I have strong memories of four books in my elementary school library. I loved The Twenty-One Balloons with its delightful line drawings and crazy tale of exploration and adventure. I was fascinated by D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths. I can’t remember which version of the Robin Hood legends that I read multiple times, but it was wondrous.
And then there was Howard Pyle’s The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. I was blown away by the wide-ranging tales and myriad characters… the perfidious Mordred, the saintly but flawed Lancelot, the devout Sir Gawain, the mysterious Merlin. My classmates and I even wrote (and performed) a play about the fall of Arthur for a class project.
As I grew older, I experienced different takes on the legends: Mark Twain’s humorous A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, T.H. White’s brilliant and moving The Once and Future King, and – because my honors project in college was focused on John Steinbeck, his unfinished The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (based on Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur). Thanks to being an English major, I was also subjected to the endless blank verse of Tennyson’s Idylls of the King.
My first R-rated film was John Boorman’s Excalibur – a glorious mess of a film that I would not recommend to younger viewers (it got an R rating for myriad reasons). In college, I got my first full viewing of Monty Python & the Holy Grail with a rowdy frat-boy audience on a huge screen… and I experienced the profound disappointment of seeing the film version Camelot (the musical).
More recently, I’ve read and re-read Stephen Lawhead’s splendid Pendragon Cycle. The original three books (Taliesin, Merlin, and Arthur) were followed by two books of short stories (Pendragon and Grail), a modern-day “return of Arthur” novel (Avalon), and a just-published prequel to the series (Aurelia).
That’s a lot of King Arthur… and my knowledge of the tales doesn’t hold a candle to designer Andrew Parks, who took the original bones of Eric Goldberg’s Tales of the Arabian Nights game (first published in 1985) and created a richer and more coherent game experience by combining his deep love for Arthurian legend with clever game design improvements.
Choose Your Own Adventure
If you remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books from the late 70s/early 80s (ah, there I go dating myself again), you’re going to be familiar with the engine that drives both Arabian Nights and Arthurian Knights – a HUGE book full of paragraphs, many with choices that lead to other paragraphs (and possible fortuitous or calamitous results).
Paragraphs in the “book of tales” are triggered by movement on the map and card-generated random encounters. So, players forge about the map, trying to accomplish quests and face perplexing (and sometimes humorous situations) in order to accumulate points with which to win the game.
As I wrote years ago, both games are
…what we gamer types call an “experience game” – meaning while there are a number of decisions to make, the game plays you as much as you play the game. If going along for a wild & capricious ride (based on the game system) doesn’t appeal to you, you should avoid this at all costs.
While I’ll go on to make the argument later that Arthurian Knights has a meaningful scoring system and isn’t nearly as ‘wild & capricious’ as Arabian Nights, the game certainly does bestow its favor and/or let loose its wrath on players in random bursts.
What’s Different?
I’m a long-time fan of Tales of the Arabian Nights – which means my preference for Tales of the Arthurian Knights needs some explanation. I haven’t sold Arabian Nights, as I can still imagine groups of players who would particularly enjoy the chaos & humor that is part & parcel of the game. Plus, there’s the nostalgia factor of playing with my sons once again. But given the choice, I’d rather have Arthurian Knights on my game table.
Movement
Your hero in Arabian Nights has a movement allowance based on their wealth level – but that is divided into sea and land movement with some tricky rules for how to combine those in a move. In Arthurian Knights, your knight can move 3-5 spaces regardless of land type based on their level of renown. The simpler system means that the focus of the game is on the encounters rather than fighting with the map.
Encounter Generation
The changes in this system produces the most glaring differences between the two games. Without going into excruciating detail, Arthurian Knights simplified the process greatly. Most importantly, the system in Arthurian Knights cuts out the multi-page matrix to discover the adjective that describes your potential encounter by using two decks – one with an adjective/attitude and the other with the individual you encounter. The combination of the two creates the paragraph number to read.
Those two decks (Encounters & Features) do not have the same number of cards – so if you get through one of them, you simply turn the discard pile over and continue. There is no way for any encounter to occur twice in a single game. (This has happened more than a few times in games of Arabian Nights as the matrix system doesn’t have a mechanism to keep it from happening. The addition of a fudge die in the 2009 version along with a number of additional paragraph entries helps but does not cure the issue.)
