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Encyclopedia of Monsters
- 2–4 players
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Open Sesame
2012
Rules assistance for Open Sesame
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 15 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.1/5
Rules assistant for Open Sesame
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Open Sesame is a board game released in 2012 for 3–5 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Antoine Bauza and Corentin Lebrat and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Memory.
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About the game
Game description from the publisher: In Open Sesame, a.k.a. Ali, players re-enact the story of "Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves" – but as a push-your-luck memory game. Each round, one player takes the role of Ali while the other players are all thieves. These thieves must repeat, in turn and without error, an ever-growing list of objects – these objects being the treasures that Ali Baba covets and wants to steal. The question for Ali is whether to stop or not before he covets too much and ends up stuck in the cave, with the treasures falling into the hands of the thieves. Variant rules allow for only two to play Open Sesame.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Pandasaurus Games
- IDW Games
- Libellud
Questions and answers
Open Sesame supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Open Sesame is 15 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Open Sesame for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Open Sesame has a complexity rating of 1.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Open Sesame belongs to these categories: Memory and Arabian. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Memory. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Open Sesame are: Antoine Bauza and Corentin Lebrat. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Open Sesame as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.