Game design: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

This year I am participating in the Malaysia Board Game Design Competition (MYBOGADECO). My entry is Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. This was not a game designed specifically for the competition. When I signed up for the competition, I happened to have this game in development which matched the theme of the competition. At the time the game was still called Catch 22. 

By taking part in the competition, I forced myself to make progress with my design. I didn't have a proper theme for the game prior to this. Now I had to think about a suitable theme. I needed to get the rulebook properly written up. I had to make a proper prototype. I needed to work on my sell sheet too. 

The first prototype I made used characters from Miyazaki Hayao movies. At the time I didn't have any theme so I just picked some random pretty art I found on the internet. I used the name Catch 22 because the game was about not exceeding the number 22. Also "catch 22" is an English expression. I later realised there is a well-liked book by that name. My game is not related to the book. 

After deciding on the Ali Baba theme, I looked for relevant drawings on the internet and made the next prototype: 

For the competition I could not use other people's art without permission. As opposed to looking up the artists for the many pieces of art I used and getting permission one by one, I decided to ask my younger daughter Chen Rui to help. She did original art for me, and I made the third prototype below: 

This is how a game is set up. Everyone starts with $20 (or whatever the currency is in the age of Ali Baba). Your goal is to get to $80. 

This is a mock-up of a game in progress. Every round each player is dealt three cards. After looking at your cards, you arrange them before you face-down, with the smallest card on the left and the largest on the right. During a round, players take turns revealing cards. You may reveal any card belonging to any player, and you may even reveal the top card from the draw deck. However you may not reveal your own card. When you reveal a card, as long as the total of all face-up cards has not exceeded 22, you claim a reward. The longer the round goes, the bigger the reward. When a player eventually causes the total to go beyond 22, the round ends. This player doesn't get a reward, and is penalised instead, losing $10. 

The rewards start at $1, and can eventually increase to $200. 

I bought the poker chips on Shopee. The quality is so-so, but they are cheap. 

I bought the box at Daiso. 

I have now submitted this copy of the game to the competition judges. My other copy is the older prototype. I will need to create another copy of this latest version.