A Party Game to Treasure - Reviewing Incan Gold

My gaming group doesn't really play party games.  Apples to Apples hasn't hit the table.  Neither has Taboo, Pictionary or Trivial Pursuit.  For most of the people in the group, they want to play something with a little more strategy.  For myself, I am not a fan of performance based games.  Each of those that I mentioned above require either trivial knowledge, quick wits, or artistic talent.  No matter the group, someone always seems to feel self-conscious about playing.

That said, there are times that one needs to pull out a game in the midst of a bunch of people to play.  The Resistance is a possibility, buy recently I have run into a few people that are uncomfortable with the deception part of the game.  It also isn't going to go well with little ones; they may not be okay with being called a liar to their faces.

Enter the temple of Incan Gold.  This a quick, light push-your-luck game that everyone can enjoy.  The game plays up to eight people, though I have stretched it to nine and it stilled played very well.  It's a short game, playing in about 15 - 20 minutes, so it could be stretched a little further by having the dealer sit out when playing multiple games of Incan Gold.  We had an 8 year old playing as a "teammate" of an adult when we have played, but she certainly could have played on her own.  In fact, she was fully part of the decision making for her team.

Imagine you are Indiana Jones, entering an Incan temple (actully, it might properly be Inca temple, but you get the idea) for artifacts and jewels.  Okay, maybe your not Indy - maybe your a little more self-serving like René Belloq.  Regardless of your personal motives, the winner of the game is the person with the most treasure at the end of the game.

Hazard Cards (Photo by Ender Wiggins)

 There are five rounds to the game, with each round lasting several turns.  Each turn of the game, players will simultaneously reveal whether or not they are going deeper into the temple or leaving while the getting is good.  After everyone reveals their decision the dealer flips over a card which has an artifact, jewels or a hazard.  Jewels are divided evenly amongst the players still in the temple, with any remainders staying on the path.  Hazards (of which there are five types) and artifacts stay on the path.  If players decide to leave, they divide any jewels on the path on the way out.  If one and only one person leaves the temple that turn, they can take the artifact.  Those players who have left the temple are out for the round, but any treasure they have collected will be kept for the rest of the game.  The players who are still in take another turn.  The round continues until everyone as left the temple, or two of the same type of hazard appear.  If a hazard ends the round, anyone still in the temple loses everything they have collected during that round.  After the five rounds, everyone counts the value of their treasure, and the player with the highest total wins. 

When we play, everyone tries to play quickly.  If you take to long to decide, or leave early in the round, your are likely to be the target of lots of chicken sounds.  There also can be a little bit of bluff and deception in this game too.  I am pretty sure there are people who believe I was trying to talk them in to staying in the temple with me.  It was purely a misunderstanding, though when I then left it did allow me to collect an artifact and avoid splitting up the jewels on the path.  Purely unintentional.  Really.  Unfortunately for them, there were snakes.

It's Your Move!