sections: The game itself and the quality/durability of the box and game pieces themselves.The Game Itself: The game itself is an overall fun game to play. I've played this with family member and friends countless times, all of which the person who plays with the most strategy wins all the time. In Sheriff, the dynamic at first may be to find out who's telling the truth and whose lying, but as you get more experienced, you realized that strategy fails and you have to concentrate on what other merchants posses because everyone tends to ignore the kings and queens bonuses.Noobs: The game doesn't get dull after a while. If you're a new player looking to purchase the game and get into gaming or if you're a new gamer looking to further your collection, by all means i truly recommend Sheriff because you can play it with your friends for years and its never going to be boring. If anything, it becomes more enjoyable the more you play.Experts: If you're an expert player looking to introduce your friends or family to this game or even experience a new type of game dynamic for yourself, i would still highly recommend this game. I haven't necessarily used Sheriff as an introductory game to new players since most board games on the market today contribute a vastly different player dynamic, although once i do introduce new players to gaming, this is the first intermediary-advanced type of game i would use since the rules get more complicated than simple introductory games.Durability: I would say that half of the games of Sheriff that i played were inside my own house, so there wasn't much travel where there. The other half of the times that i played this game were at school and i have an hour commute. I carry this game in a draw-string bag for protection. The box is quality cardboard and will not tear on you. Again, I've had this game for 2 years now and the only damage to the box that is noticeable are common shelf wears like white parts of the cardboard beginning to appear and be stripped away (although very minor at that as well). Bottom line: The box hold up. The cards hold up. The player cards hold up. The imaging themselves are very nice and very true to the game. Play time is anywhere from 30 min to an hour for me on average.Well, i hope that helped you guys decide whether you're willing to buy this game or not. If you have any questions please feel free to message me about this specific board game or any board game for that matter and id be more than willing to let you know (if i know the board game (which i probably do)).