Hieroglyph Historian
My love for the ancient world might just be the death of me…
The moment I stepped into the tomb, I felt it. The shift in the air, the weight of centuries pressing in. Then the tremor.Â
A low groan rolled through the stone beneath my feet, and before I could turn back, the walls began to move.Â
Dust curled from the ceiling as I scanned the room. Parchments. Scattered like breadcrumbs from the past. And along the walls… hieroglyphs. Not just ornamental. Intentional. Laid out like a puzzle begging to be solved.
My pulse steadied. Not out of calm, but out of habit.
The only way forward was through the past. And if I decipher the hieroglyphs right, I might just escape. Before the tomb becomes my own…
I had the joy of exploring around ten games from the Micro May campaign on Kickstarter this year, and I really admired the uniqueness each brought to the table. And Hieroglyph Historian has certainly lived up to that standard, at least from first impressions!
I have a big (read, HUGE) knack for ancient Egypt. From the documentaries I watched as a kid, to the chapters on Egyptian civilization back in fourth grade, and of course, The Mummy series. I’m pretty sure I’ve got the first movie memorized, line by line! And I’m sure I’m not the only one. Egypt is definitely on my list of places I want to visit, to explore the ancient realms.
So I obviously had my eyes on Hieroglyph Historian from the very start, and I was thrilled when Ahmad Salahuddin, designer of the game, sent me the digital files!
About the game
In this solo card game, you step into the shoes of an archeologist trapped inside an ancient Egyptian tomb. Your only hope to escape lies in creating words using cards to both gather parchments and decipher cryptic hieroglyphs. Every word you form brings you closer to unlocking the tomb’s secrets and finding your way out before it is too late.
The game is played over four rounds, each featuring two rotating phases: study and decipher.
In the study phase, you use cards in your hand to collect parchments and discard cards to reveal hieroglyphs on the wall. During the decipher phase, you use the collected parchments to decode hieroglyphs, which come in two types: symbols and values. To score points, you need to collect both types.
Your goal is to strategically balance collecting parchments and deciphering hieroglyphs to maximize your score by the end of the game.
Questions that lingered my ancient mind before playing the game:
+ The game sounds straightforward, but what about depth?
+ Is there any Egyptian language or symbols integrated in the game?
+ Will this game earn a spot in my personal Ancient Egypt hall of fame, next to my favorite books, documentaries, and movies?
Preparing the game
Print 8 pages in color, which include the front and back of the cards. Once printed, just sleeve them up. That’s it. No other components are needed for this game.
As usual, I went with my traditional route for games I try out for the very first time. I laser-printed the cards and glued the two sides. It takes a while, but the result looks way better than glossy sleeved cards!
So, after a week of being stuck in the tomb, here I come with tidings and my findings!
Findings
First try- I nailed it! Till the tomb crashed
Creating words? I am a blogger! I do that effortlessly!
And so I did. Till I got so busy forming words that I completely lost focus on the other aspects of the game. Needless to say, I lost the game. Let’s just say I got absolutely crushed.
So the game is much more than just creating words.
With the defeat fresh on my mind, I started noticing the moving pieces of the game. Each phase has its priorities, some separate and some overlapping, that you have to balance carefully. Which brings me to my next point.
You’re an Archeologist- act like one!
It’s not a contest of creating words, you are inside a tomb that’s falling apart! You have to be mindful of all the other aspects of the game. Here are a couple:
+ Discarding parchment cards: During the Study Phase, don’t be rash about discarding parchment cards. They may contain letters that might be difficult to make words with, but check how many Eyes of Horus they have. Some cards might be very difficult, but have 5 eyes, which can be very handy for the Decipher Phase.
Discarding a parchment card lets you draw two hieroglyph cards. You then choose one to add to the game and discard the other. What you keep and what you toss can depend on several other factors in play.
+ Assessing the Hieroglyph Cards
Before starting the game, take some time to understand how the hieroglyph cards work and which ones you want to decipher. The goal isn’t just to decipher as many hieroglyph cards as possible, but to collect both types since one is incomplete without the other.
That’s not all, by the way. Many other factors come into play as you try to score as many points as possible to escape the tomb. It’s not an easy game, at least for the first five tries. Even keeping these points in mind, I barely escaped twice. But when I did, it felt sweet!
Bulls-eye on the theme!
The card designs are exactly as they should be, ancient! The hieroglyph cards are filled with authentic Egyptian symbols, the parchment cards feature detailed drawings, and even the inclusion of the Rosetta Stone is a nice touch. It is an ancient Egyptian artifact that was key to unlocking the mystery of hieroglyphs.
Big shoutout to Shane Tholen for giving the game the look it deserved.
Verdict
Depth?
Yes, I have to give the game credit for that. At first, I underestimated its depth and thought it was mostly about the theme and creating words. But after playing a few rounds, I started to understand how each component works and realized there are multiple factors to balance to win the game, and even then, it’s quite challenging. So, alongside a great theme and story, it’s also a well-designed game with solid replayability.
As far as I know, there are plans for expansions which could add even more depth. And who knows, maybe we will even see a sequel exploring what happened to the archaeologist after escaping the tomb! Just guessing…
Egyptian symbol and language?
Symbols? Tons of them! While playing, I kept wondering if the English letters on the parchment and hieroglyph cards could be replaced by ancient Egyptian letters to create words. That would make the game even more immersive! Then again, I have to consider how the ancient Egyptian language works. But you never know.
Ahmad, do look into it if possible, for future expansions. Imagine learning basic Egyptian words through the game. What a fantastic way to explore the past!
A spot in my personal Ancient Egypt hall of fame?
In a word, yes! But like The Mummy series, I demand sequels!
I feel the game has real potential to grow into a full series that walks through the life of the archeologist, who unravels more secrets of the ancient realm.
4 days till the campaign ends!
The walls are shaking and crumbling around you as we hit the endgame. Make your run! And be a part of history by backing Hieroglyph Historian.
A big thanks to Ahmad for sharing the game with me!
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Game Overview
Designer: Ahmad Salahuddin
Artist: Shane Tholen
Number of player: 1
Difficulty level: Easy to medium
Rounds of gameplay needed to learn: 2 rounds
Game duration: 30-40 minutes
Available on: Kickstarter
Theme: Solo card game | Deciphering a tomb
Number of pages and color:Â 8 (color)
Assembling difficulty level: Super easy. Sleeve the cards
Lamination: Not recommended
Additional elements required: Card sleeves
Time to learn: Within 20 minutes
Travel-friendly: 9/10
Shelving friendly: 10/10
Rating from PnP Time: 8.5/10
Tasliman is a board game developer based in Bangladesh, with the dream of exploring the world of games and introducing it to anyone new to it. He is the founder of Kraftz, a brand that develops board games commercially, as well as with reputed entities like BRAC and The Gates Foundation.