Sheriff of Nottingham is a lighthearted game for up to 5 players, in which each is a merchant looking to score the most profit in the city of Nottingham. In the game, players attempt to bluff and bargain their way to success while the Sheriff tries to collect taxes and catch criminals.
Sheriff of Nottingham is a 2-6 player game that involves lying, bluffing, and stealing to become the wealthiest merchant in Nottingham. It was first released in 2014 and won the Golden Geek award for Best Party game.
In the game, players take turns in the role of Sheriff of Nottingham, who must enforce the law by ensuring merchants don't bring in illegal goods while also earning money by collecting taxes.
Sheriff of Nottingham mostly centers around the core dynamic of players trying to smuggle goods past the Sheriff or lie to get away with illegal goods. The Sheriff is responsible for identifying who's telling the truth and who's lying.
The game includes adjustable difficulty where the Sheriff can pick from one of three levels of law-abidingness and cunningness, from very strict to very lenient fits different groups of players.
It also includes many expansions like "The Merry Men Expansion" and "The Special Characters Expansion," adding more depth and complexity to the game.
Sheriff of Nottingham has been featured in various publications and was even featured at PAX Prime in Seattle in 2019.
The game includes six types of goods that players can smuggle: Crossbow, Cheese, Apples, Bread, Chicken, and Ore.
Players can lie or use tactics such as "theme-acting" to bluff the Sheriff. The game aims to have the most money at the end while trying the least amount of incorrect claims and fines.
Players can also bribe their way to victory by bribing the Sheriff with money or goods. The Sheriff can respond positively or negatively to bribes.
Each merchant can hold up to six goods cards, and the overall turn order slightly changes every round to keep things fresh.