Milieu cards from the Encounters deck in Arthurian Knights are matched with the current “age” to create an encounter based on the type of terrain. Again, simple and straightforward. This yields a greater variety of potential events keyed to where players are in the flow of the game – and with less cards and look-up tables involved. (In Arabian Nights, city cards create an encounter and then become a side quest for the player who drew them.)
Terrain Difficulty Adjustment
In Arabian Nights, the number on the space is used as a modifier for the matrix lookup tables to determine the type of encounter. (Die roll + terrain space number + bump if you have a certain number of points = position on the appropriate matrix.)
In Arthurian Knights, the number on the space is used in some encounters to generate the appropriate number of successes you need to have a positive outcome in your encounter.
Places of Power
Both games have extra-special encounters in the system. We’ve played multiple games of Arabian Nights without lucking into a way to get to a Place of Power.
Arthurian Knights call these places Locations – and a certain number of cards that allow players to find them are randomly seeded in the deck to begin the game. Six games in – and we’ve had the opportunity to visit one of these special spots in every game, even if we didn’t take advantage of the “invitation”.
Statuses
Unlike Arabian Nights, many of the status cards in Arthurian Knights have a timing track on them as they only last 2-4 turns. This change makes sense both from a reduction of frustration (I’ve had negative statuses last more than half of a game of Arabian Nights) and as a nod to the specific twelve turn time limit of the newer game.
Skills
There are two Skill levels in Arabian Nights which boil down to “I have the skill” and “I have mastery of the skill”. In Arthurian Knights, skills can be improved up to six levels.
A key reason for this is the change in how encounter paragraphs are written. Rather than asking what skills a player possesses, Arthurian Knights encounters will often have the player roll the dice and add their skill level to determine success.
Length of Game
In Arabian Nights, each player secretly sets a goal of Destiny and Story points (typically 20 points total). A player wins when they reach both of their goals and returns to Baghdad.
In Arthurian Knights, a full game lasts twelve turns and points are calculated based on encounters completed and scoring at the end of each age. (You can play a shorter game by only completing one or two ages. We’ve chosen to play the full game each time.)
The time to play varies in both games with the number of players – but you can count on either game taking about 30-45 minutes per player.
Components
Each player has their own set of skill markers as well as their own deck of statuses in Arthurian Knights – another smart design move that speeds up play.
What I Love
The Unfolding Story
Due to the use of ages (which move us through some of the key elements of the Arthurian legends) and the general tone of the game, it feels like you’re participating in your own tale of the Round Table. The various story encounters (and the token system to implement them) give more continuity to your adventures.
We haven’t used them yet, but there are grand quests available in the box that apply to all the players and add yet another thematic element to the game.
The Focus on Encounters Rather Than Game Systems
I’ve outlined a number of the changes to the basic game systems above – all of which make it easier to figure out what the next paragraph/encounter will be and get to the “good stuff” – what life-changing decision(s) am I about to make?
The Quality of the Writing
Starting with excellent source material (detailed on the last page of the rulebook) meant that Andrew and his team had a plethora of medieval tales and legends to work from. But they didn’t simply give us the Cliff Notes versions of these stories – they wrote them with a blend of medieval appropriate prose styling while being careful to make it readable by non-English major types. (Yes, I’m stoked that there is a pronunciation guide in the rulebook as well. There’s a musicality to saying the names correctly.)
Additionally, Andrew made the choice to be more inclusive in the Book of Tales, noting in the rulebook:
The default rule of Tales of the Arthurian Knights is that anyone can love anyone. For those who wish to include or exclude romantic options in their story, we have an asterisk (*) symbol before any choice or reward that involves romantic love. Players may choose to ignore any text that follows an asterisk that they deem unsuitable for their character
This is an admirable and gracious compromise that allows all players, regardless of their particular convictions, to be able to partake in the story.
There’s Actually A Game Here
Due to the cleaner game structure and clearer scoring system, there is more control over your actions and direction in Arthurian Knights.
I’d liken it to the difference between playing pachinko (Arabian Nights) or pinball (Arthurian Knights). Both have elements of luck – but only one of them gives you some control over your fate.
Arthurian Knights also has a solo/cooperative mode. While we haven’t played the cooperative mode yet, I think it would be a solid game experience. Solo play works mechanically just fine but part of the joy of a storytelling game is enjoying each other’s stories – and that’s missing when you play the game alone.
