Once Upon a Time (game)

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This article is about the card game. For other uses, see Once Upon a Time.
Once Upon a Time

Cover of Once Upon a Time (2nd edition).
Designer Richard Lambert
Andrew Rilstone
James Wallis
Publisher Atlas Games
Players 2–6
Setup time 1 minute
Playing time 10 minutes[citation needed]
Skills required Storytelling

Once Upon a Time is a card game produced by Atlas Games, originally released in 1994 with a second edition published in 1995. One object of Once Upon a Time is to tell a fairy tale as a group.[1][2][3][4] While the story is developed by the whole group, the competitive aspect of the game is that each player has an individual goal of using all of the "story" cards he or she has in hand, and finishing the story with their own special "Happily Ever After" card.[5] Only one player at a time is the current storyteller, giving him or her a chance to play their story cards, while the other players have a chance to "interrupt" the story and become the storyteller if, for example, the storyteller mentions something on one of the interrupting player's cards.[3][4][5]

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

Each player is dealt a hand of cards that represent story elements: objects, people, events, and "aspects" often involved in fairy tales (for instance, there are cards for "crown", "key", "stepmother", "a death", "time passes", "sleeping", et cetera). The story cards represent ingredients of a fairy tale. Each player receives their own "Happy Ever After" ending card, to be kept secret from other players until it is used.[1] The object of the game for each player is to use their cards in telling a story, finishing the story by using their ending card.[3]

One player at a time is the storyteller. Whenever a story ingredient is mentioned, if any player has the card for that ingredient, they can play it and become (or continue being) the storyteller.[1] In certain circumstances, a player may be required to draw extra story cards. If the storyteller ends the story with the ending on their ending card, and is out of cards, they win. Additional player cooperation beyond the basic rules is necessary for the story to be coherent and interesting. In this way, Once Upon a Time is similar to a role-playing game.

[edit] Expansions

There are two expansions for Once Upon a Time. Dark Tales is a set of extra cards featuring 'darker' plot elements.[1][2][6] These cards, or a subset of them, are intended to be shuffled into the original deck. Decks of blank cards are also available, for people to add their own story elements.[6]

[edit] Awards and critical reception

In his essay on the game British author and game designer Marc Gascoigne said that Once Upon a Time is "one of the best ways I've ever found to grab a non-gamer by their imagination and fling them into our world".[1]

Once Upon a Time was named to Games's magazine's Best Family Card Game section in the 1997 Games 100 list.

In 1999 Pyramid magazine named Once Upon a Time as one of The Millennium's Best Card Games[7] and also as one of The Millennium's Most Underrated Games.[8] Editor Scott Haring said that "the game's just as good for kids as it is for adults."[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Gascoigne, Marc (2007), “Once Upon a Time”, in Lowder, James, Hobby Games: The 100 Best, Green Ronin Publishing, pp. 224-226, ISBN 978-1-932442-96-0 
  2. ^ a b Dr. Matt J. Carlson (2005-11-13). Once Upon a Time (Card Game). GamerDad.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
  3. ^ a b c Jones, Spike Y (April 1994). "Pyramid Pick: Once Upon A Time". Pyramid (#6). Steve Jackson Games. 
  4. ^ a b Darlington, Steve (1999-05-03). Once Upon A Time: The Storytelling Card Game. RPGnet. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
  5. ^ a b *O'Sullivan, Steffan (1993). "Once Upon a Time Review". The Game Report (2.2). 
  6. ^ a b Vetromile, Andy (2004-12-24). "Pyramid Review: Dark Tales & Create Your Own Storytelling Cards (for Once Upon a Time)". Pyramid (online). Steve Jackson Games. 
  7. ^ a b Haring, Scott D. (1999-12-17). "Second Sight: The Millennium's Best Card Game". Pyramid (online). 
  8. ^ Haring, Scott D. (1999-11-25). "Second Sight: The Millennium's Most Influential Company and The Millennium's Most Underrated Game". Pyramid (online). 

[edit] External links