Forsooth

Forsooth

Designer: Mitchell H. Allen
Publisher: About.com: 2005 Deduction Game Design Competition
Type: Board
Status: Free
Available from: http://boardgames.about.com/od/deductiongame1/a/forsooth.htm

forsooth: adv: an archaic word originally meaning 'in truth' but now usually used to express disbelief.

Civil war has divided the Kingdom of Forsooth into two regions: North Forsooth and South Forsooth. Each region has a king, queen and tax collector, who reside alone -- either by the mountain, in the valley or by the river.

Both tax collectors are unscrupulous and always lie when questioned. Both queens are virtuous and always speak truthfully when questioned. Both kings are diplomats and will lie or speak truthfully as they see fit.

The tax collector of each region has just given the royal couple an accounting of the other region's wealth. They know he's lying, so they send you, their trusted auditor, to interrogate the inhabitants of the other region.

For security reasons, you are allowed to speak only to the other auditor, who will relay the answers of the questioned resident.

You must determine the distribution of wealth in the region by deducing the identity of the residents and, therefore, whether to trust their answers.

Object: To tell your opponent where you think her coins are.

Equipment:

• The board is a plain sheet of paper with the following words written on it: MOUNTAIN, down the left side, VALLEY, down the middle, RIVER, down the right side
• The Jack, Queen and King of any two suits from a deck of cards. The Jacks are the tax collectors and the other four cards represent royalty. Each player gets one suit.
• Two quarters, two dimes, two nickels and two pennies for each player
• A sturdy divider, tall enough to obstruct each player's view of the cards and coins on the opposite side

An entry into the About.com: 2005 Deduction Game Design Competition.