Timbuktu

Lead a camel caravan across the desert and deduce from partial clues which goods the night thieves will steal.

Designer: Dirk Henn
Published by: Queen Games
Editions by: db-Spiele

You lead a camel caravan across the desert toward Timbuktu, but every night thieves hit the camp. Timbuktu (1993) gives each player a caravan, the number of camels depends on how many people play, and every camel is loaded with goods that must reach the final oasis. Each time all camels arrive at an oasis and night falls, thieves steal different goods. On the way, clues about what they will take come in, but each player holds a different clue, and you only ever see three of the five. You piece the thefts together from clues and from what the others do, then relocate your camels to save the goods. Three to five players, about an hour, with deduction at its heart.

Camel caravans carrying goods to TimbuktuClues about the thieves, three of five per playerChoose simultaneously and relocate camels

Who it's for

You like deduction with hidden information, and you have five players who enjoy reading each other's behavior over an hour.

Not for you if…

You want a light race or a quick game. Piecing clues together takes patience, and it plays best with the full table of five.

Vibe's take

Murmuring and suspicious. Everyone knows a slice of the truth, so you watch what the others do for hints and try to give away as little as possible about your own clues.