About
In Curse Reverse, you play a thief who has stolen items from temples hidden across 19th century Egypt. Your goal is to return the items to three of the temples before the other players to earn your freedom and win the game.
Once you've mastered the rules, an average game of Curse Reverse will take between 45 and 60 minutes.
Overview
Players each pick one of four thieves: Youssef Desher, the grifting curiosities-shop owner, Annie Kenit, the iron-willed archaeologist, Aamir Wadj, the quick-witted tour guide, or Mirela Khesdedj, the talented knife-throwing entertainer.
Each has their own set of traits, both positive and negative that will be used to overcome many trials on their path to redemption in the strange dream-world they are now trapped in! For example: Youssef has a higher-than-average tolerance for pain, but is a relentless (and infamous) liar. How these affect your storytelling is up to you!
Items
As you progress, you will be forced to decide how many items are worth carrying. The more you carry, the more resources you will have to assist you during trials, as well as providing attack and defense strength for your encounters with other thieves. However, more items means a heavier pack, and less movement per turn. To master Curse Reverse, you will need to manage your pack size properly!
Trials & Events
During the game, you may land on special spaces, forcing you to draw from the Events deck. This deck is split between world events that may cause the board, the temples or even players to shift, and trials, which the gods use to test your worthiness. In an instant, you may find yourself locked in a cell, surrounded by mummies, or even attacked by giant vultures. To survive, you must invent a story of how you overcame these trials using only the junk in your pack and your character's traits. How you escape each of these dangerous trials is up to you!
Robbery
Storytelling is not the only way to acquire the items you need to escape this cursed dream world. Players can also use a more direct approach and take the items directly from the other thieves. When you choose to rob another player, you roll red Attack dice or blue Defense dice based on how many of each category of item is in your possession. Players who drop their items on the board early for the increased movement may find themselves at a distinct disadvantage if another player sets their sights on them!
Cartouches
During the game, players will be awarded Cartouches for successful completion of Trials and other obstacles. These single-use items remain hidden until the player who owns them decides to invoke their power. A Cartouche effect can be anything from giving a player additional actions in a turn to swapping places with another player to allowing you to replace your current Goal card! Cartouches are the only hidden information in Curse Reverse, and can be used to bribe, coerce or trade with other players.
Curse Tiles
During Curse Reverse, you may accidentally anger the gods. If you do, you may find yourself forced to carry the weight of curse tiles. These act like items that fill your inventory, but offer no mechanical benefit. The only way to remove them is to visit the gods' temples or transfer them to another player by successfully robbing them. One tile may only be a minor inconvenience, but the longer you leave them, the more difficult the game may become!
Stats
Players: 3 - 5
Ages: 12+
Play Time: 45 - 60 minutes