IDW snatches up an intriguing Euro game and brings it to the States.

Critical Hits:

2012 game Ali coming to U.S. as Open Sesame.
Developed by Antoine Bauza and Corentin Lebrat.
Memory game based on Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.
Expected in stores June 30, 2015.

Open Sesame box art.

In the latest issue of Game Trade Magazine, Antoine Bauza (7 Wonders, Tokaido) discusses teaming up with Corentin Lebrat (Diabolo) to create a game based on the legend of Ali Baba. Bauza admits to being fascinated by the Tales of the Arabian Nights and that he'd wanted to create an Ali Baba game for some time. When he started his work, he discovered Lebrat, also working on an Ali Baba game, who happened to be living in the same city.

The two got together and hashed out an idea. A game with a small number of cards that would be family friendly, quick to play, but have the spirit of the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. The game, Ali, was published in some European countries in 2012. Now, renamed Open Sesame, the game is coming to the U.S. on June 30, 2015 thanks to IDW Games.

Open Sesame is a memory game for 3-5 players (though Ali offers a 2-player variant, so this new version may as well). Each turn a different player takes the role of Ali Baba, hunting for treasures. The other players become thieves, trying to steal from Ali Baba.

A look at Ali - Open Sesame should look about the same.

The Thieves must chant a chain of ever-growing treasures without any errors. The player, as Ali, must decide how many treasures to take before making his escape. It wouldn’t do to get stuck in the cave with a bunch of thieves. Uh, thieves you are stealing from. Oh, semantics!