Eighties board game classic Tales of the Arabian Nights is getting a sequel set in the times of King Arthur
Will you be a saviour, a villain or a lovelorn tragedy? It’s all in the cards.
An upcoming board game based on 1980s classic Tales of the Arabian Nights takes that title’s adventure structure to a time of round tables and legendary kings. Tales of the Arthurian Knights is a standalone sequel launching towards the end of 2024 that lets players build their own legends, whether they be noble or notorious.
Players can either traipse across mythic Britain competitive or collaboratively using the Book of Takes and its accompanying cards. Just like in Tales of the Arabian Nights, each card corresponds to an entry in the book, spelling out encounters, foes, treasure and wondrous locations that the players can interact with via several different strategies.
Once finished, the card will send you off in a different direction and sometimes unlock unique narrative forks based on the players’ actions. Skills honed through adventure and storied equipment found - such as Goswhit or Prydwen - will help you overcome challenges in a variety of manners, whether that be diplomacy with faeries or steel drawn against brigands.
Designed by Andrew Parks and based off of Eric Goldberg's original system, Tales of the Arthurian Knights won’t shy away from forcing players to live the consequences of their actions. How you comport yourself could craft an everlasting legend from your noble deeds, or plant your name in the fearful heart of every peasant from Cornwall to Scotland.
The Book of Tales contains over 350 pages and 200 standard cards, and each of those can be modified by general cards - such as ‘Lost’ or ‘Enchanted’ to further augment more general encounters. Also included in the core box are standees for knights, a full rulebook and over 350 tokens used to track all manner of currency, affliction, forces and other resources. The board itself covers The UK, Ireland, northern France and Brittany (which is now a part of modern-day France).
A full campaign will stretch through Camelot’s golden age, cover the Quest for the Holy Grail and descend into the Final Wars of Britain as broad bookends, but character-controlled knights don’t necessarily need to show up on the front lines - or even support Arthur’s vision for Great Britain. The effects of these mytho-historical events will play out in the background as you pursue maidens locked in castles, hunt strange beasts across the countryside or actively plot against Camelot’s rule.
Pre-orders for Tales of the Arthurian Knights are now open ahead of a “Q4 2024” release, according to publisher WizKids. Everything needed for up to eight players will come in a single box that should ship shortly after its release date. Artwork on the cover and components was provided by DavidSchneiderArt, Medusa Dollmaker and Mirco Paganessi.