The Nile Ran Red is a collection of three standalone card games set in a mythical ancient Egypt. Illustrated by John Ariosa, these card games all pit players against each other with a common goal: extending control over the land of the Nile. While all three games share a common theme and a common aesthetic, they are vastly different mechanically and no games share common components or art. With this collection of games, up to eleven players can be accommodated at once — albeit by playing different games.

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In Lords of the Sand, each player takes on the role of one of four different gods: Anubis, Thoth, Sobek, and Khnum. Each god has its own unique agenda and special abilities.

Throughout the course of the game, players use Units, complete their court, use special abilities, and build temple complexes. With a combo-driven card system, as cards are played, additional actions may spawn multiple abilities, but a limited action system keeps downtime to a minimum.

Lords of the Sand offers multiple paths to victory, unique card play, and various special abilities with a playing time of about thirty minutes, plus ten minutes for each player above two.

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In Rise of the First Dynasty, 3-5 players vie for control over the whole of Egypt as the potential leader of the mythical first Dynasty of the ancient land along the Nile.

Each player has a set of three identical actions. Played over ten Aeons (or rounds), in each Aeon each player chooses one of his action cards. Depending on the actions chosen by each other players, the player will gain actions, such as conquering new lands, blessing the lands he has already conquered, or using Edict cards to thwart the other players' plans and protect his own. Light, quick, and downright dirty, Rise of the First Dynasty plays in around 30 minutes and scales well regardless of players.

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In Crimson Sun, two players take on the role of leaders of Upper and Lower Egypt. Playing units of four unique gods (Kuk, Babi, Horus, and Sekmet), players build their forces and attempt to assert influence over four key structures. Players may choose to either draft decks at the beginning of the game, or use a single deck.

During the game, players use the Unit cards in a variety of ways to increase his overall strength, to use special abilities, or to secretly try to gain control over the structures. The core mechanisms of this game are pulled from a previous Small Box Games release — Bhazum — but mechanical and thematic changes have lead to a game that should be a fresh experience for players already familiar with the earlier game.

Kleine Helden