Thebes made my short list!

I had several recent plays of the game "Thebes". This should be a game I would not like. It is basically a Euro about time management, an efficiency exercise set in the world of Indiana Jones but I will report in all honesty that it has made my list of Euros I like and will play.

Since "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is my favorite movie and the fact that I will be front row next week for the latest installment of the Indy series was enough for me to at least give this game a chance.

Taking a Zeppelin to beat my opponent to a dig site and getting back in time to do an expo was quite thrilling.

The dig wheel seemed a little to "Old school and slide rule" and no doubt puts a gleam in Clearclaw's eye but at least I found some common ground with Prof. Euro. I will give this a go anytime along with RA, Attila, Carc the City and Settlers

Yeah, it's a fun game...but it's not "sopping wet with theme" like some people have said. It's still a Euro and all that entails.

The digging mechanic, which is really kind of a lottery draw, is tons of fun and there's nothing better than seeing someone waste their entire dig to pull up nothing but dirt. The time thing is cool and the concept could be used in other game designs for some interesting effects. I like the nods to theme, how you can get points by giving lectures, the gathering information idea, etc.

I sold mine because I still didn't think it had the longevity or replayabilty a game in the Barnes Collection needs, but if I'm over at somebody's house and they bring it out, I have no compunction about playing it.

What the game REALLY needs is more interaction. Like the ability to sabotage another player's dig by dropping a scorpion, cave-in, or Mummy chit into the bag before they start digging. Something to give it a little more friction. Otherwise, it's really just kind of a race.

What the game REALLY needs is more interaction. Like the ability to sabotage another player's dig by dropping a scorpion, cave-in, or Mummy chit into the bag before they start digging. Something to give it a little more friction. Otherwise, it's really just kind of a race.

Those are great ideas! I was thinking along those same lines about adding in the "King Tut Curse"

the*mad*gamer wrote:

The dig wheel seemed a little to "Old school and slide rule" and no doubt puts a gleam in Clearclaw's eye

I heard that Clearclaw plays Thebes without the bags. No hidden information for him!

heard that Clearclaw plays Thebes without the bags. No hidden information for him!

HA!!!!!!!!!

Y'know, speaking of Euros that make the cut, I traded for Tikal not too long ago...I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but it looks like a Euro that at least makes a stab at theme, where you feel like you're actually doing something while you play. Sure, scoring points while standing around a temple while a volcano goes off is pretty much non-thematic, but other than that I'm wanting to try it out because it has that exploration/discovery theme.

Thebes isn't something that's ever really been on my radar. It looks okay, maybe I'll check it out someday based on Steve's recommendation.

I was expecting to love Thebes but I didn't when I played it. It promises the excitment of a thematic toe to toe race against your opponents where you don't know how you will do with the strategic elements of planning, risk management and selecting the dig sites that will give the biggest or most consistent rewards. I was hoping for a best of both worlds AT meets Euro but I found it was more of the dryness and calculation of a Euro with the frustration of the randomness of AT. I didn't find the drawing particularly involving because there was no interaction with other players and it felt quite abstract, like playing tombola (if that exists outside of the UK). For me, it could have done with more narrative elements to explain what happened in the digs, something like the Arkham Horror cards maybe.

While I'm not sure I'd play Thebes much with my gf, it's a great game to play with my son (4y). It's great because it's very easy to understand, can be enjoyed by adults and kids and he can still win the game (and does) so it's not frustrating for him...

For a euro it's got lots of theme, but it's true there's not much interaction... but it's ok. And the digging mechanics is quite fun (except when it's you that draws nothing but dirt

-Jorge

I posted this at BGG last year. I don't own the game. I like the game but not enough to buy it yet. So since I don't own the game I haven't really tried out my Indiana Jones and the Temple of Thebes variant. Maybe one of the these days. It's funny to look over most of the other variants on BGG, most of them want to eliminate randomness.

This is a Home Made Expansion but it would be great if Queen would come out with this. Overall, I think Thebes is a pretty nice game. It looks great and its pretty fun to play. However, I'd like to make Thebes a great game so I come up with some big changes to the rules. The Indiana Jones and Temple of Thebes is a much more cutthroat game so it's not for the faint at heart. However, the cutthroat nature will add to theme and make the game more interactive among players.

Change #1. Change 2 sands chits to disaster chits:

Greeks
1. Temple of Doom - Chased by the Giant Ball Lose 4 weeks
2. Appease the gods lose 1 item

Cretans
1. Lost in the Minotaur Labyrinth lose 4 weeks
2. Poseidon Adventure lose 2 weeks

Palestinians
1. Lost in the desert 40 days and 40 nights - lose 6 weeks
2. Horn of Joshua make an other player lose 2 weeks

Macedonians
1. I hate snakes Get bitten by snakes lose 6 weeks
2. Alexander's secret gain 2 additional pulls anywhere now

Egyptians
1. Curse of the Mummy. You may never enter Egypt again
2. Riddle of the Sphinx. Lose any item tile or card

When a player picks a bad chit they have a choice of losing the 2 - 6 weeks or getting the curse or they can have the disaster happen to their graduate student or shove worker. If the disaster happens to the student or shove that card is lost for the game. Just like in real life most professors will be willing to throw out the graduate student or worker to save their research. If you don't have student or shove you must take the disaster.

The bad tile will happen to the player at the end of a complete excavation so that they will be able to keep any good artifact they find during that trip. Bad tiles are kept with the player and not put back in the bag. If a player picks two bad tiles in the same pull they can disregard one and put it back into the bag for the next player to pick.

Change #2. You're a fraud rule

Once a game if you are on the same space as a player who has more lectures than you, you can challenge them to a debate. Call that player a fraud or something even nastier. Then count up your total number knowledge points and if you have more than they do you can steal one lecture from them. This action takes 1 week. You can only do this once but the same player can be called a fraud or nastier name multiple times.

Change #3. Steal an item
Once a game if you are on the same space as a player you can send a graduate student or shove to steal an item or card from an opposing player. If you decide to steal an artifact it will be random artifact from one location. You do not lose any weeks for doing this action but you do lose the grad student or shove. The opposing player can use a shove or grad student to protect the item. In this case they lose the shove or grad student.

Change #4. Pulling sand

The first sand tile you pull is removed from the game. All other sand is placed back in the bag.

Those additions look pretty good. Might make for some interesting fights....