Free Advice is Worth What You Pay For It: Tips To Make Tales of the Arabian Nights More Enjoyable
I know that I spent most of this post telling you how much more I like Arthurian Knights – but I still have a soft spot for the original game. If you don’t enjoy experience games, none of the following will change that… but if you do, we’ve discovered some guidelines for the best possible Arabian Nights experience:
- Play with three players – that way every one gets something to do on each turn & stays involved. (No more than four players – including pieces for five & six players was a mistake.)
- You can make the game shorter by using a smaller victory point total… but then you miss some of the fun of the sprawling nonsense of chasing your goals.
- Recruit players who have a functioning sense of humor.
- Players must have the ability to read well/dramatically (so much of the game is taken up with RPG-lite descriptions of the situations you face… it’s a shame to play it with someone who isn’t going to “get into character”).
- I can’t emphasize enough how much you need the right players to make this game work. When you have that (I’m looking at you, Jeff Myers & Richard LeQueiu), the experience is sublime. And hysterical.
And one more thing… Play to Z is in production for a 40th anniversary edition of Tales of the Arabian Nights.
Two Final Thoughts
- I love playing Tales of the Arthurian Knights – and moreover, I love experiencing this game with other players.
- If you need a soundtrack recommendation for background music, you can’t go wrong with The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Rick Wakeman. (Prog rock bombasticness at its finest – released in 1975. Yes, I’m old – sue me.)
Thoughts from Other Opinionated Gamers
Ted C.:
Yes this definitely scratches the itch for the story book game and improves on Arabian Nights. I also am a big fan of Agents of Smersch which is a coop that I might prefer just a little better. If I have one complaint, it is that the 12 turns seems so short. Of course, you can play as long as you want to. I just felt I did not get enough done in 12 turns. I have played solo and two player only.
Nate Beeler:
Mark fairly well summed up my thoughts about King Arthur and the game, actually. Some differences are that I didn’t read Pyle until a couple years ago, and I watched Boorman’s Excalibur repeatedly at a young age (I have always been able to say the charm of making in the Nichol Williams manner, and Helen Mirren has a permanent place in my heart).
Arthurian Knights is a great improvement over Arabian Nights, a game I do own and love. The update smooths out the chaos and makes it more of a game, albeit one still focused on the experience and the story. The improvements to the movement, the book resolution, and the skill chart are all wonderful positives. I also love that you can always do anything you want in an encounter regardless of your skill levels. You just may not succeed in some cases. But you aren’t stuck waiting for your skills to match up with those needed by the paragraph. I also love the ability to sculpt your experience a bit more to make your own story arc. Last time I played I purposely tried to make myself the most wicked religious leader possible. I managed the evil part, but the religion eluded me. I still have something to shoot for if I want to try that again. Though even play-acting as evil is surprisingly difficult: “Yes, let’s have my character slaughter that innocent person and betray my friends.” Ew. I think that kind of thing would be easier to play at in the goofier Arabian Nights.
Anyway, the upshot is I love this game. I bought it immediately after my first play, despite already having something that does pretty much the same thing. It’s the peak form of this kind of experience for me.
Dan B:
I have played and loved Arabian Nights since it was first published in 1985, despite its issues (some of which were addressed in the Z-Man edition, and more of which will be addressed in the upcoming Play to Z edition). Arthurian Knights, as Mark ably explains, is different in significant ways. I wouldn’t say that it’s better, but it will appeal more to some people than the original and vice-versa. I think I prefer the original a bit more – it’s simpler and more wide-open, which I think makes for a slightly better story-oriented experience – but I like both a lot and plan to keep both and try to get them played regularly (if not frequently).
I will note that one difference between the games is that Arthurian Knights is more interactive: in Arabian Nights interaction can only occur when players meet on the same space, and often not even then, but in Arthurian Knights there are ways to affect distant players. This might annoy them. More I cannot say for fear of spoilers, but be warned.
Ratings from the Opinionated Gamers
- I love it! Mark Jackson, Nate, Dan B.
- I like it. Ted C.
- Neutral.
- Not for me…
Note: I did not receive a review copy of Tales of the Arthurian Knights – but I did have the chance to play the prototype with the designer, Andrew Parks, back in the fall of 2022. (Work travel for the win!) My copy is a Father’s Day gift from my two gamer sons who’ve been listening to me yammer on & on about how much I loved the design since I got home from New Jersey three years ago.
