Turning only one part of The Princess Bride into a board game is an exercise in futility—the framing device is what makes the whole damn thing shine in the first place. So Ravensburger’s new attempt to actually incorporate that into its tabletop adaptation of the classic is a really neat idea.
Announced this morning, The Princess Bride Adventure Book Game is a co-operative that can be played either solo or with up to four players. It takes place on a fold-out board meant to replicate the William Goldman novel being read by Peter Falk’s grandfather character to lil’ Fred Savage across the film. Navigating through six chapters charting the events of the film—each with their own special rules and requirements—players have to work together to progress, playing and discarding cards to remove obstacles along the way.
Those obstacles are presented not just as threats within the narrative from the likes of Count Rugen and Prince Humperdink, but also what happens when, say, Fred Savage gets all up in your storytime business.
From a mechanical and presentation standpoint, it’s a really cute way to keep part of what made The Princess Bride so charming and special in the first place. And really, who doesn’t want to just yell “Inconceivable!” whenever something goes wrong while playing? It even has its own card!
The Princess Bride board game is currently set to release in October, for $25.
